I was speaking of the long-term. There have been some real odd ducks over the years I have been involved.
Their resumes always look good, of course. The only one on the present board I know to really be qualified, at least for aviation, is Sumwalt.
I certainly don't mean to argue, but it seems that while Robert Sumwalt has the kind of background that pilots would like to see … it is just as true, like almost anything else, when looking for a person to fit a particular role, there will always be some with the very specific qualifications you are seeking and others who have qualifications that may be different but just as good – and I’d easily put Dr. Weener in that category with his back ground at Boeing, specifically his developmental work on the two-crew 747 flight deck concept and the development of the 757/767 flight decks, as well as the initial advanced technology commercial transport glass cockpit development. When we consider the kinds of issues that will be, or have become, prevalent, it seems that one of the bigger issues are those of “rest, sleep, and/or fatigue” issues and certainly Dr. Rosekind’s background and expertise in these areas cannot be dismissed. Additionally, it’s pretty clear that Mr. Hart’s background in governmental affairs and his familiarity with the FAA’s Air Traffic Safety Oversight office and his history with the FAA as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of System Safety earns him considerable respect. That leaves only the current Board Chairman, Deborah Hersman … and she’s been a board member the longest of all of the Board Members, and before joining the Board was a senior advisor to the US Senate Committee dealing with Commerce, Science, and Transportation issues. If my memory serves, she has held more “open” meetings and hearings and has put more information on the NTSB website than any of her predecessors and has a pretty good reputation with both “Capitol Hill” and the press – not an easy feat in and of itself.
Does this get us to the point of it being a “perfect” NTSB for airline and piloting issues? Probably not. And, I’d bet that any of those 5 members would agree – but, and again, airlines and pilots are not the only areas of concern for the NTSB. Sure, there are, and always will be, excellent and not-so-excellent participants on any given transportation accident or incident … but where is there anything different? So … perfect? … nope! … but … good? Yeah, I think they’re pretty darn good. And, yeah, I’ll continue to criticize and critique and offer my comments (pro and con) when and where necessary … but I’m not at all ready to throw the NTSB under the proverbial “bus.”