Trump’s FAA Pick Falsely Claimed Pilot License
- Donald Trump nominated Bryan Bedford, Republic Airways CEO, to lead the FAA, but reports revealed he falsely claimed to hold a commercial pilot license in 2025.
- The controversy arose because Bedford has only a private pilot's license, though some sources say he has passed written and oral commercial pilot exams.
- Republic Airways listed Bedford as holding commercial, multi-engine, and instrument ratings on its website until Politico questioned the credentials and the word "commercial" was removed.
- The Department of Transportation clarified that Bedford never represented himself, either privately or in public, as possessing a commercial pilot license, attributing the inaccurate listing to an administrative mistake that was promptly resolved.
- Bedford faced Senate questioning last week and avoided committing to maintaining the 1,500 flight-hour rule for pilots, fueling ongoing safety concerns amid recent aviation tragedies.
11 Articles
11 Articles
FAA nominee reportedly lacks commercial pilot certification he claimed to have
Bryan Bedford, President Trump’s pick to head the Federal Aviation Administration, is reportedly not certified to pilot a plane commercially as he has claimed. While the biography of the president and CEO of regional Republic Airways once stated he “holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument pilot ratings,” a Politico survey of FAA records found no reference to a commercial license, the outlet reported Sunday. The word “commercial” disappeare…


Trump’s FAA pick has long claimed he has a pilot’s license. Reports show he does not
Bryan Bedford previously claimed to have a commercial pilot’s license, but only has a private pilot license, according to FAA records.
Trump's FAA pick busted for lie about his pilot qualifications
Donald Trump's pick to head up the embattled Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been accused by Politico of overstating his qualifications as a pilot for years,According to a report from Politico's Oriana Pawlyk, Bryan Bedford, who has served as chief executive of Republic Airways Holdings, h...
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