I feel like no one’s talking about this enough (although airline industry publications seem to be picking up on it now).
Sean Duffy has welcomed DOGE to swing their hammers around inside the FAA.
Most stable, long-lived Federal government systems run on old mainframes and are written in languages like COBOL. As a faculty member in a computing and informatics program, I can tell you that no 19-25 year old likely has more than passing knowledge in this language, that the enterprise software that still uses it is generally sensitive and closely protected, and that ChatGPT doesn’t know COBOL either because the code for those systems is not splashed all over “learn to program” sites on the web.
Indeed, the FAA relies on decades-old technology, which it has sought to upgrade through its long-delayed and costly NextGen system.
COBOL programmers are thin on the ground and we aren’t making more of them, and it is absolutely reasonable to try to modernize these legacy systems, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING. As Hillary Clinton pointed out, Musk’s interns can’t possibly known the ins and outs of legacy aviation software. They should not at any cost be allowed to inject code into FAA’s production systems willy-nilly like they were attempting to do at Treasury.
Duffy’s post drew mixed reactions across social media, with the former Wisconsin state lawmaker engaging in a heated back-and-forth with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton said on X that Musk’s aides “have no relevant experience” and that the FAA has “already deteriorated” under Trump’s administration.
What Musk’s interns do “know how to pilot”, possibly, is SpaceX rockets. Remind me again how that’s going?
SpaceX’s Starship test flight ends in failure after spacecraft is destroyed — Jan 16, 2025
They might also know how to pilot Tesla self-driving vehicles. Remind me again how that’s going?
Tesla Has the Highest Fatal Accident Rate of All Auto Brands, Study Finds — Nov 15, 2024
This is what I would call a matter of grave concern for those of us who need to fly for professional reasons. If you are also concerned, reach out to the airline that you travel on the most and ask them what they think about it! Also call or write your Senators. Here’s what I sent to American Airlines yesterday. I also sent a variant of this to my Senators.
Our new transportation secretary has just stated that Elon Musk's DOGE is coming to the FAA to "fix" their computers.
American Airlines is an important player in the US economy. How are you going to work with the government to ensure our flights stay safe after this incursion into FAA systems?
Leaving aside the wisdom of having 19 year old interns injecting untested code into legacy software systems that Americans rely on, I ask you to consider -- how often do Elon Musk's unmanned rocket launches crash or burn up? Millions of Americans fly every day, thousands of flights coming and going. There have been two tragic plane crashes already just in the two weeks since the inauguration, at least one potentially due to understaffing after Federal employees began to be laid off. I don't honestly care if the air traffic controller that helps my plane land is male or female, black or white -- I care that they are THERE, and that the computers they rely on are working correctly.
Allowing Elon Musk to swing a hammer through every important Federal agency and system, and doxx or fire the experts we rely on according to his whims, is going to cost lives. I have to fly for a professional event next month and am hoping one of them is not mine.
Please pass this question on to your company's leadership and lobbyists. I hope they will consider the implications of what Musk is doing for their business and customers' lives.
