Hi! I'm From The FAA . . .

mtsu_av8er · September 11th, 2005, 00:40

Man, has it been a crazy week!

First off, let me tell everybody here. When you rent an airplane, make sure you break out the MX logbooks and ensure that each and every AD has been complied with.

You know, it's not the fault of the maintainers if they return an airplane to service without complying with AD's . . .

. . . and I'm here to help!

You never know when the FAA will come around, issuing

Letters of Investigation . . .

No, it wasn't me, but it did happen at my flight school. A mechanic screwed up, and the flight school is getting an LOI. If this isn't handled ever so carefully, it could get deeper than that (as in, all the pilots that flew during this time having an enforcement action). Can we say that there are some fights going on behind closed doors??

Anyhoo, watch out for the FAA, folks. You may think you're covering every base there is, but they can still get you!!

viper548 · September 11th, 2005, 02:22

This message has been sponsored by the AOPA legal services plan

mpenguin1 · September 11th, 2005, 09:12

Oh lord, I hear that just about every week, if not more......

Doug Taylor · September 11th, 2005, 11:41

As one who had to tangle with the FAA years ago... Don't tangle with the FAA!

JDE · September 11th, 2005, 14:01

[ QUOTE ]
As one who had to tangle with the FAA years ago... Don't tangle with the FAA!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah no doubt. They're sneaky people!!

Doug Taylor · September 11th, 2005, 14:15

...and have beady little eyes...

slowandlow · September 11th, 2005, 14:43

I always thought that they were here to help us, and answer any questions we may have. Are you telling me this isn't the truth?

Windchill · September 11th, 2005, 20:51

[ QUOTE ]
...and have beady little eyes...

[/ QUOTE ]

... didn't realize our FAA is a Canadian crew

EatSleepFly · September 11th, 2005, 22:47

Most of the time, it seems they're not happy 'till you're not happy.

There's a few that are alright, but unfortunately they seem to be in the minority. I was waiting for freight somewhere in PA one time, and a fed came up and introduced himself and asked if I was flying the Caravan. I told him yeah, and that I was just waiting on some freight that was late. He then asked if he could look everything over. I was floored, lol! Of course I jumped through all the hoops. The inspector was extremely courteous and professional, and after he was done looking things over, we went over to the restaurant and had lunch! Now if only they could all be that way!

Of course, the other variety just makes me want to:

Anybody ever notice how easy it is to spot a fed on the ramp or around the FBO? It's like they try to blend in, but they're just so obvious. It's kind of funny, especially when there's more than one of them out there. They move about in a cluster.

Like an old salt Lear pilot told me one time, one way to tell if it's the FAA is to look for the guy wearing one black sock and one blue one.

flyguy · September 12th, 2005, 01:30

Happens almost every week at my school. We haven't recieved any violations yet, but it sure has caused a ton of headaches. The FAA is doing an excelent job protecting us from flying with a missing cowling screw, or a slightly illegible fuel tank placard, because we know dangerous it is to fly VFR with a broken static whick.

We had a plane grounded for several months because the color of the rear seats didn't match that of the front seats.

Honesly, I'm not making this up!

Then they gave us a seminar about airworthiness, and explained that dents in the wings are prefectly fine, but if the front seats don't match the rear seats, that just looks tacky and will get you grounded. Also a good pre-flight means you go into the mx logs since the aircraft left the factory, and make sure every inspection has been done on time and been signed off by the proper people, every AD since 197X has been complied with, and also we should match every serial number of every piece of equipment on the airplane up with the equipment list to make sure nothing has been switched out, because if it has the plane will self destruct. And all of this should only take 5 extra minutes. Other than the sarcastic remark about the airplane self destrucing, I am seriuosly not making this up! And 5 minutes my ass! We've had guys go for initial CFI checkrides with this FSDO and doing everything they said in the seminar, took them almost an entire day to do that kind of preflight.

mpenguin1 · September 12th, 2005, 12:37

It might sound corny, but the FAA is a necessary evil, if the FAA did not exist, standards would be lower.

I watched my company standards lower very quickly when the FAA decreased their oversight, as soon as the FAA started again, company standards increased.....

JDE · September 12th, 2005, 14:30

[ QUOTE ]
It might sound corny, but the FAA is a necessary evil, if the FAA did not exist, standards would be lower.

I watched my company standards lower very quickly when the FAA decreased their oversight, as soon as the FAA started again, company standards increased.....

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, however, why don't they try to get the operators who are less than par? They were on my butt awhile ago for something stupid. No rules were broken and nothing was unsafe, but they've got 135 operators out there that should probably be shut down and they're not worried about them. That's what irritates me.

CapnJim · September 12th, 2005, 14:37

I take the same approach to the FAA as I do to VFR traffic: "See and Avoid!"

Although the few run-in's I've had with the feds have all had positive outcomes, the horror stories I've heard are too many to ignore!

EatSleepFly · September 12th, 2005, 15:21

[ QUOTE ]
I agree, however, why don't they try to get the operators who are less than par? They were on my butt awhile ago for something stupid. No rules were broken and nothing was unsafe, but they've got 135 operators out there that should probably be shut down and they're not worried about them. That's what irritates me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but there are companies out there operating that absolutely should not be, the FAA knows it, and nothing is done. Connect the dots...

tonyw · September 12th, 2005, 15:30

Kind of plays into what Pengy said, huh?

Very interesting, eh?

flyover · September 12th, 2005, 15:57

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I agree, however, why don't they try to get the operators who are less than par? They were on my butt awhile ago for something stupid. No rules were broken and nothing was unsafe, but they've got 135 operators out there that should probably be shut down and they're not worried about them. That's what irritates me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but there are companies out there operating that absolutely should not be, the FAA knows it, and nothing is done. Connect the dots...

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, just to be sure. Everyone knows about sending their GADO inspectors something at Christmas right? In the old days it was usually a bottle of the finest Scotch.

EatSleepFly · September 12th, 2005, 16:03

I would think that it would cost some of these companies a whole lot more than just a bottle of Scotch to make the FAA look the other way.

flyover · September 12th, 2005, 16:17

[ QUOTE ]
I would think that it would cost some of these companies a whole lot more than just a bottle of Scotch to make the FAA look the other way.

[/ QUOTE ]

You just have to handle it one inspector at a time. Many part 135 hours, probably never flew a strictly legal flight, no violations. Take it or leave it.

EatSleepFly · September 12th, 2005, 16:22

Oh I know! I'm talking about the big picture, though.

On a "Grander" scale, if you will.

Think about the word in quotes for just one example.

September 11th, 2005, 00:40	#1
mtsu_av8er Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia Posts: 12,567	Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . Man, has it been a crazy week! First off, let me tell everybody here. When you rent an airplane, make sure you break out the MX logbooks and ensure that each and every AD has been complied with. You know, it's not the fault of the maintainers if they return an airplane to service without complying with AD's . . . . . . and I'm here to help! You never know when the FAA will come around, issuing Letters of Investigation . . . No, it wasn't me, but it did happen at my flight school. A mechanic screwed up, and the flight school is getting an LOI. If this isn't handled ever so carefully, it could get deeper than that (as in, all the pilots that flew during this time having an enforcement action). Can we say that there are some fights going on behind closed doors?? Anyhoo, watch out for the FAA, folks. You may think you're covering every base there is, but they can still get you!!

September 11th, 2005, 02:22	#2
viper548 Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 818	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . This message has been sponsored by the AOPA legal services plan

September 11th, 2005, 09:12	#3
mpenguin1 Old Skool Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 10,307 Blog Entries: 5	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . Oh lord, I hear that just about every week, if not more......

September 11th, 2005, 11:41	#4
Doug Taylor Agent Smith Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: KSDL Posts: 41,181 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . As one who had to tangle with the FAA years ago... Don't tangle with the FAA!

September 11th, 2005, 14:01	#5
JDE Old Skool Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 1,562	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . [ QUOTE ] As one who had to tangle with the FAA years ago... Don't tangle with the FAA! [/ QUOTE ] Yeah no doubt. They're sneaky people!!

September 11th, 2005, 14:15	#6
Doug Taylor Agent Smith Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: KSDL Posts: 41,181 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . ...and have beady little eyes...

September 11th, 2005, 14:43	#7
slowandlow Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: So. California (KSLI) Posts: 309	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . I always thought that they were here to help us, and answer any questions we may have. Are you telling me this isn't the truth?

September 11th, 2005, 20:51	#8
Windchill Old Skool Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Mid-Atlantic, KMRB Posts: 1,925	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . [ QUOTE ] ...and have beady little eyes... [/ QUOTE ] ... didn't realize our FAA is a Canadian crew

September 11th, 2005, 22:47	#9
EatSleepFly Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ?? Posts: 4,600	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . Most of the time, it seems they're not happy 'till you're not happy. There's a few that are alright, but unfortunately they seem to be in the minority. I was waiting for freight somewhere in PA one time, and a fed came up and introduced himself and asked if I was flying the Caravan. I told him yeah, and that I was just waiting on some freight that was late. He then asked if he could look everything over. I was floored, lol! Of course I jumped through all the hoops. The inspector was extremely courteous and professional, and after he was done looking things over, we went over to the restaurant and had lunch! Now if only they could all be that way! Of course, the other variety just makes me want to: Anybody ever notice how easy it is to spot a fed on the ramp or around the FBO? It's like they try to blend in, but they're just so obvious. It's kind of funny, especially when there's more than one of them out there. They move about in a cluster. Like an old salt Lear pilot told me one time, one way to tell if it's the FAA is to look for the guy wearing one black sock and one blue one.

September 12th, 2005, 01:30	#10
flyguy Old Skool Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 2,094	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . Happens almost every week at my school. We haven't recieved any violations yet, but it sure has caused a ton of headaches. The FAA is doing an excelent job protecting us from flying with a missing cowling screw, or a slightly illegible fuel tank placard, because we know dangerous it is to fly VFR with a broken static whick. We had a plane grounded for several months because the color of the rear seats didn't match that of the front seats. Honesly, I'm not making this up! Then they gave us a seminar about airworthiness, and explained that dents in the wings are prefectly fine, but if the front seats don't match the rear seats, that just looks tacky and will get you grounded. Also a good pre-flight means you go into the mx logs since the aircraft left the factory, and make sure every inspection has been done on time and been signed off by the proper people, every AD since 197X has been complied with, and also we should match every serial number of every piece of equipment on the airplane up with the equipment list to make sure nothing has been switched out, because if it has the plane will self destruct. And all of this should only take 5 extra minutes. Other than the sarcastic remark about the airplane self destrucing, I am seriuosly not making this up! And 5 minutes my ass! We've had guys go for initial CFI checkrides with this FSDO and doing everything they said in the seminar, took them almost an entire day to do that kind of preflight.

September 12th, 2005, 12:37	#11
mpenguin1 Old Skool Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 10,307 Blog Entries: 5	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . It might sound corny, but the FAA is a necessary evil, if the FAA did not exist, standards would be lower. I watched my company standards lower very quickly when the FAA decreased their oversight, as soon as the FAA started again, company standards increased.....

September 12th, 2005, 14:30	#12
JDE Old Skool Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 1,562	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . [ QUOTE ] It might sound corny, but the FAA is a necessary evil, if the FAA did not exist, standards would be lower. I watched my company standards lower very quickly when the FAA decreased their oversight, as soon as the FAA started again, company standards increased..... [/ QUOTE ] I agree, however, why don't they try to get the operators who are less than par? They were on my butt awhile ago for something stupid. No rules were broken and nothing was unsafe, but they've got 135 operators out there that should probably be shut down and they're not worried about them. That's what irritates me.

September 12th, 2005, 14:37	#13
CapnJim Old Skool Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: G-town, Near D-town. In T-state... er... whatever Posts: 4,499	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . I take the same approach to the FAA as I do to VFR traffic: "See and Avoid!" Although the few run-in's I've had with the feds have all had positive outcomes, the horror stories I've heard are too many to ignore!

September 12th, 2005, 15:21	#14
EatSleepFly Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ?? Posts: 4,600	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . [ QUOTE ] I agree, however, why don't they try to get the operators who are less than par? They were on my butt awhile ago for something stupid. No rules were broken and nothing was unsafe, but they've got 135 operators out there that should probably be shut down and they're not worried about them. That's what irritates me. [/ QUOTE ] I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but there are companies out there operating that absolutely should not be, the FAA knows it, and nothing is done. Connect the dots...

September 12th, 2005, 15:30	#15
tonyw Old Skool Join Date: May 2002 Location: Maryland Posts: 15,617	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . Kind of plays into what Pengy said, huh? Very interesting, eh?

September 12th, 2005, 15:57	#16
flyover Old Skool Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 3,389	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I agree, however, why don't they try to get the operators who are less than par? They were on my butt awhile ago for something stupid. No rules were broken and nothing was unsafe, but they've got 135 operators out there that should probably be shut down and they're not worried about them. That's what irritates me. [/ QUOTE ] I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist, but there are companies out there operating that absolutely should not be, the FAA knows it, and nothing is done. Connect the dots... [/ QUOTE ] OK, just to be sure. Everyone knows about sending their GADO inspectors something at Christmas right? In the old days it was usually a bottle of the finest Scotch.

September 12th, 2005, 16:03	#17
EatSleepFly Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ?? Posts: 4,600	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . I would think that it would cost some of these companies a whole lot more than just a bottle of Scotch to make the FAA look the other way.

September 12th, 2005, 16:17	#18
flyover Old Skool Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Georgia Posts: 3,389	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . [ QUOTE ] I would think that it would cost some of these companies a whole lot more than just a bottle of Scotch to make the FAA look the other way. [/ QUOTE ] You just have to handle it one inspector at a time. Many part 135 hours, probably never flew a strictly legal flight, no violations. Take it or leave it.

September 12th, 2005, 16:22	#19
EatSleepFly Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ?? Posts: 4,600	Re: Hi! I\'m From The FAA . . . Oh I know! I'm talking about the big picture, though. On a "Grander" scale, if you will. Think about the word in quotes for just one example.

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