Helicopter Flight Information
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Helicopter Flight Information |
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The FAAThe Good if there is any...Hey don't believe everything you hear, overall, the FAA isn't to bad, just ask anyone who is employed by the FAA. They provide a necessary service for those of us involved in aviation even if they are poor managers of their time. I have some friends in the FAA, and I have never personally had a bad experience, even before I had friends there. Don't misunderstand the word friends, this does not mean that I get favors; it just means that I know who to talk to, and as a result I might get answers faster than some who does not know inspectors. I have heard instructors and some other pilots talk badly about the FAA or its inspectors. Although they are like any other enforcement agency and as a result you may get penalized, however if your papers are in order you will not likely have a problem. If an FAA inspector approaches you on the ramp, the inspector will show his or her ID, and state the business at hand usually in a polite manner. I have had many inspections, and to date, I have never had a bad experience yet other than the occasional 'police mentality'. Maybe it is because my papers are in order and I try not to violate the regulations. This does not mean that an inspector or two was not rude, this has occurred; it is a part of that 'authority syndrome' some officials get into. The Bad and there is plenty...Keep in mind that in all segments of society there are bad examples of humankind. This is inevitable. If you have a bad experience (and it was not fault of yours) document it, and file a complaint at the FAA FSDO in your area. Do not let such an experience go without a report/complaint. As with all government agencies, the FAA hates complaints because they have to deal with them. On the other hand, do not make nuisance complaints. You must not be a cry-baby. If you do something wrong, standup with some back-bone and admit it, then take your blows; but do fight back! FAA inspectors in general are on a power trip, and if they can find something to get you for they will go after you with a vengeance. They get a feather in their hat, not to mention their power rush. The Ugly, uglier every day...After a number of years in aviation, the passing of 911, and numerous other events, even I must admit that the FAA gets uglier everyday. The fact is, it just comes down to job justification. They need your license, and/or your airworthiness certificate so be careful, they are after it because they need to show their superiors that they are doing their job. I used to say if you commit a violation, but the FAA has gone way beyond that these days; if you make a mistake, they will be looking to take your license. They call it 'emergency action', that way they don't have to grant you 'due process'. Yes, you got it, they are on a power trip. If you make a violation, and it need not be a serious one, you will suffer the consequences. There are a lot of inspectors out there looking for 'their feather'. The FAA is largely about job justification more than anything else. They really feel a need to find something wrong; helping pilots and the industry is not what today's FAA and its enforcers, called safety inspectors are about. Remember that piloting an aircraft is a privilege not a right. As a result the FAA has powers that they can exercise without proof that you actually did anything wrong. Innocent people have had their reputations badly scarred by the FAA. And I can assure you that the FAA and its representatives don't care. There are Macho muscle-flexors in the FAA just like every other part of the world. We cannot keep worms out of any segment of society. Overall the FAA is a pretty good organization, however this is not to say that it is without its problems. There is an element of 'police mentality' among some of those in the FAA. Keep your ducks in a row and do not violate the regulations. Chances are you will not have any problems with the FAA.
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