Juan Jimenez wrote:
"Bruce Greef" wrote in message
...

Eric Greenwell wrote:

Juan Jimenez wrote:


"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
news:BI5ah.13303$_x3.11069@trndny02...


Juan Jimenez wrote:
ect certification of an individual aircraft.


Ron Wanttaja

C'mon Ron. You make it sound like the FAA guys are an officious bunch
of self righteous bureaucrats!

What else do they call themselves?

The ones I've worked with called themselves things like "Bob",
"Charlie", and "Sue", while they went out of their way to certify my
glider, set up our wave windows, and get me the waiver I requested.


Lucky you, you ran into the minority...


It's not luck when it happens repeatedly over a 30 year period at
multiple FSDOs, towers, and elsewhere. I do know people that always seem
to get the obnoxious ones, and it's not luck then, either.


Touche Eric, I was wondering if there was a good way to say that.


I wouldn't be so much in agreement if I were you.

Ever hear of an outfit the FAA calls the "Charter Quest Team"? It's a little
group the FAA has put together to blast the livelihood from under part 135
operators on the basis of murky interpretations of "operational control".
They don't talk to the FSDO's that have authority over the operators, the
FAA won't tell you who they are or where they work out of, and if you ask
them what rules the team is working under, the request is refused and you
are pointed to FOIA procedures. These are people who have already been at
work destroying companies who have done nothing wrong other than try to live
to up to the spirit of regulations and "do the right thing." You think luck
is involved in any way in this? Even the NTSB has blasted this hit man team
the FAA has put together. You had better hope your luck holds out if you run
into them.



Juan

You have my sympathy. Having met some of the bureaucracy the USA seems to
specialise in I try to avoid the place completely. But I must agree that , when
dealing with bureaucrats there is a lot more to be gained from a little courtesy
and and a lot of preparation. Frequently the person you are dealing with falls
into one of two categories.
1] He/she is completely clueless and will only do what is in their procedures
and guidelines. Heaven help you if you meet one of ours who is functionally
illiterate, and so only knows a small fraction of the rules, but applies those
with vigour.
2] Alternatively it might be someone who is knowledgeable about your sport, and
probably does not agree with many of the painful regulations they are paid to
enforce.

Whatever, in general the person you are dealing with has limited ability to
accommodate you. It can take some time , and requires willing on their part to
find ways around 'problems'. If you retain your manners and make it easy for
them to help you, it is amazing how much better the experience gets. (Again a
generalisation, you are always going to get some jerks in any population.)

On the subject of the "Charter Quest Team" - this sounds like another of the
little holy wars American officialdom seems to specialise in. Some genius
somewhere formed a plan to raise their profile... Eventually after the damage
they are doing becomes apparent, someone works out it was a lousy idea.