Jim Burns wrote:
Yep. Did you read that the Rat had also complained about this pilot's
actions previously, lost that case then settled out of court with the pilot
for an undisclosed amount of money when the pilot sued him in an
anti-defamation suit?

Yeah, I read that but I would imagine tensions would need to be at that
level to follow-through with the FAA.


I would think that the normal course of action would be a request by the
local FSDO that the pilot pay them a visit for a 709 ride after a local
inquiry and investigation had been performed by the FSDO Safety Inspector.

That's why I found it odd. Why didn't the FAA just say or do that
instead of going for the hearing right away--especially if they knew
there was a previous history of bad blood between them.

I often tell students that if you hang around the airport long enough,
you'll see somebody do something stupid. The first point should be don't do
something stupid, the second is that somebody's watching. I guess this guy
makes a third point that if you've got enemies, they'll be watching
especially close. (whether they know what they are seeing is another matter)

I would say most--if not all--pilots have done something that could be
regarded as "stupid." The key is to keep it to a low-risk flub (like
leaving a chock in a wheel). But your point is a good one--try to keep
it low-profile!

Marco