FAA regulates competition

A Dr friend of mine mentioned that he tried to apply as an AME with the
local FSDO and was told "we already have enough AME's go away". As a
capitalist, that really bothered me. Under what authority does the FAA
regulate the supply of AMEs? Certainly we can all understand that the
FAA must put requirements of AMEs (probably be licensed to practice
medicine, maybe take an FAA test or attend a seminar etc) but why do
they regulate the number? This may contribute to some areas having more
expensive medicals than other areas.
I've wondered the same question about DEs. Why doesn't the FAA allow
anyone who meets a very, very strict set of standards be a DE? Why do
you have to wait for a DE to die before the FAA will give you
authority? I just have visions of the Central Communist Committee
trying to figure out how much bread and milk to produce and what price
to sell it at. Regulating supply of resources doesn't seem to be in the
interest of pilots, safety, or anything else other than giving some
people pricing advantage.

-Robert

A Dr friend of mine mentioned that he tried to apply as an AME with the
local FSDO and was told "we already have enough AME's go away".

Same thing recently happened here, AFTER we lost two local AME's to
retirement. It made us question whether or not the retiring AME's notified
the FSDO that they were no longer active. Does anybody in the group know
how the FSDO or FAA keeps track of active/non-active AME's?

Jim

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
ups.com...
A Dr friend of mine mentioned that he tried to apply as an AME with the
local FSDO and was told "we already have enough AME's go away". As a
capitalist, that really bothered me. Under what authority does the FAA
regulate the supply of AMEs? Certainly we can all understand that the
FAA must put requirements of AMEs (probably be licensed to practice
medicine, maybe take an FAA test or attend a seminar etc) but why do
they regulate the number? This may contribute to some areas having more
expensive medicals than other areas.
I've wondered the same question about DEs. Why doesn't the FAA allow
anyone who meets a very, very strict set of standards be a DE? Why do
you have to wait for a DE to die before the FAA will give you
authority? I just have visions of the Central Communist Committee
trying to figure out how much bread and milk to produce and what price
to sell it at. Regulating supply of resources doesn't seem to be in the
interest of pilots, safety, or anything else other than giving some
people pricing advantage.

-Robert

It's the FAA, nuff said.

They do the same thing with DMEs. My neighbor was ****ed he had to go
to Texas or Colorado to take his O&P test. The bottom line is Congress
delegates excessive authority to unelected bureaucracies and refuses to
clean up their messes using the typical excuse it would be
"micromanaging".

"Bret Ludwig" wrote in message
oups.com...
They do the same thing with DMEs. My neighbor was ****ed he had to go
to Texas or Colorado to take his O&P test. The bottom line is Congress
delegates excessive authority to unelected bureaucracies and refuses to
clean up their messes using the typical excuse it would be
"micromanaging".

Like a bureaucracy itself isn't micromanaging?

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message ups.com...
A Dr friend of mine mentioned that he tried to apply as an AME with the
local FSDO and was told "we already have enough AME's go away". As a
capitalist, that really bothered me. Under what authority does the FAA
regulate the supply of AMEs? Certainly we can all understand that the
FAA must put requirements of AMEs (probably be licensed to practice
medicine, maybe take an FAA test or attend a seminar etc) but why do
they regulate the number? This may contribute to some areas having more
expensive medicals than other areas.
I've wondered the same question about DEs. Why doesn't the FAA allow
anyone who meets a very, very strict set of standards be a DE? Why do
you have to wait for a DE to die before the FAA will give you
authority? I just have visions of the Central Communist Committee
trying to figure out how much bread and milk to produce and what price
to sell it at. Regulating supply of resources doesn't seem to be in the
interest of pilots, safety, or anything else other than giving some
people pricing advantage.

-Robert


The FAA is required by law to ensure that the pilots are medically fit to fly. There are not enough FAA employees who
are qualified to do these medical checks, so they delegate that function to qualified private individuals.The FAA then
has to oversee these AMEs. There are only so many 'slots' that can be watched within budget constraints, etc.