FAA Part 61 & 141 FAQ's gone!

To All:

Removal of the FAA AFS-800 Part 61 and 141 FAQ web site

Last month the FAA cancelled the AFS-800 Part 61 and Part 141 FAQ's.
Evidently the reason was because the FAA Public Relations folks, the creator
of the FAA's main "How do I become a Pilot?" FAQ web page convinced the FAA
Administrator and AFS-1 that there didn't need to be two different FAQ web
sites within the FAA's various web pages. This, of course, completely
misses the point as to the main purpose of the AFS-800 Part 61 and 141
FAQ's.

For years, the Part 61 and Part 141 FAQ's have been an internet extension of
the old FAA Pilot Examiner BBS from the 80's and early 90's which were
maintained by AFS-600. These FAQ's have served an essential and valuable
function providing DPE's, ASI's, CFI's and everyone in the flying public
with timely and valuable information about Parts 61, 141, SFAR 73 and
certification & regulation policy and issues.

While the FAA's web page "How do I become a pilot..." FAQ's serves the
public adequately for general aviation questions, they are totally
inadequate and completely miss the mark for providing the above-referenced
groups accurate and timely information about specific issues surrounding
Parts 61 and 141. A lot of work has gone into the AFS-800 Part 61 and 141
FAQ's and they need to be preserved and continue to be accessible to the
public.

The FAA Administrator and Director of Flight Standards need to be made aware
of the significant adverse impact removing the Part 61 and 141 FAQ's will
have on the FSDO's, DPE's, CFI's and anyone else who is interested in proper
interpretation of FAA policy and compliance with Parts 61 and 141.

Just a few reasons to reinstate the AFS-800 Part 61 and Part 141 FAQ web
site:

1. The AFS-800 Part 61 and 141 FAQ web site provides valuable guidance to
the flying public and FAA FSDO's on day-to-day application of the Parts 61
and 141 of the FAR's. It provides standardization to not only pilots and
CFI's, but also to FSDO's. It's a good way to get most of the FSDO's
marching to the beat of the same drummer with certification issues.

2. The existing AFS-800 Part 61 and 141 FAQ web site database has already
answered thousands of questions from airmen, CFI's, Pilot Examiners and FSDO
Inspectors. Absent this online resource and database, it will again occupy
thousands of extra hours of agency time to re-research and answer these same
questions as they come up again and again. That would be a waste of agency
resources and a waste of taxpayer's dollars.

3. The FAQ database has helped to promote compliance with the FAR's on Part
61 and 141 issues, thereby promoting increased aviation safety.

4. Omitting the Part 61 and Part 141 FAQ web site will now only increase
the burden on FSDO's to answer questions about application of Parts 61 and
141. Some FSDO's take forever to answer questions and often when an
inspector is done putting his 'spin' on the issue, the answer later proves
to be wrong compared to a legal opinion or AFS-800's answer. Absent that
useful Part 61 FAQ web site, such questions will either now go unanswered,
or the time spent answering them will detract from other safety-related
functions of FSDO personnel.

Likewise, absent the AFS-800 Part 61 and 141 FAQ's, there will be no
central, official Flight Standards web site to provide such guidance
pertinent to certification issues. FAA AGC-1 legal resources will also be
burdened by increased solicitation of legal opinions on issues that can be,
or already have been easily answered by the Part 61 and Part 141 FAQ's.

5. The AFS-800 Part 61 and 141 FAQ web site has become the single, most
useful and reliable resource for authoritative information about Parts 61
and 141. AFS-800 wrote the rules. Why not let them keep answering the
questions about what they meant ... by reinstating the Part 61 & 141 FAQ's!

People to contact about your concerns regarding removal of the AFS-800 Part
61 and 141 FAQ web site:

Marion C. Blakey AOA-1
FAA Administrator
800 Independence Avenue SW - Room 1010
Washington, DC 20591
202-267-3111, 202-267-5047 FAX
email:

James J. Ballough AFS-1
Director, Flight Standards Service
800 Independence Avenue SW - Room 821
Washington, DC 20591
202-267-8237, 202-267-5230 FAX
email:

Whether you agreed with the FAQ answers or not, they WERE useful to resolve
61 & 141 issues. If you are concerned about removal of the AFS-800 Part 61
and 141 FAQ web site, please contact the above individuals regarding your
concerns. An email is too easy to ignore. A fax or snail-mail letter would
have more impact on either recipient. Please take the time to make the
above individuals aware of your concerns. Thanks!
- Antique Examiner