Avionics News July 2022 - 48

'IF I WERE FAA ADMINISTRATOR FOR A DAY...'
Continued from page 46
Eliminating the 50 shades of (FAA) grey
" I think the No. 1 thing that needs attention today is
with aircraft getting older; the entire industry is looking
to upgrade existing systems, " said Geordan Eddy, avionics
manager for Centennial Aircraft Services. " The used
aircraft market is really hot right now, so the regulations
need a revamp to reflect the current business climate.
Avionics modification processes: What's a major? What's
a minor? And when do you need a 337?
" I want to get the gray areas out of the entire process.
You see a lot of situations like the regulation for installing
a new electronic primary instrument in the panel. You
used to need individual backups for the six-pack. Then
they (FAA) changed the regulation wording and now it's
gray to a point where some shops are interpreting it to
read you do not need to back up all six and use just one
electronic standby instrument - not all six. Other shops
and some STC holders are saying, 'Oh, yes, you do.'
" It's creating too much inconsistency in the market now
where one shop is willing to toe the line and other shops
read it differently and do the work the way they believe it
should be. It's just not ok when you talk to the local FAA
rep, and they interpret any guideline or instruction differently
than you do. Who is right? That's my No. 1 thing -
revamp the regs to reflect the current avionics landscape. "
Accentuate the positive
" I think if you look at our air system, however you
look at it, it is top-notch from a worldwide perspective in
terms of safety, innovation and operations, " stated Mark
Lee, CEO of Forge Flightworks. " We have a very robust
general aviation and commercial aviation market here. I
do think they're doing a number of things very well. So
fundamentally, they are doing most things well. Are there
some areas for improvement and refinement? There's
always room for that.
" From my vantage point here as the owner of an FAA
Part 145 service center that focuses on avionics, there
are two things I would call out. First, it pertains to our
working relationship with the FAA on a day-to-day basis.
From where we sit, it's been a very positive relationship.
I think when the FAA made their change in mindset in the
48 avionics news * july 2022
way they provided oversight in the mid-90s from being
antagonistic to being more collaborative, that was a hugely
positive step. That's made our industry a lot better and
safer. We view the FAA as a partner. I would direct them
to continue that trend and move it forward. Keep building
on the positive.
" The other thing I would push forward on is finding
ways to draw more young people - the next generation of
aircraft technicians, pilots and support personnel into aviation.
Our entire industry is in desperate need of talent, and
I think the FAA can and should act as a change leader in
helping get young people interested in an aviation career.
" Of course, it's not just the FAA's responsibility. It's
something everyone in every section of aviation needs to
make a priority. But I believe the FAA has a very large
reach and can do more to act as the leader in these efforts.
For the majority of young people, their experience with
aviation begins and ends with a ride on a commercial
airliner. They don't realize the world of opportunity there
is in our industry.
" It's not only critical for shops like ours, but when you
look closely at it, the majority of the FAA's employees -
inspectors, engineers, and the like - come from within the
industry. If the talent pool continues to shrink throughout
the industry, it will be harder for the FAA to recruit the
expertise it needs in the future. "
Ramp up ramp checks
" If I had been asked this 10 years ago, I would start by
saying that as the FAA administrator, I'd change the culture
of trying to find violations as a focus of surveillance
to a more interactive approach intent on airworthiness
and safety, " stated Stewart Dimon, sales manager for
Texas GYRO. " However, since that time, I have seen
several FSDOs be less focused on being punitive and actually
reach out more to be helpful toward the implementation
of real methods and processes we perform during
maintenance and alterations.
" That said, being an inspector for a day, I'd focus on
ramp checking for regulatory and airworthiness compliance
and flush out operators flying under what I call
FAR 134-and-a-half. Ad hoc charter flights not properly
operated under 135 are a growing problem and unfair to
the operators who take all their time and effort to follow
the FARs. " q
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