Pietenpol-List: Pietenpol-list FAA Highway Robbery

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Original Posted By: "John Dilatush"
Fellow Piet Builders;As a follow up to my earlier E-Mail where I complained about the lack ofany FAA cooperation in getting my Piet inspected when done, I alsocontacted EAA headquarters about the problem.After talking to one fellow on the phone, and sending him copies of allof my correspondence with the FAA and my Federal Senator andRepresentative, and their replies and letters to the FAA, I waited morethan 30 days and got no reply! I then wrote a nasty letter to Paul P.at the EAA and then he told me the package I had sent evidently gotlost. I started again with my tale of woe. Paul P. said that they wereaware of the problem and were working on it. I wrote a long letterproposing that the FAA give up on inspections altogether and appointqualified homebuilders to be special inspectors (not DARs') forhomebuilt aircraft only. These special inspectors, maybe EAA TechCouncilors, should have an A&P and have built planes themselves, afterall, who would be more qualified than one who has taken an airplane frominception to a finished product? Most of the DARs' seem unable tounderstand our unique problems and have only had experience withcertified aircraft. In fact, out of the nine DARs' I called for a quoteto come up and do an inspection, only four were willing to do so becauseit concerned a homebuilt aircraft. And the quotes I got ranged from$400 to $900 plus expenses! I know we are over 150 miles from Denver,but it sure is a nice drive.The EAA is evidently aware of the problem and has proposed a similarsolution to the FAA, however, I feel that it is not a particularly highpriority with them either and they are not pushing the Foolish AeroAdministration very hard. A suggestion like this would have the effectof better service (inspectors would come from our own local chapters inmany cases) and I am sure that costs would be more reasonable because ofgreater competition between inspectors.The last correspondence that I had from the EAA was from the ExecutiveVP, Robert T. Warner. His letter was dated Oct 31, 2000 and I haveheard nothing since. I would suggest that we should send to hisattention E-Mails about our concerns. I believe the address iswww.eaa.org . They told me that they were working with the FAA on theproblem, but nothing seems to be happening . A push might be in order!Cheers, John Dilatush, Blunder Engineering - Salida Colorado dilatush(at)amigo.net________________________________________________________________________________

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