Re: Pietenpol-List: aircraft repairman - ahhhh... more FAA CR**

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 6:30 pm

Original Posted By: Phillips, Jack
Well. I'm glad some of you are having good experiences with the FAA. I've justfound out that I have to make a 4 hour (one way) trip to Tampa to the TampaFSDO to be "interviewed" so they can "grant" me a repairman certificate - on anairplane I spent 10 years building. Now a trip across town or even down theroad may not be unreasonable, but a 600 mile round trip is an unreasonable hardshipin my book. Now don't forget that THEIR (FAA) designee ( DAR) that THEY agree to allow to acton THEIR behalf came to MY hangar and spent a great deal of time establishingthat I 1) Built my plane, 2) I Have some acceptable level of ability - atleast enough to BUILD an airplane that he's determined is airworthy 3) I Haveproven that I can read, interpret and apply regulations and requirements, 4)I am who I say I am and E) I have jumped through every imaginable hoop requiredby the FAA so far . Now, also don't lose the fact that I payed a fairlysubstantial fee to THEIR Designee to provide such assistance. I figure countingtravel time , inspection time, and paper work time comes out to about $100per hour.Now if I had known my DAR could sign off on my Special Airworthiness Certificatebut couldn't sign off on my Repairman's Certificate, I'd have gotten in lineand waited on an FAA A/W inspector to do it. Assuming they could or would. But now I payed big dollars for a partial service. Typical government innefficiency. With THEIR (FAA's) constant whining about overstaffing, underbudgeting, and "heavy"workload, I felt paying for said services would insure a timely, stream-linedturnkey certification - including issuance of the repairman certificate.I assumed it was worth it . Hmmm. Moral to this story is NEVER assume anythingwhen dealing with the FAA or any other agency for that matter.Now I know for a fact (trust me, I am close to three other recent experimentalinspections) that some FSDOs are NOT requiring applicants to travel (hundredsof miles) to be "interviewed". They are accepting a letter of reference fromthe DAR along with the application and support information submitted by the applicant.Evidently some FSDOs require a little interview. Now my dilemna ishow to proceed from here.Looks like I have three options:1) Take a day off from my work and go down there and grovel to them so they can"grant" me the right to work on my own damn plane - remember... the one THATI BUILT? - Oh yeah did I mention that FAA is not open on weekends or holidayseither - but thats ok because you have to "schedule an appointment" anywayso it's not likely I'll miss them. This doesn't sound to me like the Feds are,although funded by fees and taxes collected from the public,, making mucheffort to be "user friendly".2) Kick and scream - write a few letters , maybe call a FAA regional head honcho?How about a critical letter to a few well placed aviation mags? Boy, thisone should really insure my application is turned down.or3) Simply forget the whole thing. I built it - its mine, and I maybe justwork on it myself - repairman's Certificate or not. Never deal with that bunchagain. Oh, but then I'd be in violation of the FAR' s wouldn't I..By the way, it did pass inspection Sunday but high winds prohibited a first flight.I'll fly it in a few days. So I can build it and fly it, I just can't workon it.......Right now I'm just p***** that I have to go through all this stuff for a bunchof bureaus. .Bert ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 6:56 pm

Original Posted By: Bert Conoly
what a big pot of shit. I'd be inclined to go with option 3 for the time being.to hell with them. ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 7:03 pm

Original Posted By: Galen Hutcheson
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: aircraft repairman - ahhhh... more FAA CR** -------------------------------1103591009Bert,There's a hotline you can call to report bad service like that from the FAA. Maybe somebody on the board knows what it is. You don't have to put up with that sort of treatment. Tom Travis -------------------------------1103591009Bert,There's a hotline you can call to report bad service like that=20fromthe FAA. Maybe somebody on the board knows what it is. You don't have to put upwith that sort of treatment.Tom Travis-------------------------------1103591009--________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 17:24:03 -0800 (PST)

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:02 pm

Original Posted By: Bert Conoly
Hey Bert, I sure wish I had your problems.......Still building very slowlyin SacramentoChris Tracy ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 2:17 pm

Original Posted By: Bert Conoly
BertThere is an option #4You can do it in Tampa while en-route to SNF. You don't need it till annual isdue.Good going on the sign off. I hope the first flight goes well. Get a lawn chairand a beer or 2 and sit and appreciate what you have done.Dick ----- Original Message -----

matronics · Post by **matronics** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:21 pm

Original Posted By: "Chad Johnson"
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: aircraft repairman - ahhhh... more FAA CR** In a message dated 12/21/04 8:14:46 PM Central Standard Time, ashcan(at)earthlink.net writes:>That explains a lot.Chuck________________________________________________________________________________