After 24 years of flying fighters in the U.S. Air Force, including a tour with the Thunderbirds, I retired in 2006 and started a new career as an airline pilot. Concurrently, the Patriots Jet Team, flying Experimental Aero L-39s, invited me to join its aerobatic team. After coming up as a pilot in general aviation in the early 1980s, I was excited to recultivate my civilian aviation roots. I had always believed that the FAA existed to promote a safe and mature approach to aviation. Little did I know that my assumptions would be severely challenged after a series of flights in January 2014.
A Tale of Two FAAs
Key Takeaways:
- A veteran pilot faced arbitrary and procedurally flawed enforcement from regional FAA officials, who, after an initial warning, reopened a closed case in violation of the Pilot's Bill of Rights to impose an unwarranted fine and certificate suspension for a meticulously planned training flight.
- The author's two-year battle, involving legal and political advocacy, exposed significant abuse of discretion and procedural malfeasance by the regional FAA, leading to higher-level FAA officials overturning the decision, expunging his record, and refunding the fine.
- The article critiques a "two FAAs" dynamic – a division between punitive vigilantes and mature regulators – and advocates for the widespread adoption of the FAA's new "compliance philosophy" to ensure consistent and fair application of aviation rules.
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