Compliance Legalities

In the April issue of IFR, Fred Simonds wrote an article that did an excellent job of explaining how the FAAs Compliance Philosophy program, started in 2015, seeks to encourage pilot compliance with the regulations through guidance rather than punishment. He also provided data that strongly indicated it has had the effect of reducing the number of pilot deviation events (potential violations) that turned into violation actions seeking punishment of pilots to nearly zero.But, youll still want to be careful.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA's Compliance Philosophy aims to resolve pilot deviations through guidance and education rather than punishment for honest mistakes, leading to a significant reduction in formal violation actions.
• Pilots contacted by the FAA for potential deviations should first consult an aviation attorney and immediately file an ASRS (NASA) report.
• When engaging with the FAA, pilots should maintain a polite and professional demeanor, using equivocal language to express responsibility and a willingness to learn without directly admitting guilt, aligning with the Compliance Philosophy.
• The Compliance Philosophy does not apply to intentional violations, falsified documents, or serious safety risks, and failure to complete agreed-upon remedial actions can still result in certificate suspension.

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