Ballough Speaks: all Charter Operators to Be Audited By End of ‘07

Sep 12, 2007 10:42 AM, Frederick Gevalt III

FAA Flight Standards dispatches POIs for compliance inspections in 4th Qtr of ‘07

Well, now it hits the fan. FAA Flight Standards in Washington has directed its district offices to hit the road and visit all charter operators in the US for a “Special Emphasis Inspection” before the year’s out. After nearly two years of analysis, regulatory and political wrangling, the FAA’s beat cops are going to finally bust down the doors and grill everyone, like it or not. The “special emphasis” is on operational control of flight operations by certificate holders, although it could well be an inspection by the IG of the FAA’s control over its own minions, or the “Marionettes,” as one FAA insider laughingly revealed to this writer not long ago.

In a twenty five page letter from Flight Standards Chief James Ballough, inspectors are directed to quiz, prompt, check, read Ops manuals, aircraft leasing agreements, and anything pertinent to determine how an operator is treating the sensitive issue of operational control. The seven necessary elements being scrutinized include crewmember and aircraft requirements, exclusive aircraft use requirement, use of other business names, aircraft operation agreements, authorized management personnel, and “operational control information requirements.” (Whatever that last item means.)

The bad news is that the cops are coming – soon. And some operators who have taken pride for years in the “relationship” they have with their POIs may find themselves with a warning letter (or worse) instead. The good news is that we’re all going to finally get this over with, and then maybe Washington can stick to politics and the field offices with intelligent inspection and enforcement. Cited remedies range from on spot corrections and warning letters, both of which will allow continued operations, to certificate or operational suspensions (pending correction) and emergency revocations. The last solution is principally reserved for discovery of any remaining “certificate franchise” or “piggyback” operations. (The same FAA source suggested to this writer that it was fortuitous that there was such a short geographic distance between certain operators in southern Florida and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.)

In any event it is what it is, and soon (hopefully) we’ll all be able to go back to work. The FAA still has a lot to learn about commercial aviation, and we could all still stand to learn a thing or two about politics in Federal agencies, even if we shouldn’t have to. For those who have been camping out on Mars for the last year, go to FAA Notice N8900.16 and you can read the inspection agenda word for word. Good luck! – FCG -

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