Avionics News October 2012 - 14

In this monthly column, Ric Peri of the AEA’s Washington, D.C., office, informs members of the latest regulatory updates.

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P E R I A EA V I C E P R ES I D E N T O F G OV E R N M E N T & I N D U ST RY A F FA I RS

Be Careful What You Ask For
n May 21, 2012, the Federal Aviation with a four-letter word: data. So, let’s look at the basis of this Administration proposed yet another rewrite rulemaking, claim by claim. of the repair station regulations. Hopefully, First, “This action is necessary because many portions of the everyone has followed this topic in the string of AEA existing repair station regulations do not reflect current repair Regional Meetings, regulatory updates, webinars, along station aircraft maintenance and business practices.” with articles in Avionics News and AEA Wired. Because the FAA doesn’t elaborate on its claim, we have The FAA states that “this action is necessary because many no tangible evidence to review. The basic multidiscipline fullportions of the existing repair station regulations do not reflect service maintenance shop still does maintenance the same way current repair station aircraft maintenance and business practices, it has done maintenance all along, so I don’t see any gaps in or advances in aircraft technology.” It further states “these changes would modernize the regulations to keep pace For every improvement in the regulation, for every with current industry standards and efficiency improvement in an industry that is as practices.” If you have been following our diverse as ours, there are businesses that will be communications on this issue, you know disenfranchised – and someone must pay. this proposal likely will seriously disrupt your business, unreasonably place your continued business operations at the discretion of the local FAA the existing repair station regulations. The bench repair shops, district office and require complete rewrite and approval of particularly with radio and instrument rating, may do less bench each of your repair station manuals, including the repair station, work. It is likely different than a generation or two ago, but it quality control and training program manuals. This proposal goes certainly would be a stretch to say they do no bench work at all. well beyond just the repair stations, but also to the manufacturers Again, I don’t see the flaw in the current regulations. and how they assign, manage and audit dealerships. I am aware of one business model that the FAA has been Being in Washington, D.C., it seems this is the year of broad struggling with. In fairness, it does stretch the intent of the 2001 statements with little to support them, and this proposal is the regulations regarding work away from home station. I’m not same. The FAA has made some broad statements on the basis for saying it is outside of the regulatory framework, but it certainly this rulemaking and then simply ignored supporting its claims was not considered in the NPRM and comments that resulted in
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Avionics News October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News October 2012