Avionics News November 2013 - 15

Organizational leaders take input from each
expert and make the best decision, but the FAA
lacks this ability as an organization. While the
FAA employs some extremely talented individuals,
its inability to make a decision is paralyzing the
organization and, as a result, disenfranchises
the avionics repair shops that rely on a helpful,
responsive and consistent agency.

aircraft, refuse certificates or threaten enforcement action until
the small business capitulates to their demands, without management oversight and without any opportunity to reasonably
dispute the person's opinion in a timely manner.
We see it time after time; a decision made at one FAA district
office will be second-guessed at another district office, and the
product or project will be held ransom until the small business
capitulates. There is no organizational leadership to intervene.
The safety inspector or engineers don't issue condition tags,
as policy requires. Rather, through the threat of enforcement
action, they simply ground any project they personally don't
like. The ability of an individual safety inspector to ground
general aviation aircraft, or take private property through
intimidation without some level of organizational oversight, is
simply wrong.
As a result, many avionics repair shops simply accept the
highest level of approvals in order to minimize the impact of
inspector second-guessing, which increases costs to the owners
and operators of the aircraft, reduces profits and compromises
safety by discouraging, rather than encouraging, the installation of new safety-enhancing technologies.
Before we demonize the individual safety inspectors too
much, how did this come about? I believe it is a combination of things. First, it isn't unique to the aviation authorities,
such as the FAA, Transport Canada Civil Aviation and the
European Aviation Safety Agency, as I see similar behaviors in other federal agencies. But focusing on the changes
within the FAA that have led to this apparent change, I think
it is the instructions - the orders. Is it the chicken or the egg,
and which came first? Did the FAA order 8900.1 change the
behavior, or did the behavior cause the change in the order?
In many conversations I've had with senior FAA inspectors,

they generally agree that in the predecessor order (FAA order
8300.10), the template was one of telling the inspectors what
they were not allowed to do and trusted them to do what was
right. That manual contained fewer pages and was generally
easier to navigate. However, during the past 20 years, the order
has changed its tone and has mutated into a document that tells
the inspectors what they can do rather than what they cannot
do. This is a fundamental change. As a result, there is a faction
of safety inspectors who live by absolute, literal decisions and
hold the industry accountable to their absolute reading of the
regulations, guidance and policy, i.e. a "perfect decision." I
don't necessarily disagree with them. However, there isn't any
organizational leadership who can take their input, weigh all of
the factors and make a "better decision."
In his book titled, "Yes or No: The Guide to Better
Decisions," Spencer Johnson pointed out the resulting organizational paralysis when constantly trying to make the perfect
decision. Without a centralized leadership for the systembased projects like ADS-B, which includes avionics products
as well as ATO implementation procedures, there is no single
leadership position that can take charge and make a balanced
decision. Each subject-matter expert is driven by absolute
perfection with no risk. Unfortunately, NextGen includes new
and novel technologies, which, by their very nature, add a
certain level of risk. While one office of the agency is trying
to facilitate cost-effective, timely installations of NextGen
equipment, another office is responsible for the design and
certification of the equipment, while another is responsible for
the in-service modifications needed to equip 160,000 general
aviation aircraft with NextGen technologies. While each office
Continued on page 53

avionics news

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november

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Avionics News November 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News November 2013

Point of Communication
AEA Now
The View From Washington
International News and Regulatory Updates
Mid-Continent's New True Blue Power
Member Profile
Counting Beans
Avionics News Through the Years
Aviation Aces
AEAviators
A Conversation With...
Member Profile
The Team Effort Behind TSSA
Audio Panels in the 21st Century
Business Basics
Jeppesen Makes Headlines at AirVenture
What's New
Marketplace Classifieds
Avionics News November 2013 - Intro
Avionics News November 2013 - Cover1
Avionics News November 2013 - Cover2
Avionics News November 2013 - 1
Avionics News November 2013 - 2
Avionics News November 2013 - 3
Avionics News November 2013 - Point of Communication
Avionics News November 2013 - 5
Avionics News November 2013 - AEA Now
Avionics News November 2013 - 7
Avionics News November 2013 - 8
Avionics News November 2013 - 9
Avionics News November 2013 - 10
Avionics News November 2013 - 11
Avionics News November 2013 - 12
Avionics News November 2013 - 13
Avionics News November 2013 - The View From Washington
Avionics News November 2013 - 15
Avionics News November 2013 - International News and Regulatory Updates
Avionics News November 2013 - 17
Avionics News November 2013 - 18
Avionics News November 2013 - 19
Avionics News November 2013 - Mid-Continent's New True Blue Power
Avionics News November 2013 - 21
Avionics News November 2013 - 22
Avionics News November 2013 - 23
Avionics News November 2013 - Member Profile
Avionics News November 2013 - 25
Avionics News November 2013 - 26
Avionics News November 2013 - 27
Avionics News November 2013 - Counting Beans
Avionics News November 2013 - 29
Avionics News November 2013 - 30
Avionics News November 2013 - 31
Avionics News November 2013 - 32
Avionics News November 2013 - 33
Avionics News November 2013 - Avionics News Through the Years
Avionics News November 2013 - 35
Avionics News November 2013 - Aviation Aces
Avionics News November 2013 - 37
Avionics News November 2013 - 38
Avionics News November 2013 - 39
Avionics News November 2013 - AEAviators
Avionics News November 2013 - 41
Avionics News November 2013 - A Conversation With...
Avionics News November 2013 - 43
Avionics News November 2013 - Member Profile
Avionics News November 2013 - 45
Avionics News November 2013 - 46
Avionics News November 2013 - 47
Avionics News November 2013 - The Team Effort Behind TSSA
Avionics News November 2013 - 49
Avionics News November 2013 - 50
Avionics News November 2013 - 51
Avionics News November 2013 - 52
Avionics News November 2013 - 53
Avionics News November 2013 - Audio Panels in the 21st Century
Avionics News November 2013 - 55
Avionics News November 2013 - 56
Avionics News November 2013 - 57
Avionics News November 2013 - Business Basics
Avionics News November 2013 - 59
Avionics News November 2013 - 60
Avionics News November 2013 - 61
Avionics News November 2013 - Jeppesen Makes Headlines at AirVenture
Avionics News November 2013 - 63
Avionics News November 2013 - 64
Avionics News November 2013 - 65
Avionics News November 2013 - What's New
Avionics News November 2013 - 67
Avionics News November 2013 - 68
Avionics News November 2013 - 69
Avionics News November 2013 - Marketplace Classifieds
Avionics News November 2013 - 71
Avionics News November 2013 - 72
Avionics News November 2013 - Cover3
Avionics News November 2013 - Cover4
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