How do FAA inspectors become FAA inspectors?

[scubabri]

Those who can't.... Inspect.

 

[Bryan D]

Well..it all starts at Dunkin Doughnuts

 

[BD King]

------------Okay, Okay. There are a few that are good joes. A few. But having been in or around this industry for the past 45 years, I would have to say that the majority are a bunch of people who could not make it in the real world. Frustrated proctoligists.

www.bdkingpress.com

 

[JAFI]

Thankyou, I will add that to the list of names I have been called.


Check6, a valid question. I have worked on both sides of this table so I will add my 2 cents.

Inspectors are hired like every other job with a couple of execptions.

1. You apply. The application is long. It took me a week to fill it out. You decide what part of the country you wish to apply for, or you can select the entire country.

2. Depending if the FAA is hireing (sometimes they will not hire for years. I have seen 7 to 10 years at one point) an office -- FSDO, Regional Office or HQ -- can call you for an interview. You are interviewed by that office. The application will rate you on the type and amount of experience you have. The more experience you have the higher the score. More points for being a Director of something, Chief pilot, Lead Mechanic, Desiginated Examiner, etc. Competition is great during times of industry down turn and not so hard when companies are hireing.

3. You are hired for one (sometimes more than one) job specilities: Avionics, Airworthness (mechanic), Operations (pilot), Cabin Safety (flight attendant) or Dispatch Inspector.

You can be a General Aviation Inspector or Air Carrier Inspector or both.

Formal Training is done in Oklahoma City and OJT is done at your office.

Ramp checks are one part of the job. There are records checks, airman certification, flight school certification, air carrier certification, aircraft conformity (airworthness), accident investigation, and much more.

You can have a line position - work at a FSDO, or at a Regional office or HQ - more of a staff position. You can be tasked to work nationally by traveling all over the country giving checkrides or National Inspections. This week you could be giving airman certification exams and next week you could be reviewing internal policy letters for recommendations to HQ. It is so varied I can't even begin to list the possibilities.

---- personal comments:

Like any other job, some employees are good at what they do and some are not. Some do not interview well but are good at what they do and some interview well but can't tie their shoes. Some are lazy and some work unitl they drop.

I have seen two backgrounds in the FAA. People who worked in industry at some of the best and worst companies that went bankrupt. And retired military, police, and other civil servants. I have not met any Inspector who (as a child) wanted to be an Inspector when they grew up.

There is no shortage of egos or attitudes it aviation, no matter which side of the table you are sitting.

JAFI

 

[AA717driver]

I know a couple of inspectors that couldn't find their a$$ with both hands. I also know of a couple who are good pilots and great people. They just had reasons not to want to spend half their life in a hotel room or couldn't pass the 'astronaut physical' requried by some of the airlines in the 70's/'80's.TC

 

[hindsight2020]

I agree with you AA717, I just need to quote you here to raise a couple of points about some themes in the posts above yours.

They just had reasons not to want to spend half their life in a hotel room

Does one need a reason? As as soon-to-be commercial pilot, and working honestly and with motivation on my CFI stuff, yet looking at my wallet going "sh!t I still need more ratings?!?", watching my savings account dissapear and getting snickered by CFII/MEI's and regional hopeful and burn-outs alike with the "oh look at the young one, so proud of his comm ticket aaaawwwwwwww", I wouldn't be too dismissive of the inspector job. I actually think it's a great (read better) way to pay the bills and still get to fly to the content of the average regional pilot. I bet my bottom dollar on that.

Not every inspector is a frustrated case, likewise not every pilot (including those who are better sticks than current major drivers) wants to be an airline pilot. If I had a dollar for every time a CFI asks me in flight "do you want to fly 121?" followed by my two hour response I'd have enough money to buy my own T-38.

I for one, look forward to the time where I have the experience level to apply for this job. I have let go of the wishful thought that the CFI landscape will change, it won't. People will continue to whore out for a 121 gig and the market will stay saturated, and people like me, outside of this 'track', will need to circumvent the status quo and get creative to continue to enjoy this passion of ours, even if it means desk jockeying half the week.

On the topic of desk jockeying, plus being a little biased since I paid out the ass for an engineering degree, I feel these kind of jobs are GENERALLY not that abrasive to our pilot egos, since it somewhat keeps us in the environment that we feel comfortable with (jet a smell, runways, ramps, airplanes, more excuses to go outside). I'm speaking generally by large of course. I'd take it over the regional brothel if they'd give me the chance FWIW.

My .02 pesos

 

[ReverseSensing]

Feds are cool

Like most people in aviation, the main character flaw of some Feds I've met is that they speak with complete conviction about things they just made up.

 

[BD King]

Like most people in aviation, the main character flaw of some Feds I've met is that they speak with complete conviction about things they just made up.

First of all, I may have been a bit harsh in my original post. Secondly, I have to agree with you. I learned at the cusp, that being the transition from the CAA to the FAA. The old CAA guys could FLY A FRICKING AIRPLANE. Were they tough, better believe it. Fair? Yep.

I have, and have never had a problem flying with a check pilot who was more proficient than I.................Unfortunately, today's FAA pilot is clueless........If Bill Lear was still alive, you could ask him. Ask the company chief pilot for.......just name it. Try the "601" for starters.

www.bdkingpress.com

 

[PastFastMover]

When I first got on the air carrier side of the biz most all of the FAA inspectors were ex WW II pilots. What a great group of guys. They had been there and done that and knew what was important and what wasn't. They did not have anything to prove other than to see a safe operation while telling a good joke now and then. Now it appears that a younger group are out and about that could not get on with an air carrier. They seem to know it all, come to think of it the WW II types knew they did not know it all even though they were light years ahead of me.

 

[BD King]

When I first got on the air carrier side of the biz most all of the FAA inspectors were ex WW II pilots. What a great group of guys. They had been there and done that and knew what was important and what wasn't. They did not have anything to prove other than to see a safe operation while telling a good joke now and then. Now it appears that a younger group are out and about that could not get on with an air carrier. They seem to know it all, come to think of it the WW II types knew they did not know it all even though they were light years ahead of me.[/QUOTE

AMEN!