I love to fly, and wish I could fly more. Flying is the most cathartic thing I do. While I fly the desk all too often, I stay current flying a Cessna Citation 560XL. (It has a distinctive N number—N2 or N3.)
Staying current is a priority for me since my organization oversees more than 6,000 operators, 5,000 repair stations, 600 training schools, 320,000 aircraft, and some 720,000 pilots and a similar number of licensed personnel, e.g., mechanics and ground instructors.
Staying current is essential to our safety mission—assuring the highest possible level of aviation safety and enabling the adventure, commerce, and service of aviation. In fact, we require all our operations aviation safety inspectors (ASI) to validate their flying proficiency before we hire them and then we require them to maintain their flying currency.
Keeping current is important for several reasons. First and foremost, since our inspectors oversee pilots and organizations that operate in the National Airspace System (NAS), it’s essential they have the same knowledge and experience as the pilots and entities they oversee. Currency helps ASIs develop the judgment to determine whether an aircraft operator is working within regulatory requirements. Furthermore, as an inspector, I cannot imagine sitting down with an operator to talk about its operations without this expertise and experience.
Second, as new tools, such as Enhanced Flight Vision Systems, become more commonplace, it is important that we have hands-on experience using the new equipment in the NAS. This helps assure that we develop appropriate rules, standard procedures, restrictions, operational credit, training requirements, and maintenance requirements.
Third, we hire inspectors to specialize in specific aircraft types and they must maintain that expertise. An inspector responsible for overseeing charter and on-demand operators will need to stay current in Falcons and Learjets, for example. Or, another inspector, who oversees general aviation operations, must be current in gliders, rotorcraft, and representative GA single- and multi-engine airplanes.
And, as aircraft and the NAS become even more technologically advanced, it’s imperative that we fly today’s technologies in today’s—and, more importantly, in tomorrow’s—airspace.
Across our inspector workforce, we must be capable and proficient at all ends of the spectrum— from balloons to light-sport aircraft to turbine and jet aircraft. The need to be proficient in the most sophisticated aircraft is the primary reason the FAA Flight Program is acquiring six new Beechcraft King Air C-90GTi turboprop aircraft over the next two years. The first one is set to arrive before the end of the year. These airplanes feature an advanced, fully integrated Collins Pro Line 21™ avionics system usually found in larger jets. The King Air C-90GTi aircraft with the latest available technology is representative of modern GA and air carrier aircraft.
I am always looking forward to my next flight. For me, flying is not a right. It is a privilege and I hold myself to the same standard we have for our operations inspectors: Keep current and be proficient. I strongly believe that every pilot should have the discipline to avail themselves of flight instruction to maintain currency and proficiency in the aircraft they fly.
If you see me at an airport, please stop and say hello.
