Avionics News July 2022 - 46

'IF I WERE FAA ADMINISTRATOR FOR A DAY...'
Continued from page 45
it may take a little longer. Efficiency is not always the
FAA's strongest suit. I like when they allow us to be more
independent.
" Things are trending in that way, at least in our area.
We just finished an FAA inspection, and it was a point of
discussion. They have their new SAS (safety assurance
system) where they ask us questions and criteria, and the
DCTs (data collection tools) are getting more detailed and
more prepared. They (FAA) say that they're working on
getting to the point where instead of them coming out to
our facility, taking time for travel and the expenses, I can
just send them the information with a copy of the work
order and tool calibration sheet - upload it all to them, so
they know we have satisfied all the requirements without
an on-site visit. "
Give avionics technicians their due
" The first thing I would do would be to change the way
the FAA approaches the licensing of aviation technicians, "
said Dominic Stremel, director of avionics for
Yingling Aviation. " Requiring an A&P for many avionics-related
jobs is constraining the individual and the
company. Right now, the feeling is if you have an A&P,
you are more qualified for any job than someone who is
not. That's not the case. In the avionics industry, there are
a lot of jobs where an A&P doesn't cross over into what
we do.
" An FCC license doesn't necessarily apply to the role
either. I've always felt that is an old-school mindset that
needs to change. To me, changing the way they define the
licensing structure would go a long way to attracting new
people into the avionics profession, open new doors to
career opportunities and be better for the business overall.
" If they would better define what skills you need to be
an avionics technician and allow people to train for those
skills, it would give the avionics/electronics specialist the
same professional standing as an A&P and open up more
doors for advancement. It would make it better for the
FAA. They would know going in what level of training
and what skills an avionics technician would have. They
would need less oversight on a project, which would save
them time and money. "
46 avionics news * july 2022
Standardize all the approval processes
" Overall, we have a great relationship with the FAA representatives
we work with, but things can always get better
- and I'm referring solely to our avionics work, " explained
Danny Santiago, director of avionics for Banyan Air
Service. " Overall, the areas I think need improving are the
individual processes and procedures you encounter when
working with a MIDO, FSDO, or ACO on a certification or
STC. I think it's a struggle that everyone feels.
" First would be across-the-board standardization between
the different ACOs. Right now, they all want specific
information. The issue is that without standardization, what
is enough for one office isn't for another one. Inconsistency
adds to the time and cost. Standardizing policies across
the country would be a great help.
" Next would be to provide clear, concise guidance -
eliminate inconsistent interpretation of information. Again,
the people at the varying ACOs and MIDOs interpret
information differently. What works for one may not work
for another. If requirements were defined better, it would
eliminate added work and delays. "
Fixing a failure to communicate
" I would like to see the FAA and the FCC learn to work
better together, " stated Rick Ochs, chief executive officer of
Spirit Aeronautics. " This whole problem with the 5G rollout
could have been avoided if they would have communicated
and worked together years ago to identify any potential issues
and how to work around them without negatively impacting
the industry and creating bad press for air travelers. This is
very similar to the ELT debacle where existing 121.5 MHz
ELTs, although still legal from the FAA's perspective, provide
extremely limited assistance if an aircraft crashes due to the
FCC reallocating frequency spectrum without the FAA's
involvement.
" After the rollout began, the FAA issued an AD on the 5G
radar altimeter interference issue, but I don't know of any instance
where it was an actual problem for an aircraft. Apparently,
it was just a theory that it could happen under specific
and rare instances. Instead of being ahead of the game, the
FAA blindsided the industry and caused a lot of problems that
should have been avoided if they would have just started the
process when the FCC announced 5G years ago. "
Continued on page 48
Avionics News July 2022

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