The FAA has proposed replacing the inspection authorization currently held by some A&P mechanics with a new inspection rating on the mechanic certificate, according to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published July 1 in the Federal Register.
Renewal Requirement Would Be Removed
Under the proposal, the new inspection rating would carry the same privileges and limitations now held under the inspection authorization, including approval for return to service after major repairs or major alterations and conducting annual or progressive inspections. The change would remove the current expiration date and the requirement for IA holders to renew in March of every odd-numbered year.
The FAA said mechanics would instead have to meet recent experience requirements during the previous 12 calendar months to exercise the privileges of the rating. Current IA holders would have up to 24 months after the effective date of a final rule to obtain a replacement mechanic certificate showing the inspection rating.
Recent Experience Records Required
Mechanics holding the new rating would be required to keep records showing recent experience for the previous 24 calendar months. The FAA proposal would also create a process for mechanics who fall out of recent experience to reestablish inspection privileges by completing eight hours of acceptable training or passing an oral test given by an FAA aviation safety inspector.
The FAA estimates the proposal would save mechanics who hold IAs $1.01 million over 10 years and save the agency $4.44 million over the same period. The NPRM lists a one-time cost of about $220,000 for mechanics to request replacement certificates and for the FAA to process and issue them. Comments on the proposal are due by Aug. 31.
What a beuraucratic waste of time.
How do you figure? Do you hold an A&P certificate with Inspectors Authorization? If so how much time does it take your PMI to process every single IA application for renewal and return them?
I guess we’ll have to see how this all works out - nothing with the FED’s is streamlined…sorry to change the subject but the bigger issued is liability. We have a huge mechanics shortage and it won’t turn itself around until a limited liability legislation is passed - just like it was for the airframers. With annual premiums well over 6K for mechanics liability insurance, ( and it goes up higher with every additional annual performed), it is simply out of reach for many of us who love to wrench on our fleet. If sometning isn’t done soon, the fleet will continue to become unairworthy as annual inspections will calender out…I see this happening all over - the independent mechanic can’t afford it and the big shops become over loaded - in some cases 8mos to a year out.
Mr. Pierce, yes I am an IA, 40 plus years, and I fail to see how this is going to save anybody any time or money. The renewal is currently via IACRA, but the FSDO still has to physically see my experience report. So what will change? The experience will still have to be checked at the FSDO and, oh gee, somebody will actually have to be in the office and not work from home. They have not been reissuing or signing cards for years, it is just a letter, so no change there either. What needs to be changed is the IA test to make it real. Any monkey can memorize answers. Same problem with pilot and mechanic training. I have also been a DME and an A&P instructor (retired), so yes, I do know what I am talking about.
Long overdue!!!
I like it… if a formal renewal is not necessary, and recency evidence is simply left up to the inspector. Seems to be a change in the right direction to me, though qualification burden is shifted more to owner operators and the inspector.
You got 10 years on me with the IA. 37 years making my living as an A&P in general aviation. From the NPRM "As a result, FAA proposes to require certificated mechanics with inspection ratings to complete rolling recent experience activities, maintained independently, to exercise the privileges of their rating, rather than the current requirements of presenting evidence of renewal activities each March of every odd-numbered year. "
Looks like to me they are taking the workload off the PMI so he doesn’t have to review our experience over the past 24 months. You can bet if something happens that is the first thing they are gonna ask for.
The FAA estimates the proposal would save mechanics who hold IAs $1.01 million over 10 years and save the agency $4.44 million over the same period. The NPRM lists a one-time cost of about $220,000 for mechanics to request replacement certificates and for the FAA to process and issue them. Comments on the proposal (Federal Register :: Request Access) are due by Aug. 31.
What Mechanic has that much money to give to the FAA ???
I have been an IA since 1986. This proposal is NUTS!
Over all, across the board, not one individual. They are putting a value on each FAA inspector and mechanics time and that is where their figure comes from. At least that is how I read it.
Why, you like filling out the experience form every two years, sending it in and waiting to see if they get back to you and if they don’t the subsequent phone calls? They are cutting their work load and putting the monkey on our back. I don’t see a problem myself.