Last week, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey gave a speech at the Aero Club of Washington. Administrator Blakey's speech seemed to signal a new initiative on the part of the FAA to bring some long-sought consistency to the rabidly inconsistent FSDO network. Blakey's February 20th speech stated that, "One thing that we’ve heard over and over is that we need to be more consistent with our customers. You can get one answer from one FAA office or region and another from another.

So, I’m announcing today a new customer-service initiative that provides written guidance and training to all managers and supervisors in our regulation and certification offices throughout the country on applying FAA rules and policies in a standard and consistent manner. And, we want to know from our customers if we’re not being consistent. We’re going to let them know that they have the right to ask for review on any inspector’s decision on any call that’s made in the certification process … that they can “buck it up” to first-line supervisors, field office managers, regional division managers, or even to Washington if necessary – with no fear of retribution. Information on how to do this — names, titles, and phone numbers — will be prominently displayed on the Web and in all our regional and field offices. We need your help to make this program a success."

Blakey also noted that she wanted to keep America's aviation supremacy intact, "The third thing we cannot allow to happen is the loss of America’s role as world aviation leader. Man-powered flight began in the United States.  We created much of the technology, and we have set the standards for 100 years.  The time has now come for the FAA to be as globally minded as our airlines.  Aviation safety is one of our nation’s most important exports. And we’re taking immediate steps at the FAA to ensure our actions not only maintain — but enhance — America’s aviation safety leadership role."

ANN Note: Hmmm... If this is truly a concern on the part of the Administrator, ANN suggests that the FAA quit ceding power over the aviation industry to parties that are decimating it with one ridiculous aero-ignorant security attack after another. While no one suggests that there isn't a need for more effective security in a post-9/11 world, one would hope that such efforts would be designed to actually offer that much-sought-after security while still preserving essential American values and with an eye toward allowing the aviation industry to survive and grow... --Jim Campbell, ANN E-I-C

FMI: www.faa.gov