Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 18:22:12 -0400
From: "Mike B." <yahoo at omniphile.com>
To: wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
CC: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: [wsfa-forum] News you want to hear about the shutdown....
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

On 10/10/2013 5:52 PM, mark wrote:
> On 10/10/13 17:39, Mike B. wrote:
>> On 10/10/2013 2:38 PM, mark wrote:
>>> I was at a rally downtown this morning, here in DC, set up by the Hou=
se
>>> Progressive Caucus, and one of the speakers... Nancy Pelosi, maybe...=

>>> announced that, as of this morning, all but 300 of the Nuclear Regula=
tory
>>> Commission's employees are now furloughed.
>>>
>>> Oh, and so is most of the FAA, so no one is inspecting planes for
>>> air-worthiness, checking that pilots and crew have enough rest, and B=
oeing's
>>> got planes to deliver... and they're sitting on the ramp, because the=
re's no
>>> one to inspect them.
>>
>> Aircraft inspections are done by A&P mechanics, who are certified by t=
he
>> FAA for signing off on the airworthiness of aircraft.  The FAA sets th=
e
>> standards, and tests applicants for certifications, but doesn't handle=

>> inspection of each and every aircraft at each and every inspection...a=
nd
>> airliners don't get inspections at periodic intervals like your averag=
e
>> private plane...they are handled under on-going maintenance plans as
>> certified by the FAA at the time they are set up.
>>
>> So who told you Boeing can't deliver an aircraft because the FAA was c=
losed?
>>
>
> I don't remember if it was a Congressman, or someone who works for the =
FAA.
> He said they can't inspect the aircraft, so they're not certified yet. =
And
> the FAA ain't signing off on *anything*, because of lack of staff.

Then lets gets some facts, and lose the hear-say:

http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/airworthiness_certification/aw_overv=
iew/

"Who is authorized to issue an FAA airworthiness certificate?
Only FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors and authorized Representatives of
the Administrator (i.e.Designees), as defined in 14 CFR Part 183,
"Representatives of the Administrator", are authorized to issue an FAA
airworthiness certificate."

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=ed24b875afec269ddbd81=
b9bf1629f60&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:3.0.1.5.33.3.3.7&idno=14

"Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 183=97REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR
Subpart C=97Kinds of Designations: Privileges
=A7 183.33   Designated Airworthiness Representative.

A Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) may, within limits
prescribed by and under the general supervision of the Administrator, do =

the following:

(a) Perform examination, inspection, and testing services necessary to
issue, and to determine the continuing effectiveness of, certificates,
including issuing certificates, as authorized by the Director of Flight
Standards Service in the area of maintenance or as authorized by the
Director of Aircraft Certification Service in the areas of manufacturing =

and engineering.

(b) Charge a fee for his or her services.

(c) Perform authorized functions at any authorized location.

(Secs. 313(a), 314, 601, 603, 605, and 1102, Federal Aviation Act of
1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1354(a), 1355, 1421, 1423, 1425, and 1502);
sec.6(c) Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1655(c)))

[Doc. No. 23140, 48 FR 16179, Apr. 14, 1983, as amended by Amdt. 183-9,
54 FR 39296, Sept. 25, 1989; Amdt. 183-11, 67 FR 72766, Dec. 6, 2002]"

So, unless Boeing has neglected to employ, and can not locate a
non-government employee "Designee" with the appropriate certification(s) =

to do the airworthiness inspections, there's nothing about the FAA
shutdown that interferes with them getting airworthiness certificates
for new aircraft so they can sell them.

The design of the aircraft was certified before manufacturing
started...the FAA supervises that process, but Boeing performs
it...basically they have to build prototypes and then put them through a =

long and costly set of tests and trials to show they meet FAA standards. =

  That happens before production starts.

The production process is also certified by the FAA, but performed by
Boeing.  Every step and material and material source is specified,
tested and approved, and must be adhered to for the resulting produced
aircraft to be covered by the above design testing and certification.

Once you get all that done you can build aircraft.  Each one has to be
certified as airworthy, but not by FAA personnel necessarily, as the
above FAA regulation quotes show.

The FAA doesn't have nearly enough personnel to handle all the aircraft
in the USA even if it wanted to.  Any time maintenance (beyond pilot
tasks like adding engine oil or putting air in the tires) is done on an
aircraft the airworthiness certificate becomes invalid until a certified =

A&P (or similar for instruments and electronics) tech signs the aircraft =

log book certifying that it is airworthy.

It's all in the FAA regulations, which are available on-line and in book =

form.  No need to listen to congressmen or random FAA employees.

-- Mike B.