Outsourcing: The 800-Pound Gorilla

Oct. 16, 2008
Industry Viewpoint

Despite the recent congressional hearings concerning inadequate FAA oversight of repair stations, particularly foreign CRS facilities, the FAA continues to certify new ones, most recently in Australia. That’s the nice thing about being king — you don’t have to listen to anyone.

Just today, I came across information on the Web concerning the pending FAA reauthorization bill and was somewhat taken aback by some of the contents. I urge you to check it out at: www.faa.gov/news/conferences_events/2008_eu_us_conference/media/Reauthorization_and_maintenance.ppt. Daniel Bachelder, deputy assistant manager, Aircraft Maintenance Division, authored this presentation. He states that the provisions regarding foreign repair stations, meaning the Poe amendment, which would require a level playing field for drug and alcohol testing programs, are significantly opposed by the Administration. He states, “Industry has also voiced its opposition.”

The Senate version of this bill (S. 1300) “does not include any (staffing) provisions related to increased inspections of repair stations. (These) provisions are more favorable to the FAA.” How in the world is a relaxed inspection schedule for foreign or domestic repair stations more favorable to the FAA? Seems to me that in a sane and rational world, increased oversight is a superior safety concept. Sane and rational may be the operative phrase here. Check it out for a real eye-opener.

It used to be that the people in the Aircraft Maintenance Division were supportive of aircraft mechanics. I guess those days ended around the same time that Bill O’Brien retired. Too bad. I miss Bill. He used to be the go-to guy whenever a mechanic needed clarification of a regulatory issue. He answered his phone, too.

While this presentation is clearly a political statement by the outgoing Administration, it should be a wake-up call to all A&P mechanics. Clearly, either someone representing you has spoken out of school, or the membership organization that purports to represent you is not doing an effective job in that area, and that includes your union, if you belong to one. The alternative is that someone at 800 Independence Ave. is less than perfectly honest. Perish the thought!

The fact is that if the FAA Reauthorization Bill is passed with the Poe amendment (H. AMDT. 805, H.R. 2881) in place, this would effectively eliminate major contract inspection activity being conducted overseas on U.S. carrier aircraft. The reason is that the United States has the only government that allows random drug testing on aviation employees. With this amendment in place, U.S. airlines would have no alternative but to use American facilities for American work. What a concept!

If your organization hasn’t told you about the Poe amendment, shame on them. It is still pending, and will likely be part of the reconciliation process, where it may be dropped without popular support. You need to let them know, through your local, chapter, or lodge that you are not pleased with their efforts, or lack thereof, on this issue. Whoever it is in the “Industry” that provided Bachelder with his statement of opposition needs to be countered by you, and soon. Your livelihood is at stake.

If you’ve never written to your Senator or Congressperson, shame on you. With email being so prevalent, it doesn’t even cost you the price of a stamp today. Even if your views are opposite those of your elected officials, your views might soften theirs a bit just because of the ballot box effect. You are the best advocate for the aircraft maintenance industry because you are directly affected by the legislation. You need to act and be heard from. The nice part about this interactive process is that you have the one thing that the recipient of your message dearly needs — your vote. No lobbyist has more clout than you do as an individual, despite what you see on network news.

You should also be keeping up-to-date on the status of the reauthorization bill and be emailing your U.S. Representatives and Senator concerning your support for the Poe amendment. If you happen to reside in the 2nd Texas Congressional District, be sure to vote in November as well. It appears to me that Poe may be the best friend of A&P mechanics in Congress. After reading about some of the legislation he’s proposed, it almost makes me wish I could vote for him myself. He sounds like my kind of people.