I heard those words, or some version of them, a lot in the first week of January. Once again, ARSA was playing the role of coalition builder – something it did with “serious” success last fall – to rally the aviation community around the right of repair stations to voluntarily surrender their certificates.
This new effort came to a head on Jan. 9, when 10 different organizations petitioned the FAA to change 14 CFR § 145.55. You can learn more about the issue itself (please do), but what about that central, nagging question?
Why does it matter?
If you’re going to try to get the government to change the Code of Federal Regulations, you should begin with this query. It’s a tortuous process and often a repetitive one. To get the “right” answer, you must quickly identify the problem, develop clear arguments, build support, deliver the message, mobilize the industry and follow up…and follow up…and follow up. There are no shortcuts.
Considering all of that, you must ask why it matters.
More importantly, you’d better have an answer.
We know it matters. We can see how a misplaced word or unnecessary phrase will cause problems for repair stations, slow down a global industry and keep the flying public stuck at the gate. When you master the rules and recognize real-world implications, the challenge isn’t just to make your point. The real work is to prove it is worth making.
Brett Levanto is the director of operations at Obadal, Filler, MacLeod and Klein, the Virginia-based law firm that manages both the Aeronautical Repair Station Association and the Aviation Technician Education Council. Visit the global aviation maintenance industry’s information portal at avmro.ARSA.org.
