With reduced resources and capacity, the FAA should not be proposing rules that create bureaucracy without benefit, ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod told attendees at a Small Business Administration (SBA) roundtable discussion.

During the Nov. 6 presentation on the FAA’s rewrite of 14 CFR part 145, MacLeod cautioned that the agency has included several non-essential policies and procedures in its proposal that needlessly complicate the revision.

MacLeod noted that the separation of operations specifications from the air agency certificate could be problematic. Another objectionable provision is the attempt to prevent “bad actors” from controlling the quality of a repair station’s operations. The ability for the agency to enforce such a provision is problematic and instead of enhancing safety, it adds unnecessary consternation to the application and surrender process.

The roundtable brought together representatives from the FAA and the aviation industry to discuss the impact of the proposed rule change on small businesses, which dominate the repair station industry. While the FAA believes the rule will modify the regulations to reflect modern standards, ARSA and others worry about unintended consequences of the proposal.

Repair stations have until Nov. 19 to file comments. ARSA encourages a strong industry response to ensure the rulemaking has limited unintended consequences. Click here to submit a comment.

To assist in filing comments, ARSA has prepared a side-by-side comparison of the proposed and current rule, and the Association’s initial summary of the changes can be found here.

To view the FAA’s presentation at the SBA roundtable click here.

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