Working with the Regulator

It’s interesting how different people react when having to deal with Civil Aviation Safety Inspectors (CASI). Over the years I’ve seen many different reactions, under many different circumstances.

There are always those that just aren’t comfortable speaking with an Inspector, for whatever reason. I’ve driven up to hangars where I could see a team of people working on an aircraft, only to find that when I entered the building there’s no one to be seen; anywhere. You could almost hear the doors closing and see papers floating in the air from the haste of their retreat. I’ve participated in interviews with organizational post holder candidates, who I knew professionally to be perfectly competent, that had to have responses coached out of them the whole way and barely squeaked through; not to mention the one that ended up literally in tears.

Meanwhile, others readily invite you into their facilities, almost as to show off how well they’re organised and how proud they are of it. It’s nice to be greeted this way. With these people it’s always nice to have a hot beverage and just talk about what’s been going on. They tend to be interested in any new developments, and are usually quick to point out issues that they’ve found and explain how they’re dealing with them, soliciting input; as appropriate. Often aspects might come to light that they hadn’t considered, or they may be way ahead of me on what needs to be done next.

There are the shoppers, if they think they can get what they want from a particular Inspector or office, that’s where they go. One particular CAA office used to be well known for being more relaxed with licence qualification assessments than the others. I knew several people that drove the extra distance for that reason. Likewise with FAA FSDOs, people used to go to the ones that they knew would be more accommodating.

Unfortunately, there will always be a group that think its best to just not engage the Regulator and avoid them or even hide what they’re doing or misrepresent situations for what they really are. They know what they’re doing and who they are. When catching one in a flat-out lie about flying an aircraft with no C of A or even a C of R, his face turned beet red, instantly. Needless to say, it all went downhill from there. (Watch Story Time with Bret Ep.3 “Aircraft Import & the Authority” on our YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/9XSqvNWCNPY?si=-Nz6fIkCy7nZ21t6)

Regardless which group you or your organization fall into, one common thing to keep in mind if you want something from the Regulator is that you always need to come prepared with a plan. You can’t expect an Inspector to tell you what you need to do.

1. If you hold a post, you’re expected to be knowledgeable enough to manage appropriately.
2. Regulators can’t provide solutions. This would make them complicit and biased. They must remain objective and avoid real or perceived conflicts.
3. You can, however, solicit examples of options that might be acceptable. 

In the end you have to keep in mind that Inspectors are just people like anyone else. Usually, they’re approachable and collaborative. However, there will always be those that are having a rough day or work in the black and white world; and there can be only one interpretation – theirs. There is always a way around them. Early in my career, on different occasions, I came up against a couple of Inspectors that were just wrong, and I did everything I could to educate them. Like anyone, nobody likes to be pushed, and the harder I pushed the harder they tended to push back. In the end I managed to have my way, but not without literally having to take things to much higher levels. The real lesson was mine; I learned the importance of effective communication, and the importance of always providing a way for someone to save face while backing out of a situation.

Here are a few pieces of advice for you to consider when dealing with Regulators:

• Just relax and be yourself. Don’t let your imagination tell you what they want.
• Solicit input or seek clarity from them – providing clarity is part of their job.
• Be open. Use their visits as opportunities for collaboration and relationship building.
• Don’t be surprised if issues that you hadn’t considered come to light during a visit or survey.
• Always involve the office/Inspector that is responsible for oversight. Resentment and mistrust are not something you want to instill in an Inspector that you’ll likely have to work with later. There might be times when you may have to seek answers elsewhere, be discerning
• Be upfront with the issues you / your company may be facing. Contrary to popular belief, asking for forgiveness is not as good as asking for permission. Untruths or half truths undermine confidence. It can take some time to build back trust. Do you really want everything you do to be scrutinized from here on? Also, what you’re trying to avoid may not be a problem at all. 

Bret

Aviation Specialist - Civil Aviation Safety Inspector