Originally Posted by
hootie
Thanks for the info bluelavboy. When working as an air carrier ASI do you have to get hired into a CMO or do some of the FSDO's have this job type?
As for everyone else, I've heard its a great or terrible job depending on who your supervisor is. Also my understanding is pay starts around 70k.
CMO does 121 stuff.
FSDO does literally everything else, which includes 135s that can be quite large and complex, like some 121s. Your exact role here depends largely on the office and what is in the area. It can be heavily orientated towards GA stuff and flight schools, to complex 135s, or a mix of both, etc. You might be doing a lot of the stuff an "air carrier" inspector would do, but you'll be a GA Operations Inspector by name.
There are a lot of variables as far as the job is concerned. There are a lot of FSDO offices with different stuff going on. The ASI job is also huge and spans a LOT more than FSDOs. You likely cut your teeth in the FSDO, but there's stuff from data analysis to accident investigation to type rides for rare stuff to teaching and flight training to going around the country to certify sims to rulemaking to a combination of all and many other things.
Starting pay depends on what you get hired as, which depends on what is available and your qualifications. I haven't heard of anyone getting hired less than a GS 11, but you never know with the budgets and everything.