Part 141 chief instructor availability issue
 

We are in different interpretation with our local FSDO about the requirements of PArt 141.85 that reads '"must be available a the pilot school or available by telephone, radio... during the time that training is given for an approved course."'.
Can another person having a flying job on the side satisfy the requirements? I know many flight schools that have their chiefs flying charters for the company while they are holding Part 141 chief instructor position.

My FSDO thinks that having another flight cancels my chief's availability requirement and therefore she cannot be a chief flight instructor.

I was hoping to find an interpretation from FAA but didn't (couldn't) find anything..

Any thoughts?

Be nice to your FSDO people and they will treat you right :-)

Tell them they are wrong, and they will make sure your life sucks :-)

Go to the national level, and they will make sure your life sucks :-)

Which fsdo is it?

We used to do it that way (part-time CP) , but I can see how any FSDO could interprete that reg however they saw fit.

This is probably not an issue that affects enough people for national to want to get involved...some things they prefer to leave grey for the local boys.

I know but this is the only option that we can have now... Our candidate for chief is flying part time for a charter operator and she will be available 15 days a month..
I guess the fsdo name is hidden in my username :)

Care to share what FSDO this one was? Maybe i can give them a call and see how they justified their interpretation. Then come back to our FSDO and tell them it's doable..

thanks..

Hmmmm let me guess, Seattle!

It was San Diego. But I'm not sure they ever made a ruling or determination about this...it was just a known circumstance, and there were never any objections. The CP would never be out of touch for more than a few hours...and what if he called in sick or went of vacation? Was the school supposed to suspend operations?

Obviously I don't want to drag the CP's name into this so I won't say which school. This is one of those potential can of worms...

Rickair,
thanks.. I am guessing that the flight school was using assistant chiefs for the purpose of delegating the work of the chief.
I will see if i can reason with them... (I know it's FAA) :)

Yeah we did have an Asst. CP, but he (me) was gone a lot too. There are experience and training requirements for ACP also...you can't just throw any warm body into that job either.

My flight school is 141. The problem is that that Our Chief is a Major's capt and we unfortunately do not have an assistance chief to do progress checks. So this is leaving me in a bind with my stage checks and check ride. So I caught in rock and hard place trying to get my check ride done.

Is it true that the Check Pilot cannot do both stage and check rides?