Air America

[ndb]

John Deakin has written a new column at avweb.com about his years in southeast asia.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read this part. The more the Feds change, the more they stay the same. John says:

I was forced to take my initial ATP ride (in 1962) with an FAA Inspector named Robert Arendel of the Birmingham FSDO (then a "GADO"). This man was a walking, talking nightmare, and contributed greatly to my early feelings about the FAA. He tried to block me from taking the ATP written before I was 23 (had to get a letter from D.C. that it was legal), and during the checkride he feathered both engines simultaneously -- twice! He also insisted that I had to demonstrate an LF range approach when there was no working LF range within 1,000 miles, and only a few left in the U.S. (Then, as now, any two non-precision approaches were required on the checkride, and the list included the LF Range.) Fortunately, some local old-timer had lovingly restored a Link Trainer to pristine condition in his basement, and I was able to arrange a flight in it to demonstrate the obsolete approach.

For the entire article:

http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/186964-1.html