Narrative:

I write to you because I don't know where else to write concerning my worries about general aviation pilots and the FAA. I hope you'll at least read this and maybe pass it on to those that can do something helpful if you are not able to do so. This weekend at the columbia, ca 23ND annual fly-in I once again heard pilots angrily talking about the FAA's no allowance for error and 'bust 'em' policy. I listened to pilots saying that they no longer will use FAA related services for anything they don't absolutely have to. 'Once they know your number the 'll screw you if they can!' that's one of the milder things I heard. I heard nothing positive about the FAA. That, I feel, is scary. I was reminded of a recent article in private pilot magazine, maybe an issue of two past, that discussed the same thing. I found that shocking too. I wanted to write someone then but had allowed my busy schedule to put it off until I forgot about it. It seems so unhelpful to safe aviation to have the FAA and the pilots at each other this way. I even heard an FAA instructor at a safety seminar tell the audience that he used to work for the 'bad guy' side of the FAA and really was glad to get over to the 'good guy' side because the orders now are to 'bust-em!' no more instruction, talking with, reminding, or educating -- bust em! How unhelpful. Instead of making aviation a cooperative place it appears to be a war zone of 'them against us!' why? I've been flying for about 10 years now. I love to fly. I read 4 monthly magazines on aviation, I belong to AOPA, eaa, and AAA aircraft organizations. I attend FAA education seminars whenever I can. I work very hard at planning every flight I made as correct as I can. I use FSS's fir WX briefings, sacramento approach for VFR flight following services even if I'm not gong through the arsa's, etc. They have always been very nice and helpful to me, but gnawing at me more and more is what the FAA instructor said and what pilots this weekend repeated, 'the controllers and tower people no longer have any choice, they are under orders to 'get you' if you make a mistake'. Am I going to learn to not use the services that are there to help me be a better pilot and to help us make flying safer? I don't know if you can help at all or even care to do so, but I am sick inside from hearing these ugly things. I know I'm going to make errors when I fly no matter how much I work at not making them. Making mistakes and learning from them is much of what education is about, I feel ASRS is much that way as I understand it. What do you feel? Is what I'm reading and hearing correct? What light can you give to pilots like myself? Thank you for reading this far. I don't know what you can do, but I feel better just having written.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINS THAT TOO MANY FELLOW PLTS ARE ANGRY OVER FAA POLICY OF NO TOLERANCE ON DEVIATIONS AND A PERCEIVED 'BUST 'EM' POLICY.

Narrative: I WRITE TO YOU BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO WRITE CONCERNING MY WORRIES ABOUT GENERAL AVIATION PLTS AND THE FAA. I HOPE YOU'LL AT LEAST READ THIS AND MAYBE PASS IT ON TO THOSE THAT CAN DO SOMETHING HELPFUL IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SO. THIS WEEKEND AT THE COLUMBIA, CA 23ND ANNUAL FLY-IN I ONCE AGAIN HEARD PLTS ANGRILY TALKING ABOUT THE FAA'S NO ALLOWANCE FOR ERROR AND 'BUST 'EM' POLICY. I LISTENED TO PLTS SAYING THAT THEY NO LONGER WILL USE FAA RELATED SERVICES FOR ANYTHING THEY DON'T ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO. 'ONCE THEY KNOW YOUR NUMBER THE 'LL SCREW YOU IF THEY CAN!' THAT'S ONE OF THE MILDER THINGS I HEARD. I HEARD NOTHING POSITIVE ABOUT THE FAA. THAT, I FEEL, IS SCARY. I WAS REMINDED OF A RECENT ARTICLE IN PRIVATE PLT MAGAZINE, MAYBE AN ISSUE OF TWO PAST, THAT DISCUSSED THE SAME THING. I FOUND THAT SHOCKING TOO. I WANTED TO WRITE SOMEONE THEN BUT HAD ALLOWED MY BUSY SCHEDULE TO PUT IT OFF UNTIL I FORGOT ABOUT IT. IT SEEMS SO UNHELPFUL TO SAFE AVIATION TO HAVE THE FAA AND THE PLTS AT EACH OTHER THIS WAY. I EVEN HEARD AN FAA INSTRUCTOR AT A SAFETY SEMINAR TELL THE AUDIENCE THAT HE USED TO WORK FOR THE 'BAD GUY' SIDE OF THE FAA AND REALLY WAS GLAD TO GET OVER TO THE 'GOOD GUY' SIDE BECAUSE THE ORDERS NOW ARE TO 'BUST-EM!' NO MORE INSTRUCTION, TALKING WITH, REMINDING, OR EDUCATING -- BUST EM! HOW UNHELPFUL. INSTEAD OF MAKING AVIATION A COOPERATIVE PLACE IT APPEARS TO BE A WAR ZONE OF 'THEM AGAINST US!' WHY? I'VE BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW. I LOVE TO FLY. I READ 4 MONTHLY MAGAZINES ON AVIATION, I BELONG TO AOPA, EAA, AND AAA ACFT ORGANIZATIONS. I ATTEND FAA EDUCATION SEMINARS WHENEVER I CAN. I WORK VERY HARD AT PLANNING EVERY FLT I MADE AS CORRECT AS I CAN. I USE FSS'S FIR WX BRIEFINGS, SACRAMENTO APCH FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING SERVICES EVEN IF I'M NOT GONG THROUGH THE ARSA'S, ETC. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY NICE AND HELPFUL TO ME, BUT GNAWING AT ME MORE AND MORE IS WHAT THE FAA INSTRUCTOR SAID AND WHAT PLTS THIS WEEKEND REPEATED, 'THE CTLRS AND TWR PEOPLE NO LONGER HAVE ANY CHOICE, THEY ARE UNDER ORDERS TO 'GET YOU' IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE'. AM I GOING TO LEARN TO NOT USE THE SERVICES THAT ARE THERE TO HELP ME BE A BETTER PLT AND TO HELP US MAKE FLYING SAFER? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP AT ALL OR EVEN CARE TO DO SO, BUT I AM SICK INSIDE FROM HEARING THESE UGLY THINGS. I KNOW I'M GOING TO MAKE ERRORS WHEN I FLY NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WORK AT NOT MAKING THEM. MAKING MISTAKES AND LEARNING FROM THEM IS MUCH OF WHAT EDUCATION IS ABOUT, I FEEL ASRS IS MUCH THAT WAY AS I UNDERSTAND IT. WHAT DO YOU FEEL? IS WHAT I'M READING AND HEARING CORRECT? WHAT LIGHT CAN YOU GIVE TO PLTS LIKE MYSELF? THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO, BUT I FEEL BETTER JUST HAVING WRITTEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.