"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
07/23/2020 at 10:39 • Filed to: None
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"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
07/23/2020 at 10:39 • Filed to: None | 1
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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
It’s not clear exactly what happened. Here’s what the FAA is saying:
5 . Purpose of the Reexamination . As a result of an investigation by the FAA of the certification activities of Mr. Puehler, the Administrator determined that there is reason to believe that the competency of the airmen examined by Mr. Puehler from the period of October 2008 through December 2019 is in doubt. As a result of the evidence obtained during the investigation, the FAA determined that these airmen will require reexamination of their competency pursuant with 49 U.S.C. § 44709 to ensure safety in air commerce.
If a pilot passed a more advanced rating from a different examiner after “passing” with Mr. Puehler, they are not subject to reexamination. Notable exclusions are airline transport pilots and flight instructors.
The shocking thing is that this guy is a well known master instructor and has been a speaker at FAA sponsored events.
user314
> TheRealBicycleBuck
07/23/2020 at 11:19 |
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What’s the story on this? I wasn’t able to find much via Google, just links back to this document .
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> user314
07/23/2020 at 11:36 |
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I’m not sure what the story is. There’s a lot of speculation that he was taking “tips” and not really conducting exams. I can see where if he were both the instructor and the DPE for a pilot, he might be tempted to have a short exam since he would be familiar with the pilot’s capabilities, but that is pure speculation on my part and I have no evidence either way. I’m sure someone knows what happened. The word just hasn’t gotten out yet.
boredalways
> user314
07/23/2020 at 11:38 |
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I came across this: https://www.flyingmag.com/unusual-attitudes-was-there-something-i-missed/
There is also a reddit suggesting alleged payments, so take it with a grain of salt: https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/hwaidh/anyone_effected_by_the_michael_puehler/
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user314
> boredalways
07/23/2020 at 11:53 |
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Yeah, I saw both of those, but the Reddit thread is (unsurprisingly) scanty on detail, and the Flying article only had a quote from Michael:
FAA inspector Mike Puehler, a good pilot and my “boss” when I was a designated pilot examiner, made a comment at a recent meeting about practical-test failures:
“I’ve felt badly about failing an applicant when his performance was ‘almost’ OK; I’d feel a lot more badly about passing somebody on the edge and finding out they hurt or killed themselves and others in an accident.”
Which sounds like a straight-arrow FAA guy. Then again, that’s good cover for someone passing people for cash.
facw
> TheRealBicycleBuck
07/23/2020 at 12:59 |
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Well that’s a pain, but it’s the right thing to do if something has led them to believe his evaluations can’t be trusted.