Got a call from FSDO Today…

[ilovecornfields]

So, there I was, just driving to the store and minding my own business when I get a call from a number I don’t recognize. I was expecting an appliance delivery so I answered and a nice gentleman tells me he’s from the San Jose Flight Standards office and asks me if I’m the owner of (my N number). I figure he knows the answer to this question and it’s public record so as I’m debating between hanging up on him and calling the AOPA Legal Services team or playing along I say “yes.”

Then he says, “I’m trying to follow-up on some ADS-B data, do you know what your airplane was doing on September **?” At first I thought he was calling because my ADS-B signal was intermittent and thought it was weird that they would call about it but then I suddenly remembered what my plane was doing that day - getting a pitot/static check. I told the nice guy at FSDO and he said “That makes sense. I received a complaint about a stationary ADS-B target that was going between sea level and 30,000 ft so I had to follow up on it.”  I guess the controller saw the target and initially couldn’t tell whether or not it was real so he got a little upset. The FSDO guy thanked me and said he would talk to the shop about how they were shielding the antenna and said not to worry about it.

I shared with him how happy I had been to learn that the random call I had just received was from FSDO and he basically said “yeah, no one is happy when they find out it’s us. We’re no ones favorite.”  I thanked him for his service and then called the avionics shop.

In 30 years of flying my first call from FSDO and hopefully my last!

[1964-M20E]

When I first got my ADSB out installed I received a letter from the FAA contemplated ignoring it but called.  Turned out there was some setting that was off.  When talking to the guy he said it was good that I called and I explained it may take some time to get it corrected and he was that's OK we know you are working the issue.

[EricJ]

My IFR cert guy does very abbreviated tests for this reason, that they don't want an active signal at altitude during the test.   I don't know what he actually does, but the intent was to avoid exactly this case.

 

[N201MKTurbo]

Whenever I email the FSDO to ask some question or for some service. The inspector immediately calls me. He just likes to talk about airplanes.

[WaynePierce]

Isn't there a web address where you can enter your tail number and get a report of what you're ADS-B is sending and if it's correct?

 

[flyboy0681]

My first instinct would have been a Brasher call.

[GeeBee]

Most FAA people are really good folks who do not get up in the morning wanting to notch their gun. They are pilots too and fly in the system. Everyone of them know if they wanted to notch their gun, indeed carve on it for the rest of their careers they can go to the air cargo apron at LAX or "Cockroach Corner" at MIA and just start writing. I find honesty and candor is the best way to deal with them. If you done something bad, you know it and should have your ducks in a row before the call.

I had a Captain that was nervous as a cat in a room of rocking chairs about an FAA guy on the jump seat. He was all business with the FAA guy and it was all I and the FAA guy could do to keep from cracking up because, I taught the FAA guy for his commercial, instrument and CFI. So we take off, the cockpit was more sterile than a Clorox bottle all the way to top of climb, when I turned around and said to my former student, "So Dennis, did you know you're "f'ing up the mood here?" Then he and I both burst out laughing. Took a little while to calm the Captain down.

[Greg Ellis]

11 hours ago, WaynePierce said:

Isn't there a web address where you can enter your tail number and get a report of what you're ADS-B is sending and if it's correct?

 

Public ADS-B Performance Report (faa.gov)