When the FAA sends a letter
FAA enforcement often begins with a letter of investigation after an incident, a ramp check, or a complaint. Under federal law, an individual pilot or other airman receiving that letter generally must be told that responding is not required and that any response can be used, which is a strong reason to get advice first. Certificate actions, such as a suspension or revocation, can be appealed to the National Transportation Safety Board, and the time to appeal is short, especially for orders the FAA designates as emergencies. Filing a voluntary safety report through NASA's reporting system soon after an inadvertent event can matter for sanctions in some cases, so keep any confirmation you received. Keep logbooks, training records, and flight data in their original form.
Buying, selling, and operating aircraft
An aircraft purchase is part real estate closing and part international transaction. Title and lien searches with the FAA registry, and for many larger aircraft with the international registry as well, come before any money moves, and funds are commonly held in escrow until registration and inspection steps are complete. The pre-purchase inspection, the condition at delivery, and who bears the risk during a ferry flight are frequent points of contention. Ownership structures matter too. Providing an aircraft with crew to others for compensation without the right operating certificate is known as illegal charter, and some lease and management arrangements drift into it without the owner realizing.
Drones and a first conversation
Commercial drone operators work under their own FAA rules, including remote pilot certification and airspace authorizations, and state or local rules about privacy and property can add another layer. In a first conversation, we look at what you are facing or planning, which regulations govern it, and whether deadlines are already running. Bring any FAA correspondence, purchase documents, operating or management agreements, and insurance policies. Aircraft accident claims are a separate subject and are handled differently from regulatory and transactional matters.
