If not, get ready to sharpen your pencils. The FAA has published a Notice of its forwarding of a Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of the new collection. The ICR is titled: Survey of Airman Satisfaction with Aeromedical Certification Services and seeks to assess airmen’s opinions of key dimensions of service quality including courtesy, competence, reliability, and communication. The FAA intends to send a FAA Pilot Medical Certification Survey approximately 4,800 airmen.
Although comments to the new ICR must be submitted on or before September 8, 2005, the Notice states that comments to OMB are most effective if OMB receives them within 30 days of publication. According to the Notice, “Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department’s estimates of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.”
Comments should be sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FAA Desk Officer. You may also obtain further information regarding the new ICR from Judy Street on (202) 267-9895.
If this ICR is approved, this will give airmen an opportunity to provide input regarding their experiences in obtaining medical certification. Hopefully airmen will take advantage of the opportunity to apprise the FAA of some of the unnecessary challenges posed by Aeromedical Certification Services’ current procedures and processes. Although I am sure any praise will be appreciated, and likely touted by the FAA, it will be more interesting to see how the FAA handles the constructive criticism it is likely to receive.
