Employment of former FAA employees

This regulation restricts airlines and commercial operators (Part 121/135) from hiring former FAA safety inspectors to represent them before the FAA under specific circumstances.

An operator cannot knowingly employ or contract with a former Flight Standards inspector if, within the previous two years, that person:

• Worked as (or oversaw) an aviation safety inspector, AND
• Had direct responsibility for inspecting that specific operator

"Acting as an agent or representative" means making any written or oral communication to the FAA on the operator's behalf, regardless of the specific matter involved.

Exception: This restriction doesn't apply if the individual was already employed by the operator before October 21, 2011.

This "cooling-off period" prevents potential conflicts of interest where inspectors might give favorable treatment to operators they plan to work for, or where former inspectors might exploit their inside knowledge and relationships with their former colleagues.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*