MY 2 CENTS
disability benefits often stem from confusion rather than deceit. They urge that these cases be resolved through reconciliation,
education or corrective
action — not through revocation. Aviation law specialists advise pilots under investigation to seek immediate counsel and, if possible, file amended applications to reconcile discrepancies. Veteran advocacy groups and aviation associations also have raised the issue, emphasizing that selective enforcement undermines trust in the regulatory system. In the case of being an FAA employee, a simple internal memo advising staff to fix their own issues internally is absolutely unfair
to the being targeted.
The human cost is profound. Pilots who already have sacrificed in military service and who now serve the public in law enforcement or emergency response are being stripped of their certificates at a time when their skills are critically needed. For many, aviation is not just a job, but an identity and lifelong calling. To lose that over an honest mistake is devastating.
The FAA’s initiative, though justified on safety grounds, has become a blunt instrument that punishes warfighters who deserve better. Lawmakers and agency leaders should intervene to ensure that the Compliance Program and Just Culture principles are not ignored. Congress, the Secretary of Transportation, and the FAA Administrator must demand consistency, fairness and proportionality in how these cases are handled. Public officials like Sean Duffy at Transportation and Pete Hegseth, who have both emphasized support for veterans, should recognize that this is not simply a regulatory dispute. It is an attack on those who already have given so much to the nation.
It is time to stop treating these pilots as adversaries and start treating them as valued professionals deserving of fairness. Revocation should be the last resort, not the first. By embracing compliance rather than punishment, the FAA can protect safety while honoring the service and sacrifice of warfighters who continue to serve in the skies.
general pilot population
Randy Rowles has been an FAA pilot examiner for 20 years for all helicopter certificates and ratings. He holds an FAA Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate, NAFI Master Flight Instructor designation, and was the 2013 recipient of the HAI Flight Instructor of the Year Award. Rowles is currently the owner of the Helicopter Institute. He can be reached at
randyrowlesdpe@gmail.com
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