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FAA Revokes Paradigm Air's Operating Certificate

Soumis
 
Federal officials have grounded a charter operator that carried professional baseball and hockey teams, saying the company and its pilots weren’t authorized for the kind of commercial venture they operated... The FAA said Paradigm conducted at least 34 unauthorized flights between June 2013 and March 2018 for numerous sports teams... (www.nytimes.com) Plus d'info...

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richardorgill
Richard Orgill 5
Here is the FAA Press Release from two days ago:



WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency order revoking the operating certificate of Paradigm Air Operators, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, for allegedly conducting dozens of unauthorized charter flights using unqualified pilots and when it lacked required air carrier management and safety personnel.



Under its FAA issued operating certificate, Paradigm is allowed to conduct non-common carriage and private carriage operations, which the FAA considers providing air transportation services for one or several selected customers, generally on a long-term basis. However, Paradigm does not have a certificate allowing it to advertise for-hire charter flights to the public, or to solicit or conduct such “common carriage” flights.



Nevertheless, the FAA alleges Paradigm between June 2013 and March 2018 conducted at least 34 unauthorized, common carriage charter flights using its two Boeing 757 and one Boeing 737 aircraft. Customers on these flights included the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers baseball teams, and the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs National hockey teams.



For 28 of these flights, Paradigm paid commissions totaling $101,320 to a consultant. For the other six flights, Paradigm received payments totaling $652,500 from an air charter broker.



On at least 11 of these occasions, Paradigm claimed the operations were demonstration flights to prospective aircraft buyers when the actual purpose of the flights was paid air transportation, the FAA alleges.



Paradigm conducted the 34 flights using pilots who had not completed training and flight proficiency checks that are required for crews engaged in common-carriage operations. Additionally, Paradigm conducted these flights when it lacked required common-carriage-operations personnel including directors of safety, maintenance and operations, and a chief pilot and chief inspector.



Additionally, the FAA alleges Paradigm, through a consultant, solicited and obtained long-term contracts with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners baseball teams. Paradigm paid a consultant a total of $272,646 for its role in getting these contracts, the FAA alleges.



The FAA further alleges Paradigm, on at least 17 other occasions, advertised, or otherwise offered, charter flights that ended up not taking place.



Furthermore, Paradigm conducted the unauthorized flights when it lacked economic authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the FAA alleges.



Under the FAA’s emergency revocation order, Paradigm must immediately surrender its operating certificate. The company faces a civil penalty of $13,669 for each day it fails to surrender the certificate.



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ToddBaldwin3
ToddBaldwin3 1
It's locked behind a paywall.
wbannan
William Bannan 1
http://www.startribune.com/faa-grounds-operator-that-ran-flights-for-pro-sports-teams/568713262/

here you go
Quirkyfrog
Robert Cowling 0
When regulators don't do their job, the regulated know it, and this happens. I'm glad there wasn't a fatal accident, but this makes me wonder how many other such companies exist, and how many US air carriers are cutting corners and endangering passengers.

You know it's got to be happening. Sad...

The FAA should NOT be involved in promoting air travel, and also regulating it. That duality is ridiculous! The NTSB should be THE regulator of the nations air carriers. Let the FAA hold their hand. And the NTSB should be the final word on what happens. The FAA should have no role in what the NTSB decides. It makes sense to me.
btweston
btweston 4
It looks like the regulators regulated. Also, I think you’re confused about what the NTSB is.

[This poster has been suspended.]

paulgilpin1953
paul gilpin 8
remember when this was an aviation blog?

didn't think so.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

srobak
srobak 14
you two dipshidiots realize this has nothing to do with him, right? Focus.
Quirkyfrog
Robert Cowling 0
I just laughed when I read that comment. Too funny...

But it is about politics, in a round about way. Political appointees set the course for regulators and if the industries see that their industry is being under-regulated and they are getting less inspections, and less attention to detail, they will start doing things they feel they can get away with.

killing regulations is a hallmark of this administration. In this case, I'm surprised that they caught this. Kudos to them, but in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, I'm sure that many things are going to be overlooked. I'm hoping it's not a cut in regulations, and oversight. It could very well end up going in that direction, sadly. So, yes, nothing personally to do with the 'stable genius', but he's setting the agenda. So, related...

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