FSDO Inspector Gave Illegal Check Rides

HeyEng

Well-Known Member
This is a bad deal here. I wonder if this will be similar to the issues with all the pencil whipped A&P certs down in Florida a few years back? Any of these guys are going to be subject to re-examination? I remember something about they can do another check ride on you within some amount of time...just don't remember how long. Also, why didn't someone in the FSDO office notice his name all over the "hundreds" of checkrides? Did they really think he was doing them all while acting in the "official capacity"? As far as I know, they avoid doing checkrides like the plague!



http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/inspector_pilot_check_ride_teterboro_unauthorized_certificate_fsdo_205646-1.html


Teterboro-based aviation safety inspector Harrington Bishop, 63, entered a guilty plea in a federal court Thursday on charges of receiving illegal gratuities in exchange for what court documents allege were hundreds of unauthorized pilot check rides. Bishop had been assigned to the Teterboro FSDO. On available days off, weekends, and holidays, from May 2004 to February 2011, he allegedly took pilots on check rides at Cave Flight School at Flying W Airport in Medford, NJ. Pilots who flew with him on those occasions ultimately numbered in the hundreds. None of the flights were authorized, each one illegally paid Bishop, and in almost every case a certificate was granted to the tested pilot.
Pilots were allegedly tested for anything from private to airline transport pilot certificates. Bishop allegedly collected tips that amounted to $300 per flight on average from the hundreds of pilots he managed to fly with over seven years. This, in spite of the fact that while acting in an official capacity, Bishop was not allowed to accept payment from pilots in exchange for his services. By Bishop's own account, he passed almost every pilot who flew with him on those occasions. Each pilot then became officially certificated by the FAA as a result of Bishop's work. The official charge against Bishop was one count of receiving illegal gratuities while acting as a public official. He now faces a maximum potential fine of $250,000 and up to two years in jail.
 
Harry Bishop, noooo! I know dozens of people who have done checkrides with him. I've almost done them with him too, but have always been handed off to DPEs since Teterboro was too busy...

Yikes...
 
So some ATP-MEL folks will be getting their PVT-SEL certificates back in the mail?
 
So some ATP-MEL folks will be getting their PVT-SEL certificates back in the mail?

I imagine that's the whole reason for the "look back" period. 180 days sticks in my mind, but it might be 60 days. BUT...I know when the Florida A&P crap hit the fan, there were about 50 FEs that I know of (alot of DHL guys too) that had to be re-examined, and they had held the tickets MUCH longer than 180 days.
 
Isn't the issue simply that this guy was taking money? Not the validity of the ride since he was authorized to give them?

To my knowledge, the FAA's stance is that if it was an illegal checkride, it wasn't done to "legal" standards. They don't want someone with one of those certificates getting into an issue and have it reflect poorly on the agency
 
I think all it means is the people who paid get their money back. They're not alledging that he did anything improper other than receiving payment for something the taxpayers were already paying him to do.
 
The fact that he was taking what amounts to a bribe taints the entire check ride.

well, that logic should be applied to DPE's as well then since they collect a fee for their check rides... Its just bogus to me that the FAA would go after the pilots in this case. Of course, maybe the pilots deserve it since everyone should know that a Fed check ride is supposed to be free.
 
well, that logic should be applied to DPE's as well then since they collect a fee for their check rides... Its just bogus to me that the FAA would go after the pilots in this case. Of course, maybe the pilots deserve it since everyone should know that a Fed check ride is supposed to be free.
Examiners are allowed to collect fees. When you pay someone something that you know they shouldn't accept you are in the wrong too.
 
I think all it means is the people who paid get their money back. They're not alledging that he did anything improper other than receiving payment for something the taxpayers were already paying him to do.

Who is going to pay? Not Mr. Bishop directly....

I don't want to know how long it would take to get that $300 from the FSDO/FAA/USA
 
It always comes down to pilot error. Apparently that now applies if there is no incident or accident.
 
What blows me away is how this slipped through the craps for sooo long... There potentially are a few of captains and a lot of regional FOs that will be affected. Either way if I were him I'd be half way to Bangkok or Macau right now...
 
Jeez....I used to see this guy around all the time back when I was instructing. Glad I never sent any students with him! Now that I think about it, he ramp checked me one time.
 
What blows me away is how this slipped through the craps for sooo long... There potentially are a few of captains and a lot of regional FOs that will be affected. Either way if I were him I'd be half way to Bangkok or Macau right now...

Some Feds act with impunity and they are very difficult to fire. A good lawyer and a small bit of luck and this guy will end up with a promotion to some job that involves desk-only work.
 
I imagine that's the whole reason for the "look back" period. 180 days sticks in my mind, but it might be 60 days. BUT...I know when the Florida A&P crap hit the fan, there were about 50 FEs that I know of (alot of DHL guys too) that had to be re-examined, and they had held the tickets MUCH longer than 180 days.

The St George A&P school. In this case, it was an authorized DME that was passing applicants and the school assisted people during the written exams. Those who earned their IA by the time the poo hit the fan we allowed to keep their tickets. In theory you knew your stuff and proved that by earning the IA. Everyone else had to surrender and retest.

It'll be interesting how this works out, since he was authorized to conduct these exams, but essentially receiving bribes for his efforts. Maybe those who tested for a higher certificate at a later date with another DPE or inspector can keep their tickets without retesting.

http://www.faa.gov/mechanics/retesting/
 
The issue of what the FAA actually does with respect to issued certificates will be interesting to see. There is some precedent for what happpens when the FAA inspector didn't have checkride authority at all http://tinyurl.com/6e8oltp but whether it applies to this situation or not remains to be seen.
 
Some Feds act with impunity and they are very difficult to fire. A good lawyer and a small bit of luck and this guy will end up with a promotion to some job that involves desk-only work.

I'll take that bet. This guy is toast, and not only will he lose his job . . . permanently . . . he will be going to federal prison if these charges are indeed accurate. Additionally, he will probably lose any monies he had saved in his TSP account (fed version of a 401K) if there's a fine involved.

It's not nearly as hard to fire a federal employee as some would lead you to believe. Happens all the time (yes, I've personally seen examples), and pretty darned quickly when there's even a hint of a corrupt practice involved.
 
God, I thought Bishop was one of the goods guys. I gotta say (if it's the same Bishop guy I knew) that I'm shocked.

I wish they had a picture, be easier to remember.
 
Back
Top