CAA no longer reads emails

[IO540]

I have noticed that during the past year or two, no email sent to their fclweb@ address has been replied to.

One gets an autoresponse, so they got it OK, but it looks like nobody reads it, or if somebody reads it they cannot reply.

Previously, say 5 years ago, one used to get reasonable replies.

Have many people left the place?

[mmgreve]

They are too busy trying to figure out what is going on in EASA, I assume :confused:

CAA vastly better than the few other authorithies I have had the pleasure of dealing with, with the possible execption of FAA.

[soay]

I sent a query to that email address last Friday and received an automated response including this statement:

"Thank you for your message which has been received by the CAA and will be dealt with as soon as possible."

Perhaps it's still too soon to judge whether that's going to happen.

[tu154]

Sent an email recently requesting a new licence cover, received one within 2 weeks. Although I didn't get an email response...

[cjhants]

I recently sent them an e-mail giving change of address which was actioned promptly, so although I am not their biggest fan, the thread title is a bit misleading.

[IO540]

Fair enough; the thread title is logically impossible to verify.

I should have written "CAA no longer writes emails" :)

[proudprivate]

Must say I had the same experience with the UK CAA and I finally decided to call them (and held for 30 minutes) to get a straight answer to my question (which turned out to be hidden in the LARS :\ duh !)

However, to be fair, I have a feeling that it is likely to depend on the question. If it a relatively straightforward (like what documents do I need for such and such; where do I have to send my xyz, etc...) then both the Belgian CAA and the US FAA are very responsive (within 48 hours) by e-mail.

If it's a challenging legally technical question that requires a commitment on behalf of the respective aviation authority, I wouldn't hold my breath.

If it is an information request, I believe the UK CAA has to reply within 20 working days to every reasonable request (FOI 2000). The automatic acknowledgement of receipt does not count.

[IO540]

If it's a challenging legally technical question that requires a commitment on behalf of the respective aviation authority,

Yes. But this is exactly why one might want to write to them.

For lesser stuff, you use google, which normally digs out posts on pprune or flyer which contain pointers to LASORS or whatever :) Also I have some excellent contacts I can ask.

[HighFlyer75]

I have sent numerous emails to this address in the last year and have never received a response. I don't think that any of them have been acted on either - although it is hard to tell because I give up waiting and call them to see what is happening.

[proudprivate]

Yes. But this is exactly why one might want to write to them.


But then I would call the responsable department head or director first to announce that a technical matter is coming his way, and could they please review/keep an eye on the mail I'm about to send and make a quick decision...

[IO540]

I have done that, without success. I even asked to see one such person when I was at Gatwick in person, also without success.

[flybymike]

All government departments and large corporate concerns these days are staffed by a bunch of pusillanimous paper pushers who are terrified of the responsibility attached to making a decision of any kind about anything. Easier to ignore something and hope it goes away.

[proudprivate]

Really ? That's quite a story... Now,

Assuming that the person you wanted to see is really playing hide and seek (and wasn't incidentally away or in a meeting when you were at Gatwick) and;
Assuming calling the CAA directly doesn't get you through,

I guess plan B would then be to make the letter more formal, expressing your disappointment in establishing contact and that you demand, in accordance with good public administration conduct, a opined response within 20 working days.

If that fails, then I guess it's upwards and onwards to the Ombudsman or the Transport Minister with the complete paper / e-mail trail, although the purpose then becomes more of an operation "Damage high ranking civil servant" as opposed to "Getting the info you need".

In view of this, I'm really surprised that calling the CAA wouldn't work after one or two tries...

[PD210]

Is there not an appropriate fee one has to pay them in order for them to read your email...;)

[Sir George Cayley]

I've written to the CAA a couple of times but the addresses didn't look like fclweb. Is it worth searching for another inbox address?

You could always drop a line to Dame Dierdre :ooh:

SGC

[Whopity]

But only if its about in flight catering!