The development of subordinates is a major supervisory responsibility, and coaching is a basic part of employee development. Just as in a sporting event, coaching is observing behavior and providing feedback that is both immediate and specific.

What can the director of maintenance at a small helicopter operation teach other professional DOMs? Plenty about the value of networking, for one thing.

Last November 5, the FAA issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) 2010-1060, “Policy Clarifying Definition of Actively Engaged for Purposes of Inspector Authorization.” The original deadline for comments was December 6, but the FAA extended the comment deadline to January 17. Either deadline was too early for a call to action in this column, but I wanted to make some comments on the NPRM, Inspection Authorization, and advanced certification.