Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 31; Flight Crew Total 2242; Flight Crew Type 168
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
I am an Aircraft owner. My plane's annual inspection was due at the end of [month]. There was significant weather on my intended route; southbound; to perform the annual inspection on my aircraft. On Day 0; I submitted a request for a special flight permit ('ferry permit') to ZZZ FSDO using the FAA's AWC system. I used instructions found on the FAA website to create the account; fill out the special flight permit form; and submit it for review. In the past; I have done this via FAX or Email. I am attempting to join the FAA in modernizing systems. My request was quite simple. I was asking for a 10 day extension to my Annual's due date (thus; Day 4 through Day 13). There was widespread icing and turbulence PIREPs and forecasts for the next three days. I stated in my application that I wished to avoid 'get-there-itis' as a pilot. The pressure of getting the aircraft to maintenance in a timely fashion may have compromised my judgment. As luck would have it; there was a 4 hour forecast window between two passing cold fronts which had created miserable flying conditions. I used this window. I am very concerned that the FAA's transition to new systems may be causing requests like mine to fall through the cracks. I feel that if the weather window did not appear as it did; that I would have been placed under undue pressure to complete a flight which may have had hazardous consequences; or been generally marginal with fewer 'outs' than my normal preference. A pilot with less weather experience; or a less capable aircraft may have made the wrong decision in my situation. If the FAA is to present a tool such as the AWC Portal; then it needs to use it. As I write this; the request has sat ignored for two weeks. If the FAA has no intent to use these tools (i.e.; a local FSDO preference perhaps) then it should not make them available for the affected region. Normally; when I encounter FSDO service gaps such as these; I am able to solicit at more favorable FSDO offices. In this case; the Special Flight Permit specifically requires that the office responsible is at the departure airport; limiting me to the ZZZ FSDO. 'Gotchas' like these are detrimental to flight safety in my opinion.
Aircraft owner reported submitting a request for a special flight permit using the FAA AWC tool (Airworthiness Certification Process) and receiving no response for two weeks.