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United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT

No. 22-1269 September Term, 2023

 FILED ON: JANUARY 23, 2024 

GEOFFREY ORLANDI, 

PETITIONER

v. 

BILLY NOLEN, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, 

RESPONDENT

On Petition for Review of an Order 

of the Federal Aviation Administration

Before: PILLARD and GARCIA, Circuit Judges, and GINSBURG, Senior Circuit Judge

J U D G M E N T

This appeal was considered on the record from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

and on the briefs of the parties. See D.C. Cir. R. 34(j). The Court has accorded the issues full 

consideration and has determined that they do not warrant a published opinion. See D.C. Cir. R. 

36(d). It is hereby 

ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the petition for review be DENIED.

Petitioner Geoffrey Orlandi challenges the FAA’s decision to rescind its authorization of 

Orlandi as a Designated Pilot Examiner. As a Pilot Examiner, Orlandi acted on behalf of the FAA 

to arrange and conduct practical testing of applicants for FAA pilot licenses. Orlandi maintained 

a policy of collecting non-refundable fees from applicants before determining whether they were 

eligible to proceed with the practical test. For example, in January 2022, Orlandi collected about 

$800 in fees from an applicant on his scheduled practical test date before determining that the 

applicant had inadequate logged flight experience so was ineligible to proceed with the test. 

Orlandi refused to refund the fees or credit them toward a rescheduled test, offering only to

discount a second fee to conduct the test on a rescheduled date. 
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That applicant’s instructor complained to an FAA hotline. The FAA investigated Orlandi’s 

fee practices, determined that his policy of collecting nonrefundable fees before verifying

applicants’ test eligibility violated agency guidance, and rescinded his Pilot Examiner designation. 

The FAA’s rescission notice also cited Orlandi’s inability to work constructively with the agency, 

explaining that “during several hours[’] worth of phone calls,” he was “argumentative and 

unreceptive” to his supervisors’ suggestion that he evaluate each applicant’s eligibility before the 

day of the test. An agency appeals board upheld the decision. 

We lack jurisdiction over Orlandi’s claim that the rescission of his delegation was an abuse 

of discretion. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 44702(d)(2), the FAA “may rescind a delegation . . . at any 

time for any reason the Administrator considers appropriate.” We have interpreted the broad terms 

of that provision as committing to the FAA’s unreviewable discretion the substantive bases for 

rescinding delegations. Sheble v. Huerta, 755 F.3d 954, 957 (D.C. Cir. 2014) (citing Steenholdt v. 

F.A.A., 314 F.3d 633, 638 (D.C. Cir. 2003)).

Orlandi’s claims that the FAA violated its internal procedural requirements in rescinding 

his delegation fare no better. We retain authority to review the FAA’s compliance with its own 

procedural requirements, Accardi v. Shaughnessy, 347 U.S. 260 (1954), and remand to the agency 

where an affected examiner shows “that the FAA ‘fell substantially short’ of the applicable 

procedural requirements, ‘resulting in prejudice to him.’” Sheble, 755 F.3d at 957 (quoting Lopez

v. F.A.A., 318 F.3d 242, 248 (D.C. Cir. 2003)). Orlandi identifies what he contends are four 

material flaws in the FAA’s compliance with its procedures: (1) he was denied a meeting with the 

managing specialists investigating his conduct; (2) the FAA’s stated concerns shifted between the 

initiation of the investigation and rescission of his Pilot Examiner designation; (3) the FAA appeals 

board failed to consider his entire file and document its deliberations; and (4) his supervisors fell 

short of their duty to oversee him. 

None of those assertions supports relief.

First, Orlandi was not entitled to a meeting with the managing specialists conducting his 

investigation. The manager’s noncommittal email in response to Orlandi’s request for an in-person 

meeting—offering to “contact [him] mid next week to arrange a Zoom meeting for possibly the 

following week,” FAA Email to Orlandi (J.A. 74)—is a far cry from the internal agency regulations 

or binding policies to which courts hold agencies accountable under Accardi, 347 U.S. 260. See 

Steenholdt, 314 F.3d at 638 (quoting Padula v. Webster, 822 F.2d 97, 100 (D.C. Cir. 1987)).

Second, no FAA rule prevents the agency from clarifying its reasons for the recission of a 

delegation over the course of an investigation. Under the relevant procedural rules, the agency 

need only document the recission action and “include the specific reason(s),” as it did here. See 

Designee Management Policy, FAA Order 8000.95B, ch. 9, ¶ 4.a.1. (April 12, 2022) (J.A. 122).

Third, Orlandi is correct that the FAA appeals board was required to consider his full 

designee file and to document its decision, see id. at ch. 11, ¶ 4.a. & c. (“Review File” and 

“Document Outcomes”) (J.A. 128), but he failed to demonstrate that the appeals board fell short 
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of those duties. The board indicated that it reviewed Orlandi’s record. His arguments to the 

contrary are entirely speculative. As to the agency’s documentation of its decision, even assuming 

this procedural requirement calls for a more detailed description, Orlandi has not demonstrated 

that he suffered any resulting prejudice. That is especially so given our lack of authority to review 

the substantive grounds of the FAA’s decision. 

Fourth, Orlandi argues that the FAA violated its own procedures by poorly supervising 

him. Managers must “monitor [designees] to ensure that they continue to meet the requirements 

of their designations,” including by “determin[ing] the designee’s compliance with regulatory 

requirements.” See Designee Management Policy, FAA Order 8000.95A, ch. 6, ¶ 2.b. (December 

7, 2020) (J.A. 133). Orlandi urges that the FAA failed to meet this standard because his supervisors 

did not inform him during their earlier observations of his examinations that his fee policy was 

inappropriate. Orlandi’s contention is not just that he had the right to oversight before recission—

as the rule requires, and which he received—but to oversight that notified him of any potentially 

actionable deficiencies in his performance. That is not a rule the FAA has promulgated. Indeed, 

it runs counter to the agency’s broad statutory authority, reiterated in its regulations, to rescind 

designations “at any time for any reason.” 49 U.S.C. § 44702(d)(2); FAA Order 8000.95B at ch. 

9, ¶ 4 (J.A. 122). If a designee could only lose his delegation after he was given an opportunity to 

correct his misconduct, the FAA would not be able to rescind a delegation “at any time.” 

For the foregoing reasons, we deny Orlandi’s petition for review. 

Pursuant to D.C. Circuit Rule 36, this disposition will not be published. The Clerk is 

directed to withhold issuance of the mandate until seven days after resolution of any timely petition 

for rehearing or rehearing en banc. See Fed. R. App. P. 41(b); D.C. Cir. R. 41(b). 

Per Curiam

FOR THE COURT: 

Mark J. Langer, Clerk 

BY: /s/

Daniel J. Reidy

Deputy Clerk