Military Flight Evaluation Board (FEB) Defense Attorney If you are a military aviator facing a Flight Evaluation Board, my office in Southlake, Texas defends rated officers from every branch who are fighting to keep their wings, their rating, and their careers. A Flight Evaluation Board, or FEB, is the military’s administrative process for deciding whether a pilot or other rated aviator should keep flight status after an alleged rules violation, a mishap, misconduct, or a question about airmanship or medical fitness.Losing an FEB can end a flying career, and the finding can follow you into other actions, including a Show Cause Board of Inquiry that puts your commission itself at stake. How you respond from the first notice matters. If you have received notice of an FEB, or you are already in the process and feel stuck, read through this page and then call my office at 214-363-1828. I will tell you honestly what your options look like. What Is a Flight Evaluation Board?A Flight Evaluation Board decides whether a rated aviator should keep flight status and aeronautical rating. The Army calls it a Flight Evaluation Board (FEB), the Air Force uses the term Flying Evaluation Board, and the Navy and Marine Corps use the Field Naval Aviator Evaluation Board, or FNAEB. Commands convene these boards for a mishap, an alleged flight-rule violation, misconduct, a pattern of substandard airmanship, loss of confidence by the chain of command, or a disqualifying medical condition. An FEB decides your flying future, not automatically your commission, but the two often travel together, sometimes alongside an action already in your record such as a referred evaluation report or a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand. About My FEB PracticeI am William C. Meili, Attorney and Counselor at Law, COL(R), JA, USAR. I served as a Judge Advocate on active duty and in the Reserve, and my practice is focused on Show Cause/Board of Inquiry defense and Unqualified Resignations across every branch. I have also defended pilots brought before Flight Evaluation Boards for alleged rules violations, misconduct, and other adverse allegations, and that experience is the reason aviators come to me: FEBs are their own world, and they reward a defender who has stood in front of one before. My approach is grounded in honesty about what is and is not possible. I do not overpromise, and any attorney who guarantees an outcome at a board is not being straight with you. What I do is analyze your case, find the strongest honest framing, and handle the advocacy and written presentation that give you the best chance. I am licensed to handle military cases nationwide and globally, so distance is rarely the obstacle aviators expect. For more on my background and admissions, see my attorney bio page, or review the full list of practice areas I handle. The Flight Evaluation Board ProcessThe clock starts the moment you receive notice that an FEB has been directed, and your first response often comes due within days. Every case is different, but the path generally moves through a recognizable sequence:
Timelines vary by branch and routing. Some FEBs resolve in a couple of months; others stretch longer when an investigation or a medical question is involved. If you already have a detailed military counsel or area defense counsel assigned, I work alongside them, not around them. Fees and Engagement OptionsCost matters, and I will be straight with you about it. Some clients retain me for full representation through the board. Others want a defined package of consulting hours, so I can review their communications and shape strategy while their assigned military counsel handles the hearing. The fee depends on the seriousness of the allegations, whether an investigation or a parallel elimination action is in play, and how much of the work you want handled for you. I prefer to discuss your case before quoting a fee. Call 214-363-1828 or reach my office through the contact page for an honest estimate of what your case would involve. Call My Office About Your FEBIf you have received notice of a Flight Evaluation Board, the sooner you call, the more options we have. Contact William C. Meili, Attorney at Law by calling 214-363-1828 or Toll-Free: (866) 578-0164, to schedule a confidential consultation and discuss the best path forward. |