DURING PREFLT CAPT FAILED TO GET THE MECH SIGN OFF FOR A MAINT FERRY FLT OK.

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THIS RPT REGARDS A FERRY FLT ON A SUNDAY EVENING. I WAS THE CAPT OF A 2 MAN CREW TAKING OVER AN ACFT AT THE BEGINNING OF MY SHIFT. THE PREVIOUS CREW HAD WRITTEN-UP AN ITEM ON THE PLANE THAT WAS NOT MEL'ED. BASICALLY THE ACFT WAS GNDED. I CALLED MAINT AND WAS TOLD TO FERRY THE ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE. IT WAS MY FIRST WRITE-UP AS A CAPT; SO I ASKED TO SPEAK TO AN INSPECTOR (IA) TO VERIFY MY WORDING ON THE DISCREPANCY LOG. THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT ALL I NEEDED TO WRITE WAS: 'REPOSITION FROM (PLACE) TO (PLACE) WITH MINIMUM CREW VIA PHONE CONVERSATION WITH INSPECTOR (NAME).' HE SAID NO MECH OR FERRY (ON PAPER) PERMIT WAS NEEDED BECAUSE IT WAS A REMOTE LOCATION AND THE DISCREPANCY DID NOT AFFECT THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT AND IT WAS SAFE TO FLY. BEFORE I WROTE IN THE DISCREPANCY LOG; I CHKED MY OPS MANUAL ON OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR A FERRY FLT. IT STATES THAT 'THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER SHALL HAVE THE ACFT INSPECTED OR EVALUATED ACCORDING TO PROCS IN ITS MANUAL AND HAVE A CERTIFIED MECH OR REPAIRMAN CERTIFY IN THE ACFT RECORD THAT THE ACFT IS IN A SAFE CONDITION FOR FLT AS SPECIFIED IN THE OPS MANUAL.' I CALLED THE INSPECTOR AGAIN TO VERIFY THAT HIS STATEMENT; WRITTEN BY ME; FULFILLED THE OBLIGATION OF OUR OPS MANUAL. HE LAUGHED AS IF I WERE A FOOL AND SAID 'YES; THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO WRITE.' I THEN ASKED AGAIN; 'AND THERE'S NO MECH NEEDED TO SIGN THE LOG?' HE SAID 'NO.' ALTHOUGH I QUESTIONED IT; SINCE HE WAS AN IA; I THOUGHT THAT IF ANYONE KNEW HOW TO WRITE UP A FERRY FLT; IT WAS HE. SO; I WROTE WHAT HE SAID TO IN THE DISCREPANCY LOG. PRIOR TO MY FLT I CALLED HIM ONCE AGAIN; THINKING THAT HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT A WHILE AND QUESTIONED IT HIMSELF. I TOLD HIM EXACTLY WHAT I WROTE AND ASKED HIM IF THIS WAS OK. HE SAID 'THAT'S GREAT. I'LL SEE YOU IN A WHILE.' SO; I WENT ON THAT AND FERRIED THE PLANE TO MAINT. WHEN I ARRIVED; I SHOWED THE INSPECTOR MY WRITE UP AND SAID; 'ARE YOU SURE I DIDN'T NEED A MECH TO SIGN THIS OFF?' HE LAUGHED AND SAID 'NO.' AFTER FURTHER QUESTIONING WITH COMPANY PERSONNEL; I REALIZED THAT I ACTUALLY DID NEED A MECH SIGN OFF. SOMETIMES WE ARE ALLOWED TO USE 'AS PER PHONE CONVERSATION' AS VALID AUTH TO CONTINUE FLYING UNDER CERTAIN MEL'S. I BELIEVED THAT THE MECH COULD 'EVALUATE' AND 'CERTIFY' VIA PHONE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN IT IN THE PAST. APPARENTLY IT CANNOT BE CERTIFIED OVER THE PHONE FOR A FERRY FLT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS CLR IN OUR OPS MANUAL. THE MECH (IA) INVOLVED WAS REPRIMANDED AND CLASSES ARE NOW BEING HELD FOR ALL MECHS AS A RESULT OF THIS OCCURRENCE. HOPEFULLY THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO ASK US TO DO AND THE PLTS UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN ACCEPT.