AN FAA INSPECTOR REMINDS AN ACR PLT THAT HIS PROC OF INCREASING SPD ABOVE 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT WHILE LEVELING AT THAT ALT IS NOT AUTH.

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FAA INSPECTOR WAS IN JUMP SEAT. CAPT WAS FLYING ACFT WITH AUTOPLT OFF. CLRNC WAS TO 10000 FT ON DEP OUT OF DFW. PASSING 9000 FT; I REDUCED CLB TO 1000 FPM AND LEFT CLB PWR SELECTED. AIRSPD GRADUALLY INCREASED TO APPROX 280 KTS AS I LEVELED AT 10000 FT. THIS INCREASE IN AIRSPD WAS INTENTIONAL. TO THE BEST OF MY MEMORY; I WAS TRAINED AS A B727 FE AND FO THAT THIS WAS PREFERRED METHOD TO LEVEL OFF AT 10000 FT -- PAX COMFORT; PWR CHANGES; ETC; AND THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THAT IT WAS LEGAL TO EXCEED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT. I HAVE OBSERVED THIS METHOD NUMEROUS TIMES AS A B727 AND B757 FO AND HAVE DONE SO MANY; MANY TIMES MYSELF -- THINKING THAT THIS WAS A LEGAL PROC. THE INSPECTOR; ON ARR AT TUL DURING A DEBRIEF; INFORMED ME THAT MY EXCESS SPD WAS NOT PROPER AND HAD IT BEEN SOMEONE ELSE; IT MIGHT HAVE COST ME SOME TIME. THE DEBRIEF CONCLUDED THAT OTHER THAN THAT; IT WAS A GOOD FLT. IT IS STILL MY BEST MEMORY THAT I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROC WAS LEGAL. UNFORTUNATELY; I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO FIND THAT EXCEPTION IN THE REGS IF IT IS IN FACT LEGAL. YOUR HELP IN RESOLVING THIS PROB WOULD BE APPRECIATED. IF THIS TECHNIQUE IS ILLEGAL; DISSEMINATION TO OTHER CREW MEMBERS MIGHT BE HELPFUL. THE INSPECTOR DID NOT INDICATE THAT ANY ACTION OTHER THAN THE DEBRIEF WOULD BE FORTHCOMING.