Moffett B. Roller

mroller@rollerbauer.com

Law Offices

ROLLER & BAUER, PLLC

Washington Dulles International Airport

45005 Aviation Drive; Suite 200

Dulles, VA 20166

Phone: 202-331-3300 • Fax: 202-331-3322

Lee A. Bauer

lbauer@rollerbauer.com

June 26, 2013

Docket Management Facility

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140

Washington, DC 20590

Re: Petition for an Exemption from 14 C.F.R. § 129.5(b);

Servicios Aéreos Gana, S.A. de C.V. (FAA Certificate No. G12F)

Docket FAA-2013-________

Dear Sir/Madam:

Pursuant to 14 C.F.R. § 11.81, Servicios Aéreos Gana, S.A. de C.V. (SAGSA), a

Mexican on-demand air taxi operator, petitions for an exemption from 14 C.F.R.

§ 129.5(b) to the extent Part 129.5(b) requires SAGSA to install a flight data recorder

(“FDR”) on its aircraft that are configured for nine or fewer passenger seats. SAGSA

requests that its exemption allow it to operate its Mexican-registered aircraft in U.S.

airspace so long as its aircraft would comply with the FDR requirements of Part 135 if

SAGSA's aircraft were operated pursuant to Part 135 or until the requirements of ICAO

Annex 6, Section 6.3, are revised to allow aircraft that have nine or fewer passenger

seats to operate without a flight data recorder.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION and SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION:

Part 129.5(b) of the Federal Aviation Regulations requires each foreign air

carrier to conduct its U.S. operations in accordance with the Standards contained in

Annexes 1, 6 (Parts I and III), and 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Section 6.3.1.2.4 of the ICAO Standards requires that “[a]ll turbine-engined aeroplanes

of a maximum certificated take-off mass of over 5,700 kg and up to and including

27,000 kg, for which the individual certificate of airworthiness is first issued on or after 1

January 1989, shall be equipped with a Type II FDR.” Similarly, § 6.3.1.2.11 provides

that “[a]ll aeroplanes of a maximum certificated take-off mass of over 5,700 kg for which

the individual certificate of airworthiness is first issued after 1 January 2005 shall be

equipped with a Type IA FDR.”
ROLLER & BAUER, PLLC

Federal Aviation Administration

June 26, 2013

Page 2

1/ The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that first proposed the addition of Part 129.20 stated as follows:

[T]he FAA has determined that U.S.-registered airplanes, regardless of where they are operated,

should be required to comply with the same FDR requirements as though they were operated

domestically. Accordingly, the proposed rule indicates that, depending on the airplane type,

airplanes that are U.S.-registered but operated outside the United States must comply with the

applicable flight data recorder regulations of part 121, 125, or 135.

Revisions to DFDR Rules, 61 F.R. 37144, 37156 (July 16, 1996).

SAGSA is currently operating an aircraft that meets the criteria of § 6.3.1.2.11

requiring an FDR. That aircraft, a Hawker 400XP with Mexican registration XA-UQJ,

received its initial certificate of airworthiness in 2006 and has a maximum take-off weight

of 16,100 pounds, an amount that exceeds 5,700 kg (12,566 lbs.). In the near future

SAGSA plans to obtain additional aircraft that will also fall within the parameters of either

§ 6.3.1.2.4 or § 6.3.1.2.11, i.e., aircraft with MTOW in the specified range that are

configured with nine or fewer passenger seats and that do not have FDRS. As a result

SAGSA also seeks this exemption in order to include such additional aircraft on its U.S.

Part 129 Operations Specifications.

Many countries, including the United States, have filed differences from the

International Standards of Annex 6, including § 6.3 that imposes standards for flight data

recorders. With respect to § 6.3.1.2.4 (formerly 6.3.5.1), for example, the United States

has stated: “The United States does not require flight data recorders that record the

referenced parameters for all aircraft meeting this weight criterion.” FAA Aeronautical

Information Publication, 22nd Edition, 7 March 2013, page GEN 1.7-55.

The difference that the U.S. filed with respect to § 6.3 of Annex 6 is reflected in

Part 135.152 of the FAA Regulations (FARs). Part 135.152 does not impose FDR

requirements on aircraft operated under Part 135 that have nine seats or less. The U.S.

difference from the FDR Standard of Annex 6 is also reflected in Part 129.20 that makes

the more limited FDR requirements of Parts 121, 125, and 135 applicable to U.S.-

registered aircraft that are operated under Part 129, i.e., FDR requirements do not apply

to turbine aircraft with nine seats or less.1/ SAGSA’s Hawker 400XP is certificated for

eight passenger seats and would not require an FDR if operated under Part 135 or Part

129.20.

The Mexican civil aviation authority, the Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil

(“DGAC”), follows FDR policies similar to those in Part 135. The DGAC policies

recommend, but do not require, that fixed wing aircraft of nine or fewer passenger seats

have a flight data recorder. See § 2.8.1.3 of Policy Memorandum CP AV-06/06 R1,
ROLLER & BAUER, PLLC

Federal Aviation Administration

June 26, 2013

Page 3

2/ An English translation of § 2.8.1.3 provides as follows:

It is recommended that fixed-wing multi-engine turbine-powered aircraft belonging to or in the

possession of concessionaires and/or license holders, which have a passenger seating

configuration of 9 or fewer passengers excluding the seats for flight crew members, and which

have been certified by the State of Design on January 1, 1990 or later, to be equipped with a

Type IIA flight data recorder.

Pages 10-11 of the attached English translation of the Policy Memorandum.

In addition to § 2.8.1.3, the “Background” and “Description” sections on pages 2 and 3 of the Policy

Memorandum also confirm that the DGAC has modified its enforcement policy regarding FDR

requirements for aircraft that weigh more than 5,700 kg (12,566 pounds) but have nine or fewer seats.

A complete copy of the DGAC’s Policy Memorandum, including an English translation, is attached to

this Petition for an Exemption.

Flight Data Recorder Specifications, dated December 20, 2006, at page 11.2/ The Policy

Memorandum explains that the DGAC is not enforcing the FDR requirement for such

aircraft because supplemental type certificates are generally not available for the

installation of FDRs on such aircraft.

DISCUSSION and CONCLUSION:

The granting of an exemption is in the public interest since there is no U.S.

interest in requiring Mexican air taxis to meet higher FDR standards than those that apply

to U.S. air taxis. Requiring a higher standard for Mexican air taxis would be

discriminatory and an unwarranted and unnecessary burden on commerce between the

U.S. and Mexico.

In addition, granting an exemption would not adversely affect safety, since

SAGSA's aircraft, similar in size and type to those operated by U.S. air taxis under Part

135, would be in compliance if it were being operated under Part 135.

The cost to install a flight data recorder in SAGSA’s Hawker 400XP aircraft

(XA-UQJ) would be over $175,000. This amount is based on a specific written bid that

SAGSA received from a major U.S. vendor on June 19, 2013. In addition, not only would

the out-of-pocket cost be substantial, but the installation of a flight data recorder would

also require SAGSA’s aircraft to be removed from service for an extended period of

time—which the bid states is “estimated at 15 to 20 working days” subject to the caveat

that “[a]dditional downtime may be required for changes to the scope of work or for other

unforeseen circumstances.” The loss of use of its aircraft in order to install a flight data

recorder would obviously impair SAGSA’s ability to continue normal operations in a

substantial manner.

The unavailability of SAGSA’s single aircraft for an extended period would also

force SAGSA’s passengers to make alternative travel arrangements at higher cost and
ROLLER & BAUER, PLLC

Federal Aviation Administration

June 26, 2013

Page 4

result in significant inconvenience, since many of its flights are undertaken on short

notice.

Accordingly, Servicios Aéreos Gana, S.A. de C.V. requests an exemption from

Part 129.5(b) to the extent Part 129.5(b)—in reliance on the requirements of Annex 6 to

the International Civil Aviation Convention—requires the installation of a flight data

recorder in SAGSA’s aircraft that are configured for nine or fewer passenger seats.

SAGSA specifically requests that its exemption allow it to operate its Mexican-registered

aircraft in U.S. airspace (a) so long as SAGSA’s aircraft would comply with the flight data

recorder requirements of Part 135 if SAGSA’s aircraft were registered in the United

States and operated pursuant to Part 135, or (b) until the requirements of Annex 6,

Section 6.3, are revised to allow aircraft that have nine or fewer passenger seats to

operate without a flight data

Respectfully submitted,

Roller & Bauer, PLLC

Attorneys for Servicios Aéreos Gana, S.A. de C.V.

By: ____________________________

Moffett B. Roller

Attachment:

Policy Memorandum from the Aviation Authority of Mexico with an English Translation.

Summary for Publication in Federal Register:

Petitioner seeks an exemption from 14 CFR 129.5(b) to operate Mexican-registered

aircraft that are certified for nine or fewer passenger seats in U.S. airspace as long as

those aircraft comply with the flight data recorder requirement of 14 CFR Part 135, or

until the requirements of Annex 6, Section 6.3, are revised to allow aircraft that have nine

or fewer passenger seats to operate without a flight data recorder.











CARTA DE POLÍTICA

CP AV-06/06 R1 

ESPECIFICACIONES DE REGISTRADORES DE VUELO 

11 de 16 

2.8 Aplicabilidad para el uso de grabadoras de datos de vuelo. 

2.8.1 Uso de grabadoras de datos de vuelo en aeronaves de ala fija y de ala rotativa 

cuya fecha de fabricación sea el 1 de enero de 1989, o en fecha posterior. 

2.8.1.1 Todas las aeronaves de ala fija que tengan un peso máximo certificado de 

despegue superior a 27,000 kilogramos, deberán estar equipadas con una 

grabadora de datos de vuelo tipo I.

2.8.1.2 Todas las aeronaves de ala fija pertenecientes o en posesión de 

concesionarios o permisionarios que tengan una configuración aprobada por la 

autoridad aeronáutica de 10 o más pasajeros, excluyendo los asientos para la 

tripulación de vuelo y hasta 27,000 kilogramos de peso máximo certificado de 

despegue inclusive, deberán estar equipadas con una grabadora de datos de 

vuelo del tipo II. Esta misma disposición es recomendable para aquellas 

aeronaves pertenecientes o en posesión de operadores aéreos. 

2.8.1.3 Es recomendable para aeronaves de ala fija multimotoras de turbina, 

pertenecientes o en posesión de concesionarios y/o permisionarios, que 

tengan una configuración de 9 o menos pasajeros excluyendo los asientos 

para la tripulación de vuelo, y las cuales hayan sido certificadas por el estado 

de diseño el 1 de enero de 1990 o en fecha posterior, estar equipadas con una 

grabadora de datos de vuelo tipo IIA. 

2.8.1.4 Todas las aeronaves de ala rotativa que tengan un peso máximo certificado de 

despegue superior a los 7,000 kilogramos, deberán estar equipadas con una 

grabadora de datos de vuelo del tipo IV. 

2.8.1.5 Es recomendable para aeronaves de ala rotativa que tengan una configuración 

de más de 10 pasajeros, excluyendo los asientos de la tripulación de vuelo y 

hasta 7,000 kilogramos de peso máximo certificado de despegue inclusive, 

estar equipadas con una grabadora de datos de vuelo del tipo V. 

2.8.2 Uso de grabadoras de datos de vuelo en aeronaves de ala fija cuya fecha de 

fabricación esté entre el 1 de enero de 1987 y el 31 de diciembre de 1988. 

2.8.2.1 Todas las aeronaves de turbina pertenecientes o en posesión de 

concesionarios y/o permisionarios, que tengan una configuración de 10 o más 

pasajeros, excluyendo los asientos de la tripulación de vuelo, salvo los 

indicados en el numeral 2.8.2.3 siguiente, deberán estar equipadas con una 

grabadora de datos de vuelo que registre la hora o referencia de tiempo, 

altitud, velocidad relativa, aceleración normal y rumbo.