October 6, 2014

Docket FAA

- 2014

-

______ Docket Management Facility US Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE West Building Ground Floor

Room W12

- 140 Washington, DC 20590

RE: Petition for Exemption

Dear Sir or Madam:

The Reg ional Airline Association (“RAA”), on behalf of its Part 121 member airlines, 1 petitions pursuant to Sections 11.61 and 11.63 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (“FARs”) for an exemption from the regulatory requirements of FAR 61.3(a), 61.3(c), and 121.38 3 with regard to temporary

confirmation of airmen certificates.

14 CFR §§ 61.3(a) and (c) provide, in pertinent part, that no person may, within the United States, serve as a required flight crewmember of a U.S. civil aircraft unless he or she has in th eir personal possession a current pilot certificate issued under Part 61 and current medical certificate issued under Part 67. Section 121.383(a)(2) establishes similar requirements for airmen. If granted, the exemption would permit RAA Part 121 member ai rlines to establish special procedures that enable air carriers to issue to its flight crewmembers, on a temporary basis, confirmation of any required crewmember certificates based on information contained in the airline’s approved record system.

1 Air Wisconsin Airlines Corp., AirNet Systems Inc., Cape Air, Chautauqua Airlines, CommutAir, Compass Airlines, Empire Airlines, Endeavor Air, Envoy, Era Aviation, ExpressJet Airlines, GoJet Airlines, Great Lakes Aviation, Horizon Air, Island Air, Mesa Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Republic Airlines, Seaborne Airlines, Shuttle America, Silver Airways, SkyWes t Airlines, Inc., Trans States Airlines

1 of 3RAA ha s previously been granted such relief for its Part 135 member airlines under Exemption No. 5560, dated November 27, 1992 and amend ed by Exemption 5560A thru 5560I . The conditions and circumstances pertaining to safety and public interest, which warranted those grants of exempti on, are identical for Part 121 airlines . In addition, FAA has granted a similar request for exemption (Exemption No. 5487) submitted by Airlines for America (“A4A”) on behalf of its member airlines.

RAA previously petitioned for this relief for its Part 121 member airlines on June 18, 2012. In response to that request, the FAA renewed the existing Exemption 5560 which covers its Part 135 member airlines, but did not extend the relief to RAA’s Part 121 member airlines. RAA subseq uently filed a Petition for Reconsideration on September 12, 2012 that remains pending. However, with the filing of this petition for exemption, RAA wishes to withdraw the pending Petition for Reconsideration

at Docket No. FAA

- 2000

- 8180.

Granting this exemption will not compromise or adversely affect safety, rather it simply provides an equivalent alternative to an administrative aspect of the stated regulations. The approved procedures, encompassing the conditions and limitations established by previo us grants, have been in use for over a decade with no known compromise of safety. It is also in the public interest as the exemption can prevent possible and unnecessary delays or cancellations of scheduled air service.

In accordance with FAR 11.87, RAA r equests that the requirement for publication and comment

be waived as this request is virtually identical to existing exemptions and therefore, does not set precedent

. T his petition for exemption is not a controversial issue and the reaso ns which form the basis for previous grants to Part 135 airlines and to similar Part 121 airlines are virtually identical . Although RAA requests waiver of publication, a summary of this petition is attached as required by FAR 11.81.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or require additional information.

Respectfully submitted,

Stacey Bechdolt

Sr. Director, Safety & Technical Affairs Regulatory Counsel Regional Airline Association 2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036

202

- 36 7

- 1252 Bechdolt@raa.org

2 of 3SUMMARY

Petitioner: Regional Airline Association.

Section s of 14 CFR Affected:

14 CFR 61.3(a) 14 CFR 61.3(c) 14 CFR 121.383(a)(2)

Description of Relief Sought:

T o permit RAA Part 121 member airlines to establish special procedures that enable an air carrier to issue to its flight crewmembers, on a temporary basis, confirmation of any required crewmember

certificate based on information contained in the carrier’s a pproved record system.

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