U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Aviation 

Administration 

September 3, 2015. 

Mr. Matthew Rolu-er 

1055 81

h Place 

Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 

Dear Mr. Rohrer: 

800 Independence Ave .. S w 

Washinglon. DC. 20591 

We apologize for the inconvenience this letter may cause you. We are informing you that we 

are unable to process your request for an exemption from§ 121.31 l(b)(2)(iii)(B) ofTitle 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). It explains why we can not process your request and 

what you should do in the next 30 days. 

Why We Can Not Process Your Request 

We entered your August 4, 2015 exemption request into the public docket (No. FAA-2015-

3356), but we are unable to process your request any further. The infonnation you sent does 

not comply with the requirements of§ 11 .81 (copy enclosed). For us to consider the request 

any further, please visit http://kidsflysafe.com/instructions/cares-for-special-needs-flyers/ and 

scroll down until you see "Template Letter - Request to Use CARES for Larger/Older 

Persons". Cut and paste that information into a letter, fill in all of the necessary blanks and 

bold items. When complete, please resubmit the completed letter--just as you did the first 

time--to the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)-www.regulations.gov. Please 

type your docket number and follow the instructions to re-upload your completed file. 

Once the FAA receives your completed request, processing the petition (technical analysis, a 

decision regarding a grant or denial of the petition, and transmitting the grant or denial to you) 

typically takes about 45-60 days. When the FAA grants this type of exemption, it is usually 

effective for five years. However, we noticed that you may wish to take your first flight before 

we are able to completely process your petition for exemption. We wanted to give you some 

information and options so you can make informed choices regarding your travel. 

If a child exceeds the weight limit and/or height limit for CARES, FAA regulations prohibit 

the use of CARES during taxi, takeoff and landing on U.S. aircraft. However, even if a child 

exceeds 44 pounds or 40 inches, he or she can use CARES anytime except for taxi, takeoff 

and landing (which means there is no regulation that prohibits use of CARES during cruise 

flight) without getting an exemption from the regulations. 
2 

You may also wish to think about using an FAA Approved CRS that can accommodate a 

larger child. Air carriers are required to allow the use of approved CRS if a child is within the 

approved weight and height requirements and a ticket has been purchased for the child. The 

FAA does not recommend any particular CRS, but here are some websites where you can find 

CRSs (approved for use in automobiles and aircraft) that can be used with children up to 150 

pounds and five feet tall. The FAA considers anyone who has not reached their 18th birthday 

to be a child for the purpose of our regulations regarding CRSs; therefore, a child could use a 

CRS that accommodates their weight and height on any US airline until they turn 18 years of 

age. 

What You Should Do 

If you want us to process your request any further, you must send the information described 

earlier to reach us within 30 days. We will consider the docket on your request open until we 

receive this required information from you. Please note that§ 11.63(d) requires you to send 

your petition for exemption at least 120 days before the proposed effective date of the 

exemption. 

If We Do Not Hear From You 

If we do not hear from you within 30 days, we will close the docket without notifying you 

further. If you have any questions or require additional time, you may call (202) 267-9677. 

a aneda 

1aking Unit 

800 Independence Ave. SW 

Washington, DC 20591