AFS

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- E November 2 , 2015

Exemption No. 13476 Regulatory Docket No. FAA

- 2014

- 0716

Mr. Wayne Ceynowa Auburn University 700 Airport Road Auburn, AL 36830

Dear Mr. Ceynowa :

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter posted Septem ber 12, 2014 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on behalf of Auburn University ( AU ) for an exemption from § § 61.160( b )(3)( i ), 61.160( b )(3)( ii ) and 61.169(b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent
necessary to allow certain AU graduates who completed their instrument

- airplane rating or commercial pilot certificate training under P art 61 while enrolled at AU to be eligible for an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with reduced aeronautical experience in a ccordance with § 61.160(b).

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be det rimental to AU

.

The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition. In Exemption No. 11022 (copy enclosed), the FAA found

that the petitioner’s supporting information meets an equ ivalent level of safety and is in the public interest.2

The FAA’s analysis is as follows:

The petitioner stated that A U’s Bachelor of Science

- Business Administration degree program

, with options in Aviation Management and Professional Flight Management

, is nationally

accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) . A U also holds a Letter of Authorization for Institutional Authority (LOA) issued by the FAA on September 10, 2013.

Th e FAA notes that th is is in every way equivalent to the LOA held by the petitioner in Exemption No. 11022

.

A U further stated that it held its FAA

- approved 14 CFR part 141 pilot school certificate until August 2010. At that time, AU voluntarily surrendered its pilot school certificate after it was unable to rep lace its Chie f Flight Instructor within the 60

- day period required by 14 CFR part
141. AU had hired a new Chief Flight Instructor by October 2010 and was able to get its pilot

school certificate reinstated in August 2011. From August 2010 to August 2011, AU

continued to provide training under 14 CFR part 61, using identical Jeppesen curriculums and

standards as it did under Part 141. During this interim period, r equired hours of flight training were increased and identical levels of safety were maintaine d. AU provided a table of program comparisons supporting th ese assertions. The FAA notes that AU’s experience in operating with the same level of safety and effectiveness under part 61 is equivalent to Exemption No. 11022

.

The FAA has determined that AU may certify graduates for an ATP certificate with reduced aeronautical experience only after that graduate has been found to meet the criteria in AU’s LOA, which the FAA notes in Condition/Limitation #1.

The FAA has also considered AU’s request for exe mption as a request to revise its LOA. Concurrent with issuing this grant of exemption, the FAA has amended the LOA to permit

A U to certify graduates that have completed the requisite ground and flight training under par t 61 training provided by AU

. AU mus t revise its certifying statement for these graduates to indicate they are eligible for an ATP certificate with reduced aeronautical experience as a result of the relief provided by this exemption. This requirement is reflected in

Condition/Limitation #2.

AU must also provide a copy of this exemption to each student for whom the relief is necessary and direct that student to provide a copy of the exemption along with the official transcript and certifying statement at the time of application for the pract ical test for the ATP certificate with restricted privileges under § 61.160. This is reflected in Condition/Limitation

#3.

Since AU has received certification under part 141 to conduct commercial pilot and instrument training, the relief for this exemptio n is only applicable to students that have graduated in 20 10 , 201 1 , 201 2 , 201 3

, 2014, and for those that expect to graduate in the years3

2015 or 2016. As such, the relief provided in this exemption is limited to only those students that have graduated, or expect to graduate, during these years. This limitation is reflected in

Condition/Limitation #4.

Any students who graduate after the year 2016 must have accomplished their commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating flight and ground training under AU’s approved part 141 pilot school certificate to meet the requirements of § 61.160(b)(3). This limitation is reflected

in Condition/Limitation #5. The FAA has i ssued this exemption for a two year period in order to provide AU adequate time to certify th ose students that graduate in the year 2016

.

Our Decision

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that

—

• Your request is similar in all material respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Exemption No. 11022;

• The r easons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Exemption No. 11022 also apply to the situation you present;

• A grant of exemption is in the public interest ; and

• A two year term for this exemption is appropriate in order to accommodate the

affected AU graduates.

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113 and 44701
, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, I hereby grant Auburn University (AU) an exemption from

14 CFR §§ 61.160( b )(3 )i , 61.160 ( b )(3)( ii ) and 61.169(b) to the ex tent necessary to allow certain AU graduates who completed their instrument

- airplane rating or commercial pilot certificate training under part 61 while enrolled at AU to be eligible for an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with reduced aeronautica l experience in accordance with § 61.160(b)

, subj ect to the conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. A U must adhere to all the conditions and limitations listed within its letter of authorization (LOA) granting authorization for A U to certify its graduates for an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with reduced aeronautical experience.

2. In exercising the relief provided in this exemption, A U must reference Exemption

No. 1 3476 o n the certifying statement issued to those affected graduates for an ATP certificate with reduced aeronautical experience. The certifying statement must note that the requirements of § 61. 160(b) a re met in conjunction with the relief provided in this exemption.

3. AU must provide a copy of this ex emption to each student for whom the relief is necessary and direct that student to provide a copy of the exemption along with the4

official transcript and certifying statement at the time of application for the practical test for the ATP certificate under § 61.160.

4. AU may utilize this grant of exemption only for students who have graduated

between August 1, 2010 , and December 31, 2016 and completed the integrated

commercial and instrument courses under 14 CFR part 61 at AU for an ATP

certificate with reduc ed aeronautical experience.

5. The authority (in the LOA) to certify graduates who received training from AU

under 14 CFR part 61 terminates upon expiration of this exemption.

This exemption terminates on November 3 0 , 201 7 unless sooner superseded or resci nded.

Issued in Washington, DC on November 2, 2015.

Sincerely,

//s//

John B arbagallo Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure[s]5

Project No.: A FS

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Project Officer: Doug Lundgren

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