## ^HELICOPTER S #Af.^QPcRATIOM S 

# A/ f -^^inn

^ n P 1:3

8 Octobe r 11,201 1 U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Docke t Managemen t

Syste m 40 0 7 * Street , SW. , Roo mP L 40 1 Washington , D C 20591-000 1 FA A Exemptio n Sectio n Reques t fo r re-issuance/continue dus e o f Exemptio n 8697B , Docke t No . FAA-2005-213 1 1 . Exemptio n 8697 B i s du e t o expir e o n Marc h 31 , 2012 ; Pris mHeJicopter s respectfiiJJ y petition s for

re-issue d/continu e t o us e th e same exemptio n whe n Exemptio n 8697 B expire s o n o r

abou t Marc h 31 , 2012 . Pris mHelicopter s request s n o further change s t o exemptio n 8697B . 2 . Sectio n 43.3(g ) prescribes , in pertinen t part , that : (g ) Excep t

for holder s o f

aspor t pilo t certificate , th e holde r

o f apilo t certificat e issue dunde r

part 6 1 ma y perfor mpreventiv e maintenanc e o n an y aircraf t owne d o r operate db y tha t

pilo t whic h i s no t

use dunde r

par t 121 , 129 , o r

13 5 o f thi s chapter . Sectio n 43.7(f

) prescribes , i

n pertinen t

part , that : (f ) A perso n holdin g a t

leas t aprivat e pilo t

certificat e ma y approv e an aircraf t for retur n t o servic e after

performin g preventiv e maintenanc e unde r th e provision s o f §43.3(g) . Sectio n 135.443(b)(3 ) prescribe s that , for airworthines s releas e o r aircraf t maintenanc e lo g entry : (b ) Th e airworthines s releas e o r lo g entry require db y paragrap h (a ) o f thi s sectio n mus t

- (3 ) B e signe db y an authorize dcertificate dmechani c o r repairman , excep t tha t acertificate drepairma n ma y sig n th e releas e o r

entr y onl y fo r

th e wor k for whic h tha t

perso n i s certificated . Requestor : Pris mHelicopter s Inc . Certificat e Numbers :

P.O . Bo x 87280 7 Part 135 : EOOA634 I Wasilla , Alask a9968 7 Part 133 : EOOL634 D Ph : 907-376-344 4 Part 145 : EOOR634 D Fx : 907-373-016 7 prisminc(3)prismhelicopters.co m Reques t fo r Inclusion : 43. 3 App , A (c ) o r 43.3- i for

th e remova l o f

helicopter s cabin/cockpi t door s o n th e MD500 D an dth e AS350B2/3 , provide dapilo t ma y performth e remova l an d reinstallatio n whe n n o tool s ar e require dprovide d- (1 ) Th e pilo t ha s satisfactoril y complete dan approve dtrainin g programan di s authorize din writin g b y th e certificat e holde r t o performeac h

Bo x 872807 , Wasilla , Alaska 9968 7 Ph : (907 ) 376-344 4 Fax : (907 ) 373-016 7task ; (2 ) th e certificat e holde r ha s writte n procedure s availabl e t o th e pilo t t o evaluat e th e accomplishmen t

o f th e task . Background : Pris mHelicopter s Inc . i s aPart 13 3 (Rotorcraf

t External-Loa dOperator ) an dPar t 13 5 Operato r

base di n Wasilla , Alaska . Operation s primaril y consis t o f ver y remot e utilit y work fo r minin g an doi l companies , lan dsurvey , mountai n to p communicatio n sit e transport , aeria l an d wildlif e survey . Pris mHelicopter s Inc . operate s year-roun din al l type s o f Alaska n weather , t o includ e extrem e lo w temperature s (-3 0 t o -4 0 degree s Fahrenheit ) Ofte n mos t

job s hav e lon g flight s t o aremot e work are awith n o facilitie s o r roads , wher e w e performth e slin g o r

surve y work . Du e t o th e limite dsiz e o f th e MD500 D an dAS350B2/ 3 ai l operation s ar e singl e pilot , with th e customer s aboard . Slin g wor k i s conducte dsingl e pilo t b y vertica l referenc e (pilo t

leanin g ou t

th e doo r for al l visua l referenc e cues ) utilizin g 50f t t o 150f t slin g line s requirin g ver y precis e placemen t o f loads . Surve y work

ma y consis t

o f flyin g 30-5 0 mile s wit h th e custome r

aboar dt o begi n th e survey . In th e abov e examples , continue doperationa l safety , public/cre w economica l efficiency , comfort an dpilo t fatigue , necessitate s flying t o th e wor k sit e o r area , door s on ; the n removin g on e o r mor e door s t o conduc t

th e slin g operation s o r

aeria l survey . Whe n th e surve y i s complet e o r th e slin g loa di s moved , th e door/door s ar e reinstalle dfor th e return t o base . Currentl y th e remova l o f th e door s require s aholde r o f amechani c certificate , o r arepairma n certificat e performth e task . Very limite dpassenge r spac e in th e aircraf

t an deconomica l constraint s forbi dPris mHelicopter s t o carry amechani c solel y t o performafunctio n tha t require s n o tool s an dtake s les s tha n on e minute t o perfor mpe r iteratio n (se e C D video) . Pris mHelicopter s i s tryin g t o perfor mthes e operationa l mission s with significantl y les s operationa l ris k

an dgreate r

operationa l efficiency . Pilot s an dth e publi c (customers ) mus t accep t uncomfortabl e climati c condition s an dincrease dpilot/publi c fatigu e in trad e for , goo dvisibilit y durin g slin g loads/surveys , becaus e pilot s can no t remov e th e door(s ) a t

th e survey/slin g site . Th e pilot s ar e force dt o fly th e entir e missio n door s of f rathe r tha n onl y in th e are aneeded . Durin g time s o f extremel y lo w temperatur e th e challeng e for operationa l safet

y i s t o performsling/surve y work s with door s installed . Fo r man y year s Pris mHelicopter s ha s ha daFA A approve dtrainin g progra mt o instruc t ou r pilot s ho w t o remov e an dinstal l door s in th e field. Ou r Directo r o f Maintenanc e instruct s th e clas s an d w e both documen t

th e trainin g i

n th e individua l pilo t

record s an dissu e aqualificatio n car dt o th e pilo t t o sho w proo f

t o perfor mth e procedur e jus t

like remova l o f

th e aircraf

t seat s lA W 43.3-1 . Ther e ar e n o bolt s o r

screw s an dth e procedur e require s absolutel y n o tool s o f na y type . Th e pilo t the n note s th e chang e o n th e weigh t an dbalanc e for

m(preprinte dstandar dentry ) i n th e aircraf t an dmake s anotatio n i n th e lo g book . Pris mHelicopter s Inc . meet s th e regulation s 43-3- h an d 43-3-i . Thi s procedur e i s significantl y les s comple x tha n th e currentl y approve dabilit y o f th e pilo t under , remot e conditions , t o remov e an dchec k th e Engin e Chi p Detector , whis h require s a fe w simpl e tool s Par t

43. 3 App . A (c) . Bot

h helicopte r

operatin g manual s allo w for routin e door s of f operations . Unde r publi c la w th e administrato r i s allowe dt o mak e exemption s fo r Alask aOperator s operatin g in remot e locations . Fo r al l th e abov e reason s Pris mHelicopter s Inc . i s requestin g th e abilit y t o us e th e FA A approve dTrainin g Progra mcurrentl y in plac e s o ou r pilot s ca n remov e an d instal l th e helicopte r

cabi n door s i n th e fieldwithou t th e ai do f

aholde r o f amechani c certificat e i f on e i s no t

availabl e a t

th e site . Thi s programwoul dmirro r Par t 43.3- 1 o r coul db e include do nth e lis t o f item s in 43. 3 App . A(c) . Th e ability o f ou r pilot s t o accomplis h thi s ver y simpl e tas k wil l resul t

i n amor e efficient , economica l an dmos t importantly , asaf

e operatio n fo r

both th e pilo t an dth e publi c (customers) . Fo r Pris mHelicopter s t o maintai n continue doperationa l safet y w e respectfull y petitio n fo r th e exceptio n t o ru n concurrentl y with Exemptio n No . 8697B . Pleas e findenclose dacop y o f Exemptio n No . 8697B . Sincerel y Dav e Zal l Director o f Operation s Pris mHelicopter s Inc .