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# cr.: 0 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF HEARINGS

IN THE MATTER OF: FLEET AVIATION, LLC FDMS No. FAA-2011-1117

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

The above-entitled matter came on for hearing via teleconference, pursuant to notice, at 2:30p.m.

BEFORE: THE HONORABLE J.E. SULLIVAN Administrative Law Judge 1



# RECEIVED

(202) 234-4433 

### MAR 232012 

# HEARING DOCKET

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., NW. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.comAPPEARANCES:

On Behalf of the Respondent: GREGORY WINTON, ESQ. of: The Aviation Law Firm One Research Court Suite 450 Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 294-8550

On Behalf of the Complainant: ZACHARY BERMAN, ESQ. Attorney, Office of the Regional Counsel, AEA-7 of: Federal Aviation Administration 1 Aviation Plaza Jamaica, NY 11434 (718) 553-3258

NEAL R. GROSS 2

(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 WWN.nealrgross.com3

1 P-R-0-C-E-E-D-I-N-G-S 2 2:29p.m. 3 JUDGE SULLIVAN: We are on the 4 record on the matter of Fleet Aviation, LLC. 5 This is Docket Number FFA-2011-1117. Today is 6 Wednesday, February 29, 2012. And the parties 7 have convened for a litigation scheduling 8 conference. 9 The FFA attorney is Zachery M. 10 Berman, appearing by telephone. The 11 responded, Fleet Aviation, LLC is represented 12 by its attorney, Gregory S. Winton. 13 Also present at the Office of the 14 Hearings is Priya Krishna an attorney intern 15 who's seated here as an observer only. 16 Good afternoon, Counsel. 17 MR WINTON: Good afternoon. 18 JUDGE SULLIVAN: As I understand 19 it from this material that I received 20 yesterday. And I should note that on February 21 27, 2012 the Office of Hearings received a 22 document entitled Agency's request for two

NEAL R. GROSS
(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com4 1 week extension, Rule 26, Subparagraph (f), as 2 in Frank, submission and two week postponement 3 of Rule 16 litigation scheduling conference. 4 Yesterday, on February 28, 2012 my 5 staff called Mr. Berman and advised him that 6 since the motion did not indicate an agreement 7 by the opposing party we would go forward with 8 today's conference and he could re-raise the 9 motion orally during this conference time. 10 Mr. Berman, I take it that you 11 would like the Court to consider this motion 12 for continuance today? 13 MR BERMAN: Yes. 14 JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. And since 15 you filed this document on February 27, 2012, 16 have you had a chance to talk about the motion 17 with Mr. Winton, the respondent's attorney? 18 MR BERMAN: Yes, Mr. Winton has 19 indicated that he has no objection. In fact 20 he would like to request more time. A further 21 extension, because there are settlement 22 discussions going on.

NEAL R. GROSS
(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com5

1 

### Not involving this case but two 2 other cases with Fleet Aviation. 3 

### JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. Mr. 4 Winton, why don't I turn to you next then. I 5 take it that you are in agreement with this 6 motion? 7 

### MR WINTON: I 

### am, Judge, I 

### 8 actually called Mr. Berman immediately after 9 

### he filed it, on the same day. And as he 10 mentioned I did concur and asked for even 11 

### additional time. I think 30 days would 12 certainly be sufficient and we could resolve 13 all outstanding disputes between the parties. 14 

### JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. Let me 15 then refer both of you to your calendars. 16 Because what I'd like to do is then is reset 17 the Rule 16 litigation scheduling conference. 18 And then we can back track seven days for the 19 submission of the Rule 26(f) discovery plan. 20 And in that way we can talk about 21 a time period that works for both of you in 22 terms of maintaining your current schedule as

NEAL R. GROSS
(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com6

1 

### you exchange documents and talk about 2 settlement. 3 So essentially about 30 days from 4 today's date would be the end of March. And 5 just so you know I am already in a trial the 6 

### last week of March. So the earliest that I 7 could schedule a new Rule 16 scheduling 8 

### conference would be the first week of April 9 2012. 10 The second week of April I have a 11 trial, the third week of April I have a trial. 12 So I'm looking at either resetting this for 13 the first week of April, which would begin 14 

### April 2nd, 2012. Or the last week of April, 15 which would begin with Monday, April 23rd, 16 2012. 17 Mr. Berman, starting with you, as 18 

### the petitioning party, do you have any 19 preference? 20 MR BERMAN: I would prefer the 21 last week of April. 22 JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. Mr.

NEAL R. GROSS
(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com7 1 Winton, turning next to you. Would the last 2 week of April be satisfactory? 3 MR WINTON: It would, Judge, yes. 4 JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. I'll stick 5 with you for the time being, Mr. Winton. Is 6 there any day or days during the last week of 7 April, which begins with Monday, April 23rd, 8 2012, that would be a black out time for you 9 in terms of trying to set something up on my 10 calendar? 11 MR WINTON: I think the 23rd 12 itself would be difficult for me, otherwise 13 24, 25 or 26, would be fine. 14 JUDGE SULLIVAN: And do you have 15 a preferred time? Do you like mornings or 16 afternoon? 17 MR WINTON: The morning is better. 18 JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. Mr. 19 Berman, turning back to you, for the period of 20 April 24, 2012, through April 27, 2012 do you 21 have any black out dates? 22 MR BERMAN: April 24th through the

NEAL R. GROSS
(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com8 1 26th would be good for me. Any time would be 2 fine. 3 JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. Let's plan 4 onlO:OOa.m., onWednesday,April25th, 2012. 5 And the 10:00 a.m. would be a one hour period 6 of time. So it would be from 10:00 a.m. to 7 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time. 8 And as a result, looking at the 9 previous Wednesday, which would be Wednesday 10 April 18, 2012, for submissions of the parties 11 discovery plans. Mr. Berman, would that work 12 for you? 13 MR BERMAN: Yes, it would. 14 JUDGE SULLIVAN: And Mr. Winton? 15 MR WINTON: Yes, just to confirm 16 it's the 25th of April, from 10:00 to 11:00 17 a.m. for the scheduled conference and one week 18 prior which would be the 18th, for the pre 19 submission? 20 JUDGE SULLIVAN: Correct. I'll be 21 sending out a written order that codify's both 22 those dates for you.

NEAL R. GROSS
(202) 234-4433 COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISLAND AVE., NW. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com9

1 

### MR WINTON: Great. 2 

### JUDGE SULLIVAN: And you should 3 get it tomorrow. Our mail system is such that 4 if we don't get it out by 2 o'clock in the 5 afternoon it sometimes rolls over into the 6 next day. Since it's already 2:35 I'm going 7 to err on the side of caution when I tell you 8 the date that the order will be faxed to you. 9 

### MR WINTON: Sure. 10 JUDGE SULLIVAN: In terms of 11 anything else. What I will do is I will grant 12 the parties agreed request for continuance of 13 

### the Rule 26(f) and Rule 16 litigation 14 scheduling conference. 15 I'm happy to address any other 16 motions for relief or requests for relief at 17 this time. Mr. Berman, do you have any? 18 

### I'm sorry I couldn't hear you. 19 I'm sorry, sir, I'm having a little bit of 20 difficulty, do you have any motions for 21 relief? 22 

### MR BERMAN: No.

NEAL R. GROSS
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1 

### JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. And Mr. 2 Winton, on behalf of your client, any motions 3 for relief other than what we've just 4 

### discussed? 5 

### MR WINTON: Nothing further, 6 

### Judge. 7 

### JUDGE SULLIVAN: Okay. Thank you 8 

### very much for your presence today, good luck 9 

### with your continuing negotiations. I'll look 10 forward to talking with you on April 25, 2012, 11 at 10:00 a.m. 12 If 

### you do in fact reach a 13 

### settlement please be sure and let our office 14 

### know. And if you file papers ahead of time I 15 will be able to cancel the conference. 16 

### With that we can go off the 17 

### record, and I wish you all a good day. 18 

### (Whereupon, the hearing in the 19 

### above-entitled matter was concluded at 2:37 

### 20 p.m.) 21 22

NEAL R. GROSS
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Neal R. Gross & Co., Inc. 202-234-4433 Page 1213
C E R T I F I C A T E

This is to certify that the foregoing transcript

In the matter of: Fleet Aviation, Inc.

Before: US DOT

Date: 02-29-12

Place: teleconference

was duly recorded and accurately transcribed under my direction; further, that said transcript is a true and accurate record of the proceedings.

{202) 234-4433 Court Reporter

NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERSANDTRANSCRIBERS 1323 RHODE ISUANDAVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-3701 www.nealrgross.com