PINNACLE

A I R L I N E S. I N C.

September 11, 2012

Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.

40 S. Main St. 

Suite 1400

Memphis, TN 38103

Ph 901-348-4100

Fax 901-348-4103

U.S. Department of Transportation

Docket Operations, 

M-30

West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590

Dear, Sir I Madam

Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., REXA257A petitions the Administrator for an extension of

FAA Exemption 10208, in relief of FAR121.619.

Approval of this reques t for Pinnacle Airlines will increase the efficiency and 

reliability of the national airspace system, reducing weather related delays, 

improving completion factor, all while saving fuel. These enhancements will 

improve the quality of air travel for the public good, while maintaining the highest 

standards of safety.

Thank you for your consideration of our application. Please do not hesitate to 

contact me if you have any questions concerning this proposal.

Respectfully submitted,

/Santi Lombardo/

Director, Flight Operations

Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.
Pinnacle Airlines

FAR 121.619 Exemption Petition

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Conditions and limitations:

Pinnacle Airlines proposes the following conditions and limitations in association with this proposal:

I. Operations under this Exemption will be limited to only those destination airports in the 48 contiguous

States and the District of Columbia.

2. Operations under this Exemption will be limited to only those airports at which an operable Category

(CAT) I instrument landing system is available for use.

3. This Exemption will apply to the CL-65-2B 19 and CL-65-2D24 fleets and all Pinnacle Airlines Crews 

qualified on those fleets.

4. Before conducting operations under this Exemption, Pinnacle Airlines will verify that:

a. Each Pinnacle Airlines Dispatcher has the ability to display the location of each flight 

within 3 minutes of real time.

b. The Pinnacle Airlines System Operations Control (SOC) has the capability to overlay 

weather returns with an update rate of at least once per five minutes.

c. The Pinnacle Airlines SOC has a system that provides its Dispatchers with a display of the 

specific aircraft routing as assigned by air traffic control (ATC) and actual filed flight plan 

routing.

d. Each Pinnacle Airlines Dispatcher has a system available to display locations of other 

airborne aircraft including aircraft of other operators.

e. The Pinnacle Airlines SOC has a system that provides its Dispatchers with a display of 

planned and actual fuel at regular intervals along the route and the difference between 

planned and actual fuel.

f. The Pinnacle Airlines SOC has a system available that automatically alerts its Dispatchers 

to special weather updates, changes in weather reports, forecasts and/or other significant 

weather-related reports, and ensures that these can be relayed to Flight crews in an 

expeditious manner.

g. Each Pinnacle Airlines Dispatcher has the capability to access the services of a qualified 

meteorologist approved by the POI whenever the Dispatcher believes that consultation is 

necessary to ensure safety of operations under this Exemption. The presence of an approved 

"Enhanced Weather Information System" satisfies this requirement.
Pinnacle Airlines

FAR 121.619 Exemption Petition

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h. Each Pinnacle Airlines Dispatcher has the capability to expeditiously re-compute projected 

time of arrival from a "point aloft" to the intended destination in the event conditions occur 

that negatively impact the flight.

1. The Dispatch release will contain a statement for each flight Dispatched under this

Exemption that states "ALTERNATE WEATHER EXEMPTION 10208 APPLIED."

5. Pinnacle Airlines will maintain at least CAT I approach authorization, OpsSpec C074, for those fleets 

to which this Exemption applies. Each aircraft operating under this Exemption must have all 

equipment needed for CAT I ILS approaches fully operational.

6. At the time of Dispatch, the Flight crew must be qualified to conduct a CAT I approach. PICs with less 

than the requisite minimum hours specified in 14 CFR 121.652 will not be used in operations under 

this Exemption unless the PIC has been trained in accordance with the requirements of Pinnacle 

Airlines Exemption 10184, and all of the conditions specified by Exemption 10184 are met.

7. Operations are not permitted under this Exemption at any airport at which thunderstorms are reported 

or forecast from I hour before through I hour after the estimated time of arrival if such reports or 

forecasts are in either or both the main body or the remarks section of the weather report or weather 

forecast. Furthermore, Pinnacle Airlines will not use Exemption 3585P or any subsequent Exemption 

granting similar relief regarding any kind of forecast of thunderstorms at the destination airport in 

conjunction with any operation conducted under this Exemption.

8. Each Pinnacle Airlines Dispatcher and PIC, who conducts operations under this Exemption, will be 

provided with a copy of the pertinent parts of this Exemption. This information will be retained in the 

Flight Operations Manual (FOM).

9. Operations under this Exemption are permitted but not required.

10. Pinnacle Airlines may use this Exemption in operations to airports within the 48 contiguous States and 

District of Columbia, and from outside those boundaries provided OPSpec A012 is maintained, and 

operations are conducted in accordance with the appropriate provisions of that OpSpec.

II. Pinnacle Airlines will provide the Administrator, by the 15th of each month, reports that include the 

information listed below, during the preceding calendar month:

a. The total number of flights operated by Pinnacle Airlines under domestic rules to 

destinations within the 48 contiguous States and District of Columbia;

b. The total number of flights operated under this Exemption, including those flights 

conducted under the appropriate provisions and limitations of OpSpec AO12. For each 

flight operated, the dates, airport pairs, flight numbers, aircraft M/M/S, trended or 

geographical summary of flight planned fuel vs. actual arrival fuel, and contingency fuel 

must be listed. Report format will be in chronological order by fleet type;

c. The total number of flights that divert to an alternate airport;

d. The total number of flights that divert to an alternate airport that are operated under this 

Exemption, and the reason for each diversion, such as weather conditions, mechanical 

problem, fuel quantity, passenger problem, air traffic, Crewmember, or any other reason. 

Pinnacle Airlines must fully document each diversion;
Pinnacle Airlines

FAR 121.619 Exemption Petition

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e. The total number of flights, operated under this Exemption, that declare an emergency and 

the reason for such declaration, or during which flight a low fuel state occurs that results in 

actions being taken by ATC and/or Dispatch to provide priority handling, even if no 

emergency is declared.

12. Dispatch will not apply this Exemption when any of the following conditions exist:

a. When any originally or normally scheduled dispatch shift is not filled for any reason:

including sick calls, personal leave etc.

b. When the Dispatcher is within six months of successfully completing their initial

Competence Check.

c. On a flight that has ACARS deferred. (Reference is made in some material pertaining to 

this exemption that if ACARS is unavailable you may use a radio patch for 

communication, this is only to allow communications when an ACARS failure has 

occurred after block out on a flight using this exemption. In no case shall a flight under 

this exemption be initiated without operable ACARS)

d. If the Pinnacle Airlines SOC is experiencing power or computer outages

13. Flight Movement Forecasts, Flight Operations Forecasts, and Turbulence Plots will be the only

EWINS products considered when applying this exemption.