rHu tt)ji / ti t

3 Page s ••'•'-;• : r"":''•••'•:'"^"'T\Ti''^-'

- j t 

## RECEIVE D AP R 2 e Z01 Q 

# J l V ^

ASW-15 0 «iW^99m L f*irp\t m Gerff l catio n Apri l 23 . 201 0 Ms . Monic a Merrit t DOT/FA AASW-15 0 260 1 Meacham

Boulevar d For t Worth , T X 76137-015 0 Dea r Ms . Kerritt ; Enclose d i s a copyo f ou r petition , t o delet e o r modif ycertai n requirenifsnt s o f FA R 23.100 1 "Fue l Jettisoning System" . Th e Petitio n i s date d February8 , 201 0 an d w e hav e no t hear d from the FA Aon thi s request . W e hav e recentl yreceive d an oversea s orde r fo r 1 0 AT-802 s t o b e use d i n th e Patrollin g configuration . Th e firs t o f thes e plane s i s alread

yi nou r productio n line , an d deliveryi s promise d i n thi s coming June . Ther e ar e substantia l penaltie s tha t mus t b e pai d i f w e ar e lat e wit hou r deliverypromise . I t i s i n th e publi c interest , t o gran t thi s petitio n fo r thes e reasons : 1 , Thi s orde r bring s mor e job s t o America n worker s producing rawmaterials , propellers , inslruments , hardware , an d man yothe r component s tha t g o int o th e manufactur e o f an airplane . 2 , Thi s lO-plan e orde r help s ou r trad e imbalanc e wit hothe r countrie s - 3 , Thi s orde r wil l hel p a natio n friendl yt o Americ a t o maintai n borde r security . The countryorderin g th e AT~802U s require s th e fuselag e fue l tan k becaus e i t allov/ s flight s o f mor e than 1 0 hours . Th e Jet tiso n featur e i s t o b e use d onl yin an emergenc ysuc ha s engin e failure , s o tha t the airplan e i. 5 a s ligh t a s possible . I n agricultura l operations , ou r fligh t manua l call s fo r dumping hoppe r content s i n cas e o f engin e failure

W e woul d appreciat. 6 i t i f yo u woul d hel p u s gai n approva l fo r our petition , an

d the soone r the better . 1/^-^DT)^ !

I • i;.r),iru-Mi:>nf1'.TiC.>:

. .^SW-Mi f Sincerely , 1 .-vpiirovn i•

. - / „ / //••...i , ^_.'' ' ." , ••"'••I ' I - I • ' '•• < Lelan dSno w t iiri'Mt-rn . v r

r,.iir~t i

l-:!iDiniXf'!''>l< M li>i«t ctm/^t5/'^uj. a it:j i oioj^nticj o 3« u rHta tuj/a t

A I R TRACTO R INC

. •P

. O

. flOXJieS •OINET , TEXA S 7437 ^ 9J10-564-561 6 •9.1€-S6<-S61 I (FAX) Februar y8 , 201 0 Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Departmen t o f Transportation , ASW-15 0 260 1 Meacha mBoulevar d For t Worth , T X 76137-015 0 Attention : Ms , Monic a Merrit t Gentlemen : Thi s lette r i s Ai r Tractor' s petitio n t o mak e certai n modification s o r deletion s fromth e requirement s o f FAR 23.100 1 "Fue l Jettisonin g System" . Thes e requirement s ar e th e resul t o f incorporatin g a fue l tan k i n th e AT-B02/802 Afuselag e t o allo wextende d period s o f loite r whe n th e airworthines s certificat e ha s bee n issue d fo r th e specia l purpose s o f Aeria l Surveyin g an d Patrolling . Th e fuselag e fue l tan k i s als o necessar yfo r transAtlanti c deliver y flight s t o customers . Th e FAR s tha t w e ar e petitionin g t o modif yfo r th e abov e aircraf t ar e 2 3.1001(b ) wher e i t say s "mus t b e demonstrate d a t maximum weight"

- Ai r Tracto r petition s t o demonstrat e fue l jettiso n n t a gros s weigh t o f 13,00 0 lb s o r mor e sinc e th e absen.'se o f hopper s remove s spac e t o add th e 3,00 0 povinfl s 0 £ liallaFil

- rpqn i rr-f d i^ o brin g th o AT-80 2 tes t aircraf t up t o it s certificate d weigh t o f 16,00 0 pounds . Tli e FAR s tha t w e ar e petitionin g t o delet e ar e 23.1001(c)(2 ) and 33,100 1 (c ) (3) . W e als o petitio n t o us e wate r wit hdy e fo r tests . Reason s fo r deletio n o f the.'S G2 FARs : Th e win g angl e o f incidenc e an d th e higlilycamberoj d airfoi l caiifi e th e AT-802/F102 At o fl yi n a tail-hig hposition , whic hprovide s goo d visibilit yfo r th e pilot . Ru t tail-hig hfligh t result s i n B lo wpressur e are a unde r th e fuselage . Th e enclo;>ed phoL o o f a n AT-80 2 releacjin g fir e retardan t show;.; ; tha t whil e mos t o f th e retardii,n

t drop s clcri r o f th e aircraft , tlv.;!r e are . som e wisp. ? tha t imping e o nth e af t p<u' t o f th e belly . I t i s posj-ibJ e tlia t smal l clropIeti

K o f fue l vjoul d ente r tli e f:ui;alnq

< tlirougl i th e Kitial] . opening s fo r rudde r contro l cable s n r th e opening r aroun d th e fuselag e structur e fo r corrosio n prevention .Pag e 2

Februar yB , 201 0

The cockpit s i n th e Ar-J502/G02Aaircraf t ar e sealed of f fro mthe res t o f the fuselag e bu t i t i s possibl e fo r the crewt o detec t the smel l o f fue l i n cas e smal l amount s o f fue l ente r the fuselage

Fo r environmenta l reason s a s wel l a s conservatio n o f our resources . Ai r Tracto r petition s t o us e wate r wit ha re d dye instead o f Je t fuel . Th e tes t aircraf t i s painte d gray , s o tha t th e red dye wil l b e visibl e t o trac e th e pat ho f the wate r during jettisoning . Reason s wh

yAi r Tractor' s petitio n shoul d b e granted ; 1 . The AT-80 2 i s a 2-sea t restricte d categoryaircraf t wit hno passenge r carrying authority . I t i s fo r th e specia l purpose s listed i n FA

R 21.2 5 t o includ e 21-25{b)(3 ) an d 21.25(b ) (4) . Fo r thes e purpose s the aircraf t mus t hav e .lon g loite r tim

e foi ' borde r patro l o r othe r surveillanc e activities . It' s basi c configuratio n canno t b e altere d t o mee t FAK s fo r whic hwe ar e seeking relief . 2 . Th e ,fir

e ris k fro

mfue l impingemen t on th e fuselag e i s negli

gibl e du e t o ther e being mor e than ten fee t o f distanc e betwee n the exhaus t stack s an d the discharge ' por t o f the fue l jettiso n system . 3 . Th e F.A

Aapprove d airplan e fligh t manua l list s severa l instruc

tion s t o dum

p th e hoppe r content s i n the Emergenc yProcedure s section . I t als o list s dumping the ferr yfue l i n the hoppe r i n th e ditching procedures . Thes e AFWpage s ar e enclosed . A MThe hoppe r jettiso n featur e provide s more - safetyfo r fligh t ove r mountainou s terrai n wher e sxiitabl e landing site s ar e no t available , Alowere d landing speed resulting fro mjettisoning the hoppe r fue l lower s the.airplan e stal l speed , improving th e odd s o f surviving a crash . 5 . W e believ e tha t th e fue l jettisoning requirement s wer e aimed a t large,transport , airplane s wit ha n emergencylanding requiremen t an d no t fo r smalle r restricte d categoryairplane s no t carrying passenger s fo r hire . 6 , Th e tran s Atlanti c deliveryfligh t t o oversea s customer s i s ffiade mor e saf e becaus e i n cas e o f engin e failur e ove r water , the •fuselage fue l can b e jettisone d an d th e jetti..^o

n valv e close d ?.o tha t the tank can be use d t o creat e .mor e bouyancyand . hel p preven t the aircraft , fro msinking . '.Details o f the fvjo

l jettisoning syste mar e show

n on the enclose d drav;in g 52940 , \^c hop e the FA/\ wil l giv e consideratio n t o our viewpoints

Sincerely , .,-

. Lelan d.<3no

w rresident , Ai r

Tractor , Inc . Hnc.l.oBures : I)rr.iwin g 52940 , A'r-80 2 ;vF M page s