AFS-13-111-E

January 2, 2013

 Exemption No. 10682

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2012-1277

Mr. Christopher R. Meinhardt

Director of Maintenance

Air Methods Corporation

7301 South Peoria

Englewood, CO 80112

Dear Mr. Meinhardt:

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 received November 30, 2012, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) for an exemption from §§ 91.411(b) and 91.413(c) of Title 14, Code of Federal 

Regulations (14 CFR). That exemption, if granted, would allow Air Methods Corporation to 

perform air traffic control (ATC) transponder and altimeter/altitude reporting equipment tests 

and inspections for its Part 135 aircraft maintained under an Approved Aircraft Inspection 

Program (AAIP). 

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

in the Federal Register. The requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any delay in 

acting on this petition would be detrimental to Air Methods Corporation.

The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to 

those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 7770 (copy enclosed), the FAA 

found that the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed exemption also apply to the 

situation you present. 

In Exemption No. 7770, the FAA acknowledged that the regulations from which the petitioner

sought relief were written well before the FAA envisioned a company operating aircraft under
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part 135 whose part 135 fleet consists of aircraft with 9 or fewer passenger seats and aircraft

with 10 or more passenger seats. With this type of fleet, the petitioner’s own employees

maintain its part 135 aircraft with 10 or more passenger seats, but the petitioner is required to

send its part 135 aircraft with 9 or fewer passenger seats to a part 145 certificated repair

station for certain maintenance. We found the petitioner’s mechanics to be more familiar with

the aircraft upon which the required testing would be performed than the mechanics at a

part 145 certificated repair station. 

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

 they don’t differ materially from those presented by the petitioner in the enclosed grant 

of exemption;

 the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed exemption also apply to the

situation you present; and

 a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701 which the FAA Administrator

has delegated to me, I hereby grant Air Methods Corporation an exemption from 14 CFR §§ 

91.411(b) and 91.413(c) to the extent necessary to allow Air Methods Corporation to perform 

ATC transponder tests and inspections, altimeter systems and altimeter reporting equipment 

tests and inspections for its part 135 aircraft maintained under an AAIP based on its 

continuous airworthiness maintenance program (CAMP), subject to the conditions and

limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. All ATC transponder tests and inspections and all altimeter reporting equipment

tests and inspections must be conducted under Air Methods Corporation’s part 135 

AAIP.

2. All tests and inspections must be recorded in the aircraft’s maintenance log by the

 person performing each inspection and test. This record must identify the person

 performing the inspection, the date of the inspection, and this exemption number.
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3. All records of these tests and inspections also must be kept in Air Method 

 Corporation’s maintenance recording system for its part 135 aircraft.

This exemption terminates on December 31, 2014, unless sooner superseded or 

rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

Michael J. Zenkovich

Acting Deputy Director, Flight Standards

 Service

Enclosure