## PETITION FOR EXEMPTION

Submitted by : David N. Levin, Event Director

20 th FAIWorld Hot Air Balloon Championship 2289 Park Lake Drive, Boulder, Colorado 80301 email: davidnlevin@gmail.com tel: 303

- 588

- 8828
Exemption requested from Title 14 CFR Sections 61.3(b) and 91.27.
The BFA requests an exemption from Sections 61.3 (b) and 91.27 of the FAR to allow certain pilots and foreign hot air balloons to practice and p articipate in the subje ct World Championship from August 17, through August 25, 2012. This will allow invited pilots and their ball oons to fly in the Championship without complying with the pilot certification and airworthiness requirements of these sections. The petitioner states that the Championship is sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautic Internationale (FAI) and the Nationa l Aeronautic Association (NAA). The rules require that all pilots and their balloons have pilot and airworthiness documentation issued by their country o f registration. A waiver has been requested from the local Flight Standards District Of fice (FSDO) in Grand Rapids, MI

. A list of all pilots and their balloons will be supplied to the local FSDO in accordance with this order. All pilots will be registe red and documentati on inspected b y the organizers. The minimum flight standards set forth in Part 61 of the FAR for Pilot Certification, Free Balloons. Invitations were sent, b y FAI rules, to all member countries. Entries were received from the followi ng countrie s: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Belgium , China, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fin land, France, German y, Hungary , Italy , Japan, Li thuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway , Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sw eden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States

. The BFA states that its exemption request serves the public interest because the BFA, representing the NAA, has accepted the re sponsibility of hosting the 20 th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship

. This was done on behalf of the United States' recognized role in supporting international sport aviation activities. Furthermore, a grant of exemption would be in the public interest to promote international good will to relieve otherwise qua lified foreign participants from the effort necessary to obtain certain pilot and airworthiness certificates required b y the FAR. The petitioner contends that an exemption would not adversel y affect safety because before the Championship meet, BFA's techn ical experts will rigidl y inspect each participant's pilot qualifications and equipment to ensure that they meet at least the equivalent requirements of Sections 61.3 and 91.27 during the period of the competition. All flight operations relating to the Wo rld Championship c ompetition will be supervised b y the BFA

- designed competition staff following guidelines in the FAI and BFA approved competition rules. A precedent fo r this exemption is in the 5th World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Battle Creek, iss ued under Regulatory Docket No. 21305 in 1981, and the 7 th World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Battle Creek, issued under Regulatory Docket No. 24334 in 1985. The petitioner states that the people responsible for managing this Championships competition are keenl y aware of the purpose and intent of the FAR. The exemption requested is not to compromise safet y, but to permit the participation of competitive pilots as designated b y the countries involved.PETI TI ON FOR EXEMPTI ON (page 2)

The Championship will be conducted with strict rules and conduct as has been shown b y the previous safet y re cord for BFA sanctioned events. BFA will work closel y with local FAA offic i als in Grand Rapids and FAA airspace officials in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, Michigan. SUMMARY: By letter dated July

30, 2012, Mr. David N. Levin , Event Director for the 20 th FAIWorld Hot Air Balloon Championship, petitioned for an exemption from Sections 61.3(b ) and 91.27 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) to allow cer tain foreign balloon pilots and foreign balloo ns to participate in the 20th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship at Battle C reek, Michigan, August 17

- 25, 2012 , without complying with the pilot certification and airworthiness requirements of those sections.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: For the purpose of the requested exemption, petitioner suggests the following conditions and limitations in order to comply with the exemption and provide a level of safety equivalent to that provided in FAR. 1. All pi lots and balloons must be approved as competent and airworth y b y the country they are registered as representing; 2. Each balloon pilot and each balloon used in qualification and final competition must be registered for the meet with the World Hot Air Bal loon Championship ; 3. The event organizer, Balloon Federation of America, is responsible for providing FAA representatives with a list of all balloon pilots and balloons registered under condition No. 2 above. 4. All flights shall be conducted under visual flight rule s (VFR), day only ; and 5. FAA representatives monitoring the meet may impose such additional conditions considered necessary

for the protection of persons and propert y.