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# Federa l Aviatio n Administratid n fAA-Zotb

- ot/ V 

# Memorandu m Date : • Jul y 21,2010

- , ^ To : U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Docke t Managemen t

Syste m From : Mark

C . Goodwin , Aviatio n Safet y Inspector , AGL-2 7 RA P FSD O Subject : Action : Petitio n o f Exemptio n t o 1 4 CF R43. 3 (g ) Falco n Aviation , Inc . i s seekin g an exemptio n from1 4 CF R43. 3 (g ) regulations , allowin g a certificate dpilo t

t o perfor mpreventiv e maintenanc e "specifically : t o perfor mGP S databas e update s o n th e Garmi n Of^ S 43 0 installe di n hi s Cessn aT30 3 aircraf t N5MG" . Mr . Van Gerpe n make s severa l vali dpoint s a s t o wh y thi s exemptio n shoul db e upheld . 1 . Th e Federa l Aviatio n Regulatiori s hav e no t kep t curren t wit h th e technolog y o f

today . Whe n th e rul e was first

implemented , acertificate dmechani c o r repai r statio n ha dt o physicall y remov e navigationa l equipmen t an dperformsoftwar e upgrade s o n th e bench , the n reinstal l i n th e aircraf t an dperformth e appropriat e test s for retur n t o service. Toda y i t i s asimpl e procedur e t o remov e aGP S dat acar d& reinstall . Th e Garmi n GN S 43 0 GP S run s aself-chec k

verifyin g that

th e ne w dat ai s loade dan dcurrent . 2 . 1 4 CF RPart

91 . Th e pilo t

ca n performth e GP S databas e upgrad e an dmak e th e recor d entry . However , th e sam e pilo t canno t performth e sam e GP S databas e upgrad e whe n use dfo r Par t 135 . I t i s th e sam e simpl e procedur e tha t i s performe dfor

both Part s 9 1 an d 13 5 navigationa l operations . In mos t case s th e pilo t

i s mor e qualifie dt o performth e GP S databas e upgrad e tha n th e mechanic , sinc e h e i s th e on e operatin g th e equipmen t whil e flying th e aircraft . Mos t

mechanic s ar e no t

familia r wit h al l o f

th e differen t

type s o f GP S navigationa l equipmen t

manufacture dan dusuall y hav e th e pilo t assis t the mwith th e operatio n o f

th e equipment . Ther e wil l b e n o decrease dleve l o f safet y a s th e pilot-in

comman dmus t

verif y th e statu s o f

th e dat acar dbefor e eac h flight. Th e GP S als o display s th e lates t

updat e an dstatu s upo n turn-o n o f th e equipment . Again , specialize d tes t equipmen t

i s not require dfor

retur n t o service. A certificate dmechani c doe s no t provid e ahighe r

leve l o f safety concernin g th e updat e o f th e GP S database . I f yo u hav e an y questions , pleas e fee l free t o cal l m e a t 605-737-3026 . Attachmen t

## - r Falco n Aviation , In c 70 2 Eas t 31s t Stree t - Yankton , S D 5707 8 - (605 ) 665-347 3

M y 6,201 0 BanyDunmir e Principa l Operation s Inspecto r Fligh t Standard s Distiic t

Offic e 350 1 15 * Stree t Rapi dCity , SD 5770 1 Dear Mr . Dunmire : Presentl y FA R4 3 Appendi x A classifie s updatin g th e databas e o f pane l mounte dGP S unit s a s preventativ e maintenance . Thi s classification , combine dwit h th e requiremen t fo r FA R13 5 operator s t o hav e preventativ e maintenanc e performe db y acertifie d mechani c o n a n approve ddru g program , present s asafet y o f fligh t concern . Whil e th e increase dmaintenanc e requirement s tha t par t 13 5 operator s ar e hel dt o ar e intende dt o increas e flight

safety , thi s situatio n actuall y ha s th e opposit e effect . Becaus e o f

th e frequency o f

th e updat e cycle s for

GP S units , aircraf

t ar e ofte n awa y from hom e bas e o n th e dat e ne w database s tak e affect . Thi s require s eithe r updatin g th e daM)as e early , befor e bein g dispatche do n amuitida y trip , o r lettin g th e databas e expir e whil e o n amuitida y trip . Eithe r situatio n limit s th e pilot' s us e o f th e mos t accurat e navigatio n too l a t

hi s disposa l whic h ha s anegativ e affec t o n flight safety . Mos t

flights her e i n th e Midwes t

ar e t o smal l airport s tha t may , o r mor e likely , ma y no t

hav e a mechani c o n han dfrainedt o perfor mth e GP s update . A s asmal l operato r wit h onl y on e mechani c qualifie dt o performmaintenanc e o n m y aircraf t a t m y hom e field, thi s proble m eve n exist s fo r

m e a t m y hom e bas e o f

operations . Th e simples t

remed y t o thi s proble mwoul dt> e fo r tiie FA A t o remov e updatin g GP S database s frombein g classifie da s preventativ e maintenance . A chang e t o th e regulation s removin g FA R4 3 Appendi x A (cX32 ) altogethe r woul db e asimpl e straigh t forwar dfix . Th e proces s o f

updatin g th e databas e doe s no t requir e an y tools , no r

doe s i t requir e an y s^ll s imiqu e t o a n aircraf r mechm c an dare : Remov e th e dat acar dfromth e GP S Plac e th e dat acar di n acar dreade r Insert th e car dreade r

int o aUS B por t

o n acompute r Clic k th e appropriat e softwar e button s Remov e th e car dreade r

fromth e US B por t

follovsdng th e dat adownloa d Remov e th e dat acar dfromth e car dreade r Instal l th e dat acar dint o th e gp s uni t "W e Ff y t o Serv e Yo

u Better "- r

' Turn o n th e GP S an dconfir mth e dat aupdat e ha s bee n successfu l Thes e step s ar e essentiall y th e identica l t o th e step s countles s peopl e tak e every day t o prin t picture s take n o n adigita l camer aa t adru g store . Clearl y classifyin g th e updatin g proces s a s maintenanc e i s a n indicatio n tha t th e regulation s hav e no t

kqr t pac e wit h evolvin g technology . Th e updatin g proces s coul deasil y b e freatedth e sam e a s performin g aVO Rchec k

withou t anegativ e affec t

o n flight safety . A second , mor e complicate dsolutio n woul db e t o ad dasectio n t o FA R43. 3 similar t o FA R43.3(i ) whic h allow s pilot s t o instal l an dremov e seat s an dsfretchers . A s th e proces s o f

updating^ aGP S databas e i s fa r simple x tha n installing/remnving.seat s an d stretcher s thi s chang e shoul dmee t n o resistanc e formth e FAA . Becaus e th e curren t

regulation s concernin g GP S update s <iecreas e flight s«rfety , th e pilot s tha t us e th e GPS' s ar e bette r

equippe dt o performth e frequent update s tha n untrained mechanics , an dn o negativ e impac t o n flight safet y woul db e realize db y aeithe r o f th e regulatio n change s I outline dabove ; I a mtherefor e submittin g areques t tha t achang e t o FA R4 3 b e mad e t o enhanc e flight safety . I woul db e hai^ y t o work wit h yo u an dyou r offic e towar dthi s goal . I understan d^^ ^ change s t o th e FAR' s tak e alon g tim e s o I a mals o requestin g awaive r fromFA RAppendi x A (c ) (32 ) t o allo w mysel f t o performdatabas e update s o n th e Garmi n 43 0 GP S installe di n Cessn aT30 3 N5MG . Pleas e contac t

m e i f yo u hav e an y questions . Sincerely , Merril l W . Va n Gerpe n Presiden t