AFS

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- E Exemption No. 17147

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATIO N

WASHINGTON, DC 20591

In the matter of the petition of

SKY LEASE CARGO, Regulatory Docket No. FAA

- 2 015

- 1012

for an exemption from §§ 91.9(a),

91.1025(a), 121.135(a)(4),

121.135(b)(21), and 121.141

of Title 14, Code of Federal

Regulations (14 CFR)

DENIAL OF EXEMPTION

By letter dated April 6, 2015, Mr. Herman F. Gillis, III, Director of Operations, Sky Lease

Cargo, 243

- A Burgess Road, Greensboro, NC 27409 petitioned the Federal Aviation

Administration (F AA) on behalf of Sky Lease Cargo (Sky Lease I, Inc. ) for an exemption

from §§ 91.9(a), 91.1025(a), 121.135(a)(4), 121.135(b)(21), and 121.141 of Title 14, Code of

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary to allow Sky Lease I, Inc. , to deviate

from the manual requirements for applying a forward emergency landing load factor of 9. 0 g

( " 9 G " ) specified in § 25.561(b)(3)(ii) for restraint of cargo on the main deck of Boeing 747

series airplanes

.

The petitioner requests relief from the following re gulations :

Section 91.9(a) prescribe s, in pertinent part, that, (a) E xcept as provided in paragraph (d) of

this section, no person may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating

limitations specified in the approved Airplane or Rotorcra ft Flight Manual, markings, and

placards, or as otherwise prescribed by the certificating authority of the country of registry.

Section 91.1025(a), prescribes, in pertinent part , that, (a) E ach program operating manual

must have the date of the last revis ion on each revised page. Unless otherwise authorized by

the Administrator, the manual must include the following:AFS

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(a) Procedures for ensuring compliance with aircraft weight and balance limitations;

Section 121.135(a)(4) prescribe s, in pertinent part, t hat, (a) E ach manual required by §121.133

must

—

(4) Not be contrary to any applicable Federal regulation and, in the case of a flag or

supplemental operation, any applicable foreign regulation, or the certificate holder's

operations specifications or oper ating certificate.

Section 121.135(b)(21) prescribe s, in pertinent part, that, (b) The manual may be in two or

more separate parts, containing together all of the following information, but each part must

contain that part of the information that is appr opriate for each group of personnel:

(21) Methods and procedures for maintaining the aircraft weight and center of gravity within

approved limits.

Section 121.141 precribes, in pertinent part, that, (a) Each certificate holder shall keep a

current approv ed airplane flight manual for each type of airplane that it operates except for

nontransport category airplanes certificated before January 1, 1965.

(b) In each airplane required to have an airplane flight manual in paragraph (a) of this section,

the cert ificate holder shall carry either the manual required by §121.133, if it contains the

information required for the applicable flight manual and this information is clearly identified

as flight manual requirements, or an approved Airplane Manual. If the cer tificate holder elects

to carry the manual required by §121.133, the certificate holder may revise the operating

procedures sections and modify the presentation of performance data from the applicable

flight manual if the revised operating procedures and m odified performance date presentation

are

—

(1) Approved by the Administrator; and

(2) Clearly identified as airplane flight manual requirements.

The petitioner supports its request with the following information:

The petitioner states that d ue t o U

. S

. D e p a r t m e n t o f D e f

e n se (DoD) n e e d s

, S k y L e a se I

, I n c

.

r eq ue s t s a n e x emp t i on from the 9 G t i e d o w n r equi r e me n t f or fr e i g ht cat e g ori z ed as t a l l r i g i d c a r g o

. T he t a l l r i g i d ca r g o 9 G r e q u i r e m e nts ha ve ca u sed a m a j or i m p a c t i n t he ab ili t y t o m o v e DoD

ass e t s b a c k t o t he U n i t e d S t ates fr o m v ari o us l o c a t i ons a r o u nd t he w o r l d. T h i s n o t o nl y h as

r e su l t ed i n an i n a bili t y t o m o v e ass e t s

, b u t has a l so ca u sed m a j or e co n omic i m p act o n S k y

L e ase I

, I n c.AFS

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S k y L e ase I

, I nc. su b m i t s t h a t t h i s na rr o w l y

- t a il ored e x emp t i on w o ul d h a v e no

a d v erse i m p a ct on s a f

et y

, w o ul d prov i de an e q u i v a l e n t l e v el o f s a f e t y t o t h e 9 G f

or w ard

r e s tr a i n t r e q u i r e m e n t set f o r t h i n 14 C

. F .R

. § 25

. 561 ( b )( 3 ) ( w h i ch Sky Lease I, Inc.

maintains i s outd a t ed and u n su b s t a n t i a t ed by f r e i g ht e r a i r c r a f

t

- sp e c i f i c d ata )

, and w o ul d be

i n t he p u b li c i n t e r e s t

. I t w o ul d e n a bl e S k y L e ase I

, I nc. t o ca r r y t a l l r i g i d c a

r g o s a f e l y

,

e f fi c i e n t l y

, and cos t

- e ff

e c t i v e l y

. I t w o ul d b e n e f

i t t he p u b li c i nt e r est by m a k i ng a v a il a bl e t o

sh i pp e r s m o r e com m e r c i a ll y v i a b l e sh i pp i ng o p t i o n s i n m o r e m a r k e t s g l o b a ll y

. A n d

, t he

r e q u e s t ed e x emp t i on w o ul d a l so a l l ow S k y L e ase I

, I n c

. t o r e al i z e t he f u l l ca p a bili t i es o f its

i n v est m e n t i n t he B

- 747 a i r c r a f t a nd s t em t he l oss o f m illi o n s o f dollars of t a l l r i g i d

ca r g o b u s i ness t o f

o r e i g n o p er a t ors w ho r e g u l arly tr a n sp o r t t a l l r i g i d c a r g o wi t h o ut

m e e t i n g t he 9 G f

o r w ard r est r a i nt r e q u i r e m e nt

.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for waiving the requirement for Federal

Register publication because the exemption, if granted, would not set a precede nt, and any

delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Sky Lease I, Inc.

The FAA’ s analysis is as follows:

The FAA has coordinated with DoD representatives regarding activity in Afghanistan

throughout calendar year 2016

. The DoD stated that it will continue to conduct ongoing

military operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel

, which supports

U

. S

. Allies and partner nations conducting Operation Resolute Support and continuing

counterterrorism operations against the remnants of Al

‐ Qaeda located in Afghanistan.

Sky Lease I, Inc. is requesting an exemption from 14 CFR §§ 91.9(a), 91.1025(a),

121.135(a)(4), 121.135(b)(21), and 121.141 , which would allow it to deviate from its manual

requirements , specifically eliminating the require ment for apply ing a forward emergency

landing load factor of 9G stated in § 25.561(b)(3)(ii) for restraint of tall rigid cargo on the

main deck of Boeing 747 series airplanes. A partial exemption has been granted to air carriers

operating all

- cargo flights originating in Afghanistan for the transport of cargo for the

DoD

. However, according to the U.S.Transporatation Command (USTRANSCOM), the

petitioner’s status with USTRANSCOM is “ Non Use” ; t herefore

, Sky Lease I., Inc. is not

operating out of Afghanistan

. When the petitioner can show its status with USTRANSCOM is

active and operating under these conditions

, we will consdider a petition for exemption at that

time.

The FAA’s Decision

In consideration of the foregoing, I find that a grant of exemption would not be in the public

interest. Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113

, and

44701, delegated to me by the Administrator, the petition Sky Lease Cargo for an exemptionAFS

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from 14 CFR §§ 91.9(a), 91.1025(a), 121.135(a)(4), 121.135(b)(21), and 121.141 is hereby

denied.

Issued in Washington, DC, on Novemeber 9, 2016

/s/

John S. D uncan

Director, Flight Standards Service