U . S . DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO Nrr^ . OFFIC EO FHEARING S V! ^ WASHINGTON , D.C . I NTH EMATTERO F EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y

Responden t FDM S NO . FAA-2010-029 0 HONORABL ERONNI EA . YODE R CHIE FADMINISTRATIV ELA WJUDG E 

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iRECfciVE t HEARIN G rM^CKE l

Hearin g Date : NON EASSIGNE D —-•^J ^ Hearin g Location : NON EASSIGNE D - - ^'p.^ J ANSWE RT O AMENDE D COMPLAIN T AN D AFFIRMATIV EDEFEND S ? §^ ' rs —o 5 COME S NOW , EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEMY , b y an dthroug hundersigne dcounsel , pursuan t t o Rul e 20 9 o f

th e Rule s o f

Practic e (1 4 C.F.R . §13.209) , an dhereb y file s th e followin g Answe r t o th e Amende dComplain t date dMay 12,2011 . ANSWE R 1 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y denies that i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . §91.7(a) . 2 . An y matte r

no t specificall y admitte db y EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y shal l b e deeme d denied . AFFIRMATIV EDEFENSE S 1 . EMPIREFLIGH T ACADEM Y was not th e owne r

o f th e aircraf

t i nquestion . 2 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y was no t th e operato r

o f tiie aircraf

t i nquestion . 3 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y i s no t th e entity tha t

performe dth e aircraf

t maintenanc e i n question . 4 . EMPIREFLIGH T ACADEM Y di dnot operat e th e aircraf

t i na nunairworth y condition .5 . Th e subjec t aircraf t wa s no t i na nunairworth y condition . 6 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y relie s upo nth e affirmativ e defens e o f reasonabl e reliance . 7 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

(1 ) th e natur e an dcircumstance s o f th e violation ; (2 ) th e exten t an dgravity o f

th e violation ; (3 ) th e respondent' s degre e o f culpability ; (4 ) th e respondent' s histor y o f prio r violations , i f any ; (5 ) th e respondent' s ability t o pay th e civi l penalty ; (6 ) th e effec t o nth e entity' s ability t o stay i n business ; an d(7 ) othe r matter s a s justic e ma y require . Se e 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(e)(2) ; Se e als o Folsom'sAi r Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r 6 , 2008) , p . 11 . 8 . I ndeterminin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o determin e whethe r th e violatio n wa s inadverten t o r deliberate . 9 . In determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

th e Respondent' s size , particularl y i ndeterminin g th e allege doffender' s ability t o absor b th e sanction . 10 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y fail s t o reflec t th e totality o f

th e circumstance s surroundin g th e violations . Se e Folsom' s Ai r Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r 6 , 2008) , p . 12 ; Easter n Ai r

Center , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008- 3 (January 28 , 2008) . 11 . Findin g multipl e violation s for th e sam e offens e woul dconstitut e '"pilin g on ' [that ] shoul db e avoide dexcep t unde r th e mos t egregiou s circumstances. " I nth e Matte r o f Carr , FA A Orde r

No . 1998- 2 at

11-1 2 (Marc h12,1998) . 12 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y doe s not hav e th e financial ability t o pa y th e propose dcivi l penalty ,

13 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y woul dhav e adetrimenta l effec t o nth e abilit y o f

EMPIR E FLIGH T ACADEM Y t o continu e doin g business . 14 . Th e Federa l Aviatio n Administration' s (FAA's ) interpretatio no f it s Federa l Aviatio n Regulation s i n thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , anabus e o f discretion , o r

otherwis e not

i n accordanc e withlaw . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; Watkin s v . NTSB , 17 8 F.3 d959,96 1 (8thCir . 1999) , 15 . Th e FAA' s interpretatio n o f it s aviatio nregulation s i s unconstitutionall y vague . Se e Thoma s v . Hinson , 7 4 F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8thCir . 1996) ; se e als o Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . V . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8thCir . 2006) ; Heat hv . SEC , 200 9 U.S . App . LEXI S 2412 8 at 53-55 . 16 . Th e FAA' s applicatio n o f it s Federa l Aviatio nRegulation s i nthi s cas e i s contrary t o th e regulation' s plai n language . Se e Advant aUSA , Inc . v . Chao , 35 0 F.3 d726 , 72 8 (8thCir . 2003) , quotin g Gardebrin g v . Jenkins , 48 5 U.S . 415,430 , 10 8 S . Ct . 1306,9 9 L . Ed . 2 d 51 5 (1988) . Se e als o Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8thCir . 2006) . 17 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y assert s tha t th e Complainan t

ha s faile dt o stat e aclai m upo n whic hth e relie f

requeste dma y b e granted . 18 . EMPIR EFLIGH T ACADEM Y assert s that th e Complainan t

lacks substantial basi s i n la w an dfac t

t o continu e prosecutio no f thi s matte r

agains t it .

### Datedthi s 13t hda y o f Ma y 2011 . Respec t itted ,

GREeWl^^^^xWINTON , ESQ . Th e AXaatio n La w Fir m On^iResearc

hCourt , Suit

e 45 0 R^kville , M

D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax : (301 ) 294-252 5 Greg@AviationLawExperts.com Counsel fo r

Responden

tCERTIFICAT EO FSERVIC E

I hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e thi s dat e serve db y regular U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a norigina l an don e (1 ) cop y o f

th e foregoin g Answe r

t o Amende dComplain t

an dAffirmativ e Defense s addresse dto : Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wrigh t Buildin g Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Roo m201 4 Washington , D.C . 2059 1 I hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e thi s dat e sen t

viafacsimil e an dfirst

clas s mai l acop y o f

th e foregoin g Answe r t o Amende dComplain t

an dAffirmativ e Defense s addresse dto : Th e Honorabl e Ronni e A . Yode r Chie f Administrativ e La w Judg e Offic e o f Hearings , M-2 0 U . S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave. , S.E . Eas t Buildin g Groun dFloor , Roo mEl2-32 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Tel : 20 2 366-321 2 Fax : 20 2 366-753 6 Zachary M . Berman , Esq . FA A Easter nRegion , AEA- 7 1 Aviatio n Plaza , Roo m56 1 Jamaica , N Y 1143 4 Tel : 71 8 553-325 8 Fax:71 8 533-569 9 Date dthi s 13t

hday o f Ma y 2011 . Respec ;

GREGORYS . WINTON , ESQ . Th ^ Aviatio nLa w Firm On e Researc hCourt , Suit e 45 0 Rockville,M D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax : (301 ) 294-252 5 Greg@AviationLawExperts.co m Counse l fo r

Responden t