## AER O UNIO N CORPORATib N r 10 0 Lockhee d Avenu e Chico , C A 9597 3 Phone : (530 ) 230-190 0 Fax : (530 ) 230-192 6

To : Th e U S Department o f Transportatio n CC : Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Docket Operation s Lo s Angele s Aircraf t Certificatio n Offic e Wes^Buildin g Groun dFloor ^

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. 1200 Jerse y Avenue , S E Lakewood , CA 9071 2 Washington , D C 2059 0

PETITIO N FO REXEMPTIO N Throug h submissio n t o th e Department o f Transportation' s Federa

l Docket Management System(FDMS ) I a

mpetitionin g th e Federa

l Aviatio n Administratio n (FAA ) fo r a n exemptio n fromth e requirement s o f Titl e 14 , Code o f

Federa l Regulation s (CFR ) par

t 26.47

. Thi s exemptio n i s requeste d fo r supplementa

l typ e certificate s (STCs ) ST00353L A an dSA8009N

M hel dby Aero Unio n Corporation

. Thes e STC s instal l 300 0 gallo n retardan t

tank s o n Lockhee d 188A an d 188 C airplane s fo r th e purpos e o f dispensin g o f

fire fightin g materials

. W e reques t

relie f fro mth e followin g regulation : 26.4 7 Holder s o f

an dapplicant s fo r

asupplementa l typ e certificate—Alteration s an drepairs , whic h require s development o f damag e toleranc e dat afo

r repair s an

d alterations

. W e suppor t

thi s reques t

wit h th e followin g information : Reason s Wh y th e Exemptio n Woul d No t Adversel y Affec t Publi c Safet

y Grantin g thi s exemptio n woul d no t adversel y affect

safet y a s th e tw o subjec t

STC s ar e fo r aerial dispensin g o f

liquids

. A s par

t o f th e certification , w e obtaine d a n exemptio n t o th e nois e requirement s i

n accordanc e wit

h 1 4 CF Rpar t 21.93(b)(3)(ii)

. Which specificall y exempt s propeller drive n transpor

t airplane s designate dfo

r dispensin g o f

fire fighting material s fro

mth e nois e requirements

. Therefore , thes e aircraf t ca n no t b e operate d under 1 4 CFRpar

t 12 1 o r 129 withou t

afurthe r showin g o f

complianc e t o th e nois e regulations

. Th e exemptio n t o 1 4 CF Rpar t 21.93(b)(3)(ii ) i s specificall y documente d o n th e subjec t

STCs

. A s th e aircraf

t modifie db y thes e STC s ca n no t operate under

1 4 CF Rpart s 12 1 o r

129 , withou t

furthe r showing s o f

compliance , a

Aero Unio n Corporatio n 1 o f 2 03/08/201 0damag e toleranc e base dinspectio n progra mfo r 1 4 CF Rpar t 12 1 o r 12 9 operator s woul dno t

ad d any benefit

t o th e public

. I n addition , becaus e thes e aircraf t hav e been modifie d specificall y fo r th e purpos e o f

aerial dispensin g o f

liquid s i t i s unlikel y tha

t the y woul db e utilize dfo

r 1 4 CF Rpar t 12 1 o r 129 operation s i

n th e future

. Th e FA A i n it s publishe dfinal rul e exclude d anumber o f differen t transpor t categor y aircraf t type s fro mth e Desig n Approval Holder , Electrical Wirin g Interconnectio n Systems , and Agin g Aircraf t Safet y Rul e Damag e Toleranc e operatin g requirements

. Thes e aircraf t type s wer

e exclude d o

n th e basi s tha

t n o example s were currentl y operatin g under

1 4 CF Rpart s 12 1 o r

129

. Th e reason s presente dabov e are consisten t wit h th e FAA' s approac h and , therefore

. Aero Unio n Corporatio n shoul d no t b e require d t o develo p th e dat arequire db y 1 4 CFRpar

t 26 , Subpar

t E , 26.4 7 requirement s t o suppor

t complianc e wit

h th e operatin g rule s fo

r STC s ST00353L

A andSA8009NM

. Reaso n th e Exemptio n Woul d Benefi t th e Publi c Interes t Aero Unio n Corporatio n consider s tha t grant o f thi s exemptio n woul dnegate th e nee dfo

r FA A to evaluate th e larg e quantit y o f dat arequire dt o suppor

t complianc e wit

h thes e regulations ; non e o f thes e aircraf

t currentl y operate i

n th e Unite d State s under

Par t 12 1 o r Par t 129 anda s discusse dabov e ar e unlikel y t o d o s o i

n th e future

. Therefore , grant

o f thi s exemptio n woul d i

n tur n reduc e th e burden o n FA A resource s and consequentl y publi c expenditure

. Additiona l Informatio n Aero Unio n Corporatio n i s acommercia l entity , an d a s suc

h woul d b e require dt o recove r

an y cost s associate d wit

h developin g th e damage-telefanee-base dinspectio n programs ^ require d by"the^ 4 — CF Rpar t 26.4 7 regulation

. However , a s non e o f thes e airplane s ar

e operatin g under

Par t 12 1 or Par t 12 9 there i s n o possibilit

y o f Aero Unio n Corporatio n ever

recoverin g thes e costs
. Sincerely ,

I(?>&1vluelle

r Engineerin g Manager FA A DE RCandidate Aero Unio n Corporatio n (510)304-645 3 Jmueller(g)aerounion.co m

Aero Unio n Corporatio n 2 o f 2 03/08/201 0