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# IQnitc d State s Senat e WASHINGTON , D C 2051 0

CJ O Decembe r22,201 0 Th e Honorabl e Raymon d LaHoo d c r Secretar y-r- i U.S . Departmen t o f Trartsportatio n 120 0 NewJerse

yAvenu e ^ Washington , D.C . 2059 0 2 Dea rMr . Secretary , We are writin g t o expres s ou rstron g concern s abou t th e Federa l Aviatio n Administration' s curren t Flightcre w(Membe rDutyan d Res t Requirement s Notic e o fPropose d Rulemalcing . We have reviewe d bot h th e NPR M an d Regulator yImpact Analysi s an d hear d fro m constituent s directl y impacte d bythi s proposal . W e wer e surprise d b ya numbe ro fissues . Th e mos t troublin g poin t i s th e apparen t fac t tha t th e FA Abarel yconsidere d th e repercussion s o fthi s proposa l o n th e non-schedule d secto ro fth e industry , wher e man yairline s ar e als o smal l businesses . Th e FA Astate d tha t i t assigne d charte r(non-scheduled ) passenge ran d smal l carg o airline s t o th e categor yo f larg e carg o operator s becaus e i t believe d the yar e similar . Charte r(non-scheduled ) passenge ran d smal l carg o airline s coul d no t b e mor e differen t fro m larg e carg o airline s regardin g siz e an d type s o f operations . Thi s oversigh t byth e FA Ahas significan t ramifications . Th e propose d ne wrul e wil l impos e significan t additiona l cost s o n non-schedule d carriers , whic h ar e safel yflyin g commercia l operation s a s wel l a s transpor t mission s o n behal f o f th e Departmen t o fDefense . Non-schedule d airline s estimat e thes e extr a cost s a t $3. 7 billio n dollar s ove rte n years - al l fro m on « ne wfedera l rule . Th e FA Aappears no t t o hav e considere d thes e additiona l cost s fo rnon-schedule d carrier s i n it s Regulator yImpact Analysis . Th e FA Astate d tha t carriers wil l b e abl e t o us e Fatigu e Ris k Managemen t System s (FRMS) t o provid e flexibilit yan d potentia l deviation s fro m th e newprescriptiv e rule . An ysyste m mus t b e uniform , predictable , an d applicabl e t o al l environment s t o b e effective , FRMS , presently . I s not . Th e FA A acknowledge d tha t n o countryhas adopte d FRiWt S a s a regulatoryalternative . Relyin g o n FRM S wil l almos t certainl yplac e non-schedule d carriers ' militar ymission s a t risk , a s the ywoul d no t b e abl e t o undertak e thes e flight s i n a timel yan d responsiv e manner . Finally , regardin g commercia l flights , thi s proposa l place s ou rcarrier s i n significan t Jeopard yo flosin g busines s t o foreig n carrier s tha t wil l b e abl e t o operat e mor e freely . ' Thi s oversigh t mus t b e addresse d wit h respect t o th e FA Ahavin g overlooke d th e non-schedule d secto r o f th e industryan d th e impac t i t wil l hav e o n thes e carriers . W

e as k tha t th e FA

Acontinu e curren t Subpar t S rule s governin g fligh t an d dut ytim e rule s fo rnon-schedule d carrier s unti l a separat e rulemakin g ca n b e undertake n t o specificall yfocu s o n modernizin g Subpart S .I' M , I S .01/06/201 1 14:2 1 202267507 5 OFFIC E O F RULEMAKING PAG E 9 3

Than k yo u fo ryou rconsideratio n o fthi s request . W e loo k forwar d t o hearin g fro m yo u o n thi s criticall y Importan t issu e affectin g ou rconstituents .

!, . Jamj rM . Inhof e

Uqfe d State s Senato r Sincerely ,

Senato rTo m Cobur n Unite d State s Senato r

Senato rLisa Murkowsk i Unite d State s Senato r

t i ; 5