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Septembe r30 , 201 0 Docket Managemen t Facilit y U S Departmen t of Transportatio n 1200 Ne wJerseyAvenue , S E West Buildin g Groun d Floo r Roo m W12-14 0 Washington , DC 2059 0 Dea rSi ro rMadam , Pleas e fin

denclose dpetitio

n fo r exemption fro

mSeaborn e Airline s relatin g t o relie f fro mthe specifie dprovision s o

f 14CF RPar t 12]305(j) , Flight

an dNavigational Equipment , requiring Seaborne Airline s t o install athir dgyroscopi c ban

k an dpitchindicato

r i n ou r seaplane aircraft . Thi s petitio n concern s a regulator ycompliance deadlin e of Decembe r20 , 2010 , whic h i s critica l t o th e Seaborne' s continue d seaplan e operations
. As a result , we are askin g that ou rrequest be processe d a s a matte rof seriou s urgency. " Mos t sincerely , Ome rErSelcu k Presiden t & CE O

"Flyin g YO U wit h th e Powe ro f TWO "Septembe r24 , 201 0

Docke t Managemen t Facilit y U S Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S E Wes t Buildin g Groun d Floo r Roo m W12-14 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Reques t fo rExemptio n Petitioner: Seaborn e Virgi n Islands , Inc. , d.b.a
. Seaborn e Airline s b yit s President/CEO , Mr
. Ome rErSelcu k Petitioner' s Contac t Information : 1210Watergu t Chrjstiansted , V I 0082 0 (340 ) 773-599 1 extensio n 2 3 oerselcuk(a>seaborneairlines.co m Background : Seaborn e Virgi n Islands , Inc. , doin g busines s a s Seaborn e Airline s hold s Ai rCarrie rCertificat e Number : S9BA675 J an d ha s operation s specification s authorizin g i t t o conduc t domestic , fla g an d supplementa l operation s i n th e island s o fth e Caribbean
. Seaborn e Airline s primaril y provide s passenge rservic e t o Puert o Ric o an d th e Virgi n Island s usin g DeHavillan d DHC-6-30 0 whee l planes
. Aportio n o f Seaborn e Airlines ' rout e structur e involve s providin g schedule d passenge roperation s usin g th e FLOA Tplan e configuratio n o fth e DHC- 6 betwee n St
. Thomas , V I (SPB ) Charlott e Amali e Harbo ran d S t Croix , V I (SBB ) Christianste d Harbor
. Afte rDecembe r20 , 2010 , 14CF R Part 121305G) , Fligh t an d Navigationa l Equipment , require s Seaborn e Airline s t o instal l a thir d gyroscopi cban k an d pitc h indicator
. Relie f Sough t fro m ReoulatorvSections : 14CF R Part 121305G) , Fligh t an d Navigationa l Equipment ; Thir d Gyroscopi cBan k an d Pitc h Indicato r Natur e an d Exten t o f th e Requeste d Relie f Seaborn e Airlin e i s requestin g t o b e exemp t fro m 1 4 CF R Par t 121.305(j ) whicl i require s th e Installatio n o f a n independentl ypowere d thir d gyroscopi cbanl ( an d pitc h indicator
.

Pag e 1 o f 4Analysi s

Fina l rulemakin g o n thi s requiremen t wa s publishe d I n th e Federa l Registe ra s F R Vol
. 60 , NO
. 244 , 6583 2 date d Decembe r20 , 1995
. Thi s rulemakin g expande d th e scop e o f th e thir d gyr o t o certai n turbopropelle rpowe rairplane s includin g th e DHC- 6 aircraft
. Th e obviou s concern s tha t thi s requiremen t addresse s i s th e possibilit ytha t I n th e absenc e o f a thir d Independentl y powere d gyroscopi cban k an d pitc h indicator , a failur e o fth e captain' s an d firs t officer' s primary fligh t Instrument s whil e flyin g I n Instrumen t meteorologica l condition s (IMC ) woul d rende rth e airplan e uncontrollable
. However , thi s rulemakin g recognize d tha t certai n operator s "ma ynee d t o b e exempte d fro m certai n requirement s tha t ar e no t applicabl e t o th e typ e o f operation s bein g conducte d an d shoul d g o throug h th e standar d exemptio n reques t procedure s I n suc h cases. " Sinc e th e FAA offere d th e optio n t o petitio n fo rexemptio n relie fI n thi s rulemaking
. Seaborn e Airline s believe s tha t It s reques t fo rexemptio n i s prope ran d consisten t wit h th e Inten t o fthi s rulemaking
. Seaborn e Airline s fee l tha t du e t o th e operationa l restriction s place d o n I t floa t plan e fleet , tha t ther e I s littl e publi cbenefi t I n vie wo f th e complianc e cost . Seaborn e Airline s ha s determine d tha t eac h gyr o uni t wil l cos t betwee n 8,00 0 an d 10,00 0 dollar s an d wil l requir e 3 5 t o 4 0 ma n hour s ($2000.00) t o install
. I n addition , th e aircraf t mus t b e take n ou t o fservic e fo r approximatel y5 day s wit h th e associate d los s o fus e fo rrevenu e service
. Equivalen t Leve l o fSafet y On-wate rfligh t operation s Involv e certai n obviou s constraint s tha t d o no t appl yt o aircraf t operatin g a t airports
. Th e mos t notabl e are : • On-wate roperation s ar e limite d t o dayligh t hours
. • Sinc e ther e ar e n o Instrumen t approac h capabilitie s associate d wit h seadromes , al l take-offs , approache s an d landing s mus t m e accomplishe d I n visua l meteorologica l condition s (VMC)
. Anothe rfacto rI n evaluatin g a n equivalen t leve l o fsafet ylie s I n Seaborn e Airlines ' limite d are a o f operation s define d a s th e Island s o f th e Caribbean
. Unlik e th e wid e sprea d IM C weathe r condition s tha t ar e prevalen t i n area s suc h a s th e easter n Unite d States , th e weathe ri n th e Caribbea n i s predominantl yvisua l meteorologica l condition s (VMC)
. Seaborn e Airline s believe s tha t th e chance s o f sufferin g a simultaneou s failur e o f bot h Independentl ypowere d attitud e indicator s currentl yInstalle d whil e a t th e sam e tim e Inadverten t encounte rwit h IM C weathe rI s astronomicall yremote . Seaborn e Airline s believe s tha t acceptin g a n exemptio n wit h th e followin g limitation s an d condition s a s part o f thi s exemptio n relie f woul d provid e a n equivalen t leve l o f safety : • Applicabl e onl yt o DHC- 6 aircraf t i n th e floa t plan e configuratio n • Operation s limite d t o Daytim e VM C • Operation s wil l no t b e conducte d int o know n o rforecas t over-the-to p condition s • N o ME L defermen t o f an ygyroscopi cfligh t Instrumen t o rfligh t Instrumen t powe rsourc e • Floa t plan e operation s wil l b e limite d t o th e Island s o fth e Caribbea n

Pag e 2 o f4

### Benefi t t o th e Publi cInteres t

I f Seaborn e Airline s i s not abl e t o contro l it s cost whil e providin g Its service s unde rPar t 12 1 rules , th e airlin e wil l b e force d t o conduc t operation s I n accordanc e wit h regulator yrequirements wit h lesse rsafet

ystandard s afte rDecembe r20
. I f Seaborn e Airline s wa s unabl e t o absor b th e financia l Impac

t of thi s cost , man yof ou rpassenger s woul d the n b e force d t o fl yo n " 9 o rless " pisto n powere d aircraf

t o rworse , singl e pilot/singl e engin e aircraf t ove rope n wate rt o th e ports we currentl yserve . A s th e FA Astate d I n th e rulemaking , thi s woul d be an d unintende d consequence of adoptio n of thi s regulatio n Seaborne' s seaplan e operatio n betwee n th e U S Virgi n Island s of St
. Thoma s an d St
. Croi xI s on e of extrem e Importance economicall yas wel l as politically
. Currently , Seaborn e Airline s carrie s approximatel y85 % o f th e loca l passenge rtraffi cbetwee n St
. Croix , V I an d St
. Thomas , VI
. Withou t ou rfrequen t an d convenien t flight s operatin g safel yunde rPar t 12 1 - man yaspects of thi s strategicall yvita l par t of th e Unite d State s woul d grin d t o a halt
. Thi s matte ri s on e of grave Importance t o ai rcommerce I n th e Virgi n Islands
. Therefore , we believe that grantin g o f thi s exemptio n whic h provide s passenger s wit h continue d acces s t o turbopropelle rpowere d twi n engin e aircraf

t I s I n th e publi cInterest
. Summar yfo rPublicatio n I n th e Federa l Registe r Seaborn e Virgi n Islands , Inc. , doin g busines s as Seaborn e Airline s hold s Ai rCarrie rCertificat e Number : S9BA675J an d has operation s specification s authorizin g I t t o conduc t domestic , fla g an d supplementa l operation s i n th e island s of th e Caribbean
. Seaborn e Airline s primaril y provide s passenge rservic e t o Puerto Ric o an d th e Virgi n Island s usin g DeHavillan d DHC-6-30 0 whee l planes
. Aportio n of Seaborn e Airlines ' rout e structure Involve s providin g schedule d passenge roperation s usin g th e FLOA Tplan e configuratio n o

f th e DHC- 6 betwee n St
. Thomas , V I (SPB ) Charlott e Amali e Harbo ran d St Croix , V I (SBB ) Christianste d Harbor
. Afte rDecembe r20 , 2010 , 14CF R Par t 121305G) , Fligh t an d Navigationa l Equipment , require s Seaborn e Airline s t o instal l a thir d gyroscopi cban k an d pitc h indicator
. Seaborn e Airline s seek

s exemptio n relief fro m Installin g th e third gyroscopi cban k an d pitc h indicato ri n it s aircraf

t that are I n th e float plan e configuration
. I n orde rt o maintai n a n equivalen t leve l of safety
. Seaborn e Airline s wil l accept th e followin g limitation s I n thi s exemption : • Applicabl e onl yt o DHC- 6 aircraf t i n th e float plan e configuratio n • Operation s limite d t o Da ytim e VM C • N o ME L defermen t of an ygyroscopi cfligh t Instrumen t o rflight Instrumen t powe rsource • Floa t plan e operation s wil l b e limite d t o th e Island s ofth e Caribbea n Seaborn e Airline s believe s that th e chance s of sufferin g a simultaneou s failure o f bot h Independentl ypowere d attitud e indicators currentl yInstalle d whil e a t th e sam e tim e Inadverten t encounte rwit h IM C weathe rI s astronomicall yremote . Technica l Suppor

t - Contac

t Informatio n Seaborn e Airline s - Airplan e Performance Projec t Leade r Mr
. Lad d Lewi s (954 ) 683-478 6 captainladd@hotmall.co m

Pag e 3 o f 4

### Seaborn e Airline s - Chief Operatin g Office r

Mr
. Davi d Zleme r (340 ) 773-599 1 extensio n 2 3 dzlemer@.seabornealrlines.co m Conclusio n Seaborn e Airline s cannot ove remphasiz e th e Importance of thi s Issu e t o th e peopl e of th e Unite d State s Virgi n Island s thousand s of passenger s that we wil l transpor

t thi s year . O n behal f of ou remployees , customer s an d th e people s o

fth e Virgi n Island s I wis h t o than k yo u I n advance fo ryou rcarefu l consideratio n o f thi s request fo rexemption
. Sincerely ,
Ome rErSelcu k President/Chie f Executive Office r Seaborn e Airline s

Pag e 4 o f 4