499 N .W

. 70 t h A V E

. – S T E .11 0

– P L A N T A T I O N

, F L 333 17

- 757 2

– ( 954) 581

- 6 022

– F A X : ( 954) 584

- 8980

–

www.s h e f f i e l d .c o m

1 of 2 R e : D oc k e t N o. F A A

- 2011

- 1149

R e q u e s t f or E xt e n s i on o f P u b l i c C om m e n t P e r i od an d R e q u e s t f or C l ar i f i c at i on

N ove m be r 18, 2011

S he f f i e l d S c hool of A e r ona ut i c s he r e by r e que s t s a n e xt e ns i on t o t he c om m e nt pe r i od r e ga r di ng

t he pr opos e d c ha nge t o pol i c y r e ga r di ng D e s i gna t e d A i r c r a f t D i s pa t c he r E xa m i ne r s ( D A D E s )

. W e be l i e ve t he r e i s good c a us e f or a ddi t i ona l t i m e f or t he publ i c t o r e vi e w a nd c om m e nt on t he

pr opos e d c ha nge s

.

T hi s publ i c a t i on o f t he p r opos e d pol i c y c ha nge w a s i n m a ny w a ys a r e s ul t of m ul t i pl e p e t i t i ons

f r om S he f f i e l d S c hool t h r ough t he O f f i c e o f t he A dm i ni s t r a t or a nd a l s o t he O f f i c e of t he

A s s oc i a t e A dm i ni s t r a t or f or A vi a t i on S a f e t y

, A V S

- 1. S he f f i e l d S c hool s t r ongl y obj e c t e d t o

m a ny pr ovi s i ons i n t he or i gi na l O r de r 8900. 1 pol i c y. A s pa r t o f t h e i nve s t i ga t i on, t he c ur r e nt

A s s oc i a t e A dm i ni s t r a t or

, P e ggy G i l l i ga n, m a nda t e d t ha t A F S

- 200 a nd s ubor di na t e of f i c e s r e pl y

t o our ho t l i ne c om pl a i nt a nd pr ov i de f ul l a ns w e r s t o a l l que s t i ons w e a s ke d by M a y 20, 2011. T o

t hi s da y, A F S

- 200 ha s not c om pl i e d a n d t he r e f or e i t i s di f f i c ul t f or us t o put t he c ha nge s i nt o a n

a

ppr opr i a t e c ont e xt

, or unde r s t a nd w hy m a ny of t h e s a m e pr ovi s i ons a r e s t i l l i n t he p r opos e d

c ha nge s w i t h e ve n f ur t he r r e s t r i c t i ons

.

A ddi t i ona l l y, ou r i ni t i a l a na l ys i s of t he pr opos e d c ha nge s p ubl i s he d on N ove m be r 8 s ugge s t t ha t

ne w

, f ur

t he r r e s t r i c t i ons t o D A D E pol i c y w i l l l i ke l y s e ve r e l y r e s t r i c t t he a va i l a bi l i t y o f D A D E S

t o gr a dua t e s of m a ny P a r t 65 a i r c r a f t di s pa t c he r c our s e s

, a nd m a y ul t i m a t e l y c a us e i ndi vi dua l s t o

a voi d s e e ki ng P a r t 65 c e r t i f i c a t i on i f t he F A A c a n no l onge r gua r a nt e e t i m e l y c e r t i f i c a t i on. I t i s

a l s o a ppa r e nt t ha t i ndi vi dua l D i s pa t c h A vi a t i on S a f e t y I ns pe c t or w o r kl oa d i n t he va r i ous

F S D O / C M O s w i l l be i m pa c t e d by a ddi t i ona l r e qui r e m e nt s a nd e s pe c i a l l y by t he i r i nc r e a s e d

r e qu i r e m e nt t o pr ovi de c e r t i f i c a t i on e xa m s i n t he a bs e nc e of D A D E s w ho w oul d be r e m ove d

unde r t hi s pol i c y. H ow e ve r

, s i nc e t he F A A ha s no t m e nt i one d a ny a na l ys i s of t he e c onom i c

i m pa c t t o s t a ke hol de r s or a ny i nt e r na l s t udy on A S I w or kl oa d

, w e be l i e ve t ha t a ddi t i ona l t i m e f or

bot h i nt e r na l a nd e xt e r na l e va l ua t i on of t hi s i s i n t h e publ i c i nt e r e s t

.

A l s o, t he doc ke t e nt r y s t a t e d t ha t w hi l e publ i c c om m e nt on pol i c y i s not no r m a l l y p r ovi de d, “ t he

a ge nc y ha s e s t a bl i s he d a doc ke t f or publ i c c om m e nt s r e ga r di ng t hi s g u i da nc e f or i ns pe c t or s i n

r e c ogni t i on of t he i nt e r e s t o f c ur r e nt D A D E s a nd a ppl i c a nt s f or a n a i r c r a f t di s pa t c he r c e r t i f i c a t e

unde r P a r t 65. ” A ppl i c a nt s f o r t he c e r t i f i c a t e w ho ha ve not s t udi e d t hi s m a t t e r pr i o r t o t he

publ i c a t i on of t he r e que s t f o r c om m e n t s m us t ha ve s uf f i c i e nt t i m e t o no t onl y c ons i de r t he m e r i t s

of t he p r opos a l

, but a l s o t o be a bl e t o r e s e a r c h t he e f f

e c t s t hi s pr opos a l w oul d ha ve on t he m i f t he

pol i c y i s a dopt e d. T h i s a l one s ugge s t s t ha t t he r e i s s uf f i c i e nt c a us e f or e xt e ns i on, a nd t ha t a n

e xt e ns i on i s onc e a ga i n i n t he pub l i c i nt e r e s t

.

T he pr opos e d c ha nge s w oul d a l s o s e ve r e l y a nd di r e c t l y a f f

e c t P a r t 65 c our s e ope r a t or s

, a l t hough

t he F A A s t a t e d onl y t ha t t he i r c onc e r n w a s f o r c ur r e nt D A D E s a nd a ppl i c a nt s f or t he c e r t i f i c a t e

. T hi s om i t s a s i z e a bl e c l a s s of i ndi vi dua l s w ho w i l l be di r e c t l y i m pa c t e d, w ho abs ol ut e l y r e qui r e499 N .W

. 70 t h A V E

. – S T E .11 0

– P L A N T A T I O N

, F L 333 17

- 757 2

– ( 954) 581

- 6 022

– F A X : ( 954) 584

- 8980

–

www.s h e f f i e l d .c o m

2 of 2 s uf f i c i e nt t i m e t o a na l yz e a nd c om m e nt

. S he f f i e l d S c hool of A e r ona ut i c s

, l i ke t he m a j or i t y of

P a r t 65 d i s pa t c he r c e r t i f i c a t i on c our s e ope r a t or s

, i s a f e de r a l l y

- pr ot e c t e d s m a l l bus i ne s s e nt i t y.

S m a l l bus i ne s s

, unl i ke l a r ge r c or por a t i ons

, do not ha ve a ddi t i ona l “ r e gul a t or y a f f

a i r s ” s t a f f w ho

c a n f ul l y r e s e a r c h a nd a na l yz e t he e f f

e c t s of s uc h c ha nge s a nd pr e pa r e publ i c c om m e nt s on t he i r

be ha l f

. T he t i m e w e t a ke t o pr e pa r e c om m e nt s i s t i m e t a ke n a w a y f r o m our c or e bus i ne s s

f unc t i ons

. G i ve n t ha t t he m a j or i t y of t he P a r t 65 s c hool s t ha t w oul d be i m pa c t e d by t hi s c ha nge

a r e a l s o s m a l l bus i ne s s e s t ha t w oul d r e qui r e a ddi t i ona l t i m e t o f ul l y a na l yz e t he i m pa c t t he s e

c ha nge s m a y ha ve

, w e be l i e ve t hi s i s f ur t he r c a us e f or a n e xt e ns i on.

B e yond t ha t

, a l t hough w e a ppr e c i a t e t ha t po l i c y c h a nge s a r e not s ubj e c t t o t he s a m e r e qui r e m e nt s

a s r ul e m a ki ng, w e no t e t ha t t he m i ni m um t i m e a l l o w e d f or pub l i c c om m e nt e ve n f or pe t i t i ons f o r

r ul e m a ki ng

– not e ve n a c t ua l r ul e m a ki ng i t s e l f

– i s nor m a l l y 60 da ys pe r O r de r 8900

. 1

, V ol um e 1, C ha pt e r 2

, s e c t i on 3

, pa r a gr a ph 1

- 144

. G i ve n t ha t t he e f f

e c t s of t h i s pol i c y c ha nge

w i l l be a s f a r r e a c hi ng on s m a l l bus i ne s s a s r ul e m a ki ng, w e be l i e ve t ha t of f

e r i ng a s hor t e r

c om m e nt pe r i od t ha n t he nor m i n t hi s c a s e c a nnot be j us t i f i e d.

W e t he r e f or e be l i e ve t ha t t he r e i s good c a us e f or a n e xt e ns i on of t he publ i c c om m e nt pe r i od, a nd

t ha t s uc h a n e xt e ns i on w oul d be i n t he publ i c i nt e r e s t

. W e r e c om m e nd a n i nc r e a s e

c om m e ns ur a t e w i t h t he a m ount of a ddi t i ona l t i m e t ha t t he F A A ha s t a ke n s o f a r t o w or k on t he

r e s pons e s m a nda t e d by A V S

- 1 t ha t w e ha ve not r e c e i ve d, w hi c h i s s i x m ont hs

– or a f u

r t he r

e xt e ns i on of s e ve r a l m ont hs be yond A F S

- 200’ s r e pl y a s or de r e d by A V S

- 1 t o al l ow us t o hav e

s ui t abl e ac c e s s t o r e l e v ant m at e r i al t hat has not y e t be e n m ade av ai l abl e

. W e s us pe c t t he

a

ut hor s a r e t r yi ng t o pus h t hi s pol i c y t hr ough m uc h f a s t e r

, bu t not a l l ow i ng s t a ke hol de r a c c e s s t o

r e l e va nt i nf or m a t i on pr om i s e d by A V S

- 1 a nd not a l l ow i ng s uf f i c i e nt t i m e t o r e vi e w t ha t onc e

r e c e i ve d, w oul d a ppe a r t o de f e a t t he ve r y pur pos e of publ i c c om m e nt

.

A ddi t i ona l l y, S he f f i e l d S c hool r e que s t s c l a r i f i c a t i o n on t he f ol l ow i ng s t a t e m e nt t ha t w a s a l s o

quot e d a bove : “ W hi l e t he F A A ge ne r a l l y doe s no t r e que s t c om m e nt on i nt e r na l o r de r s

, t he

a ge nc y ha s e s t a bl i s he d a doc ke t f or publ i c c om m e nt s r e ga r di ng t hi s gu i da nc e f or i ns pe c t or s i n

r e c ogni t i on of t he i nt e r e s t o f c ur r e nt D A D E s a nd a ppl i c a nt s f or a n a i r c r a f t di s pa t c he r c e r t i f i c a t e

unde r P a r t 65. ” I t a ppe a r s f r o m t hi s s t a t e m e nt t ha t t he F A A ’ s m ot i va t i on f or s e e ki ng publ i c

c om m e nt i s t o a l l ow i nput f r om e ve r yone e xc e pt t h e bus i ne s s e s w ho w oul d be m os t s e ve r e l y

a f

f

e c t e d, t he P a r t 65 s c hool s

. W e r e que s t c l a r i f i c a t i on a nd F A A c on f i r m a t i on t ha t c om m e nt s

f r o m P a r t 65 c our s e ope r a t or s s ha l l a l s o be gi ve n f ul l c ons i de r a t i on a nd w i l l a l s o be publ i c l y

a ns w e r e d i n t he F e de r a l R e gi s t e r a f t e r t he e va l ua t i on pe r i od.

W e t ha nk t he F A A f or c r e a t i ng t hi s doc ke t

, a nd w e l ook f o r w a r d t o pr ovi d i ng f u l l c om m e nt a nd

a na l ys i s

.

E r i c M or r i s

P r e s i de nt

S he f f i e l d S c hool of A e r ona ut i c s ( e s t

. 1948 )