AFS-14-062-E

February 25, 2014

 Exemption No. 9810C

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2008-1246

Ms. Erin B. Marston

Iditarod Air Force

4109 Tazlina Avenue

Anchorage, AK 99517

Dear Ms. Marston:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to extend Exemption 

No. 9810, as amended. It explains the basis for our decision, describes its effect, and lists the 

conditions and limitations.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated November 25, 2013, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) on behalf of Iditarod Air Force (IAF) for an extension of Exemption No. 9810, 

as amended. That exemption from §§ 61.113(a) and 119.21(a)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal 

Regulations (14 CFR) allows IAF to accept monetary and nonmonetary compensation in 

return for transportation of people or property and the use of fuel, food, and equipment either 

purchased by the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC)/IAF or otherwise made by private donations. 

In your petition, you have requested that this exemption be extended to 10 years or reclassified

as permanent. The FAA, however, finds it in the best interest of safety to review this 

exemption every 2 years. This allows the FAA to ensure that there has been no change in 

circumstances or regulations from which the exemption is granted. 

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons 

relative to public interest and safety that were the basis for granting the original exemption.
2

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested extension of the exemption would not set a 

precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to IAF.

Our Decision

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 9810, as 

amended, remains valid with respect to this exemption and is in the public interest. Therefore, 

under the authority provided by 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113, and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, Iditarod Air Force is granted an exemption from 

§§ 61.113(a) and 119.21(a)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) which 

allows IAF to accept monetary and nonmonetary compensation in return for transportation of 

people or property and the use of fuel, food, and equipment either purchased by the ITC/IAF 

or otherwise made by private donations, subject to the following conditions and limitations.

Conditions and Limitations

1. The following documents have been accepted by the Principal Operations Inspector 

(POI) prior to beginning preparation for the 2014 race:

a. IAF operational control procedures, including, but not limited to, the IAF’s 

official definition of and the process used to identify “authorized passengers”

(e.g., ITC personnel essential to the race, race volunteers and participants, race 

officials, mushers, veterinarians etc.); 

b. A flightcrew training program, written in accordance with the standards stated 

in FAA Order 8900.1, Flight Standards Information Management System, 

volume 3, chapter 19. Any training requirement in the guidance the FAA 

determines is not practical for its application shall be addressed by the FAA 

during the acceptance process. The IAF will also meet the recordkeeping 

requirements as listed in § 135.63; 

c. A letter of compliance (LOC/Compliance Statement) to Part 135 as required in 

FAA Order 8900.1, volume 2, chapter 4, section 3, phase 3, paragraph 2-398; 

and 

d. A general operations manual (GOM) for acceptance in accordance with 

requirements in § 135.21 and containing the information listed in § 135.23.

2. During the preparation period for, and during the race of 2014, the IAF will be subject 

to FAA validation of training and checking in accordance with all previously accepted 

documents. At that time, the IAF will meet the regulatory standards set forth in 

Part 135.

3. The IAF must operate to the standard of any FAA-accepted IAF document, procedure, 

or condition and limitation listed in this exemption, whichever is more restrictive.
3

4. The IAF must create and maintain a current aircraft list to include:

a. the registration number of each aircraft used by the IAF, including the make, 

model and series;

b. the date of each aircraft’s last annual inspection and the total time of the 

aircraft at its last 100-hour inspection;

c. the designation of any listed aircraft that may be used in passenger-carrying 

operations; and

d. the designation of any listed aircraft that may be operated under Part 135 

during the same time period that the aircraft is also operating under this 

exemption, including the name of the Part 135 operator as shown on its 

certificate. This list must be made available for FAA review upon request.

5. At the beginning of each race season, the IAF must create and maintain a list noting 

the date and time each individual IAF pilot begins to operate under this exemption and 

the date and time when each individual IAF pilot is released from IAF duty and/or this 

exemption. This list must be available for FAA review upon request. The IAF need not 

update this list to indicate when a qualified Part 135 IAF pilot “temporarily” stops 

operating under this exemption to carry passengers not identified as “ITC/IAF 

authorized passengers” (Condition No. 14).

6. The IAF must create and maintain a current pilot listing to include:

a. each airman’s name;

b. the grade and number of FAA airman certificates;

c. the class and date of issuance of each airman’s FAA medical certificate; and

d. each IAF pilot who may also operate under Part 135 during the same time 

period he/she is operating under this exemption. The pilot listing must be 

found acceptable by the Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

7. Only U.S.-registered aircraft may be used for any flight conducted under this

exemption.

8. The FAA accepted flight following procedure must be implemented for each flight 

conducted under this exemption.
4

9. The ITC/IAF and each aircraft owner and operator will ensure each aircraft operated 

under this exemption will have a current annual inspection as required by § 91.409(a) 

at the time of any operation. Also the ITC/IAF and each aircraft owner and operator 

must ensure each aircraft operated under this exemption that carries passengers have a 

current 100-hour inspection during all operations under this exemption.

10. Private pilot certificate holders identified in the list (Condition No. 6) may only carry 

cargo and/or dogs.

11. Each pilot operating under this exemption must hold at least a valid third-class airman 

medical certificate. Commercial or airline transport pilot certificate holders identified 

in the list (Condition No. 6) who does not possess valid second or first-class medical 

certificates are limited to the privileges or authorizations afforded private pilots.

12. Passenger-carrying flights operating under this exemption are limited to “authorized 

passengers” (Condition No. 1). These passenger-carrying flights must be conducted by 

IAF pilots holding at least a commercial pilot certificate and at least a valid second 

class medical certificate. The ITC must identify all “authorized passengers” by name 

to IAF pilots.

13. The operator of each aircraft operated under this exemption shall maintain a record of 

each flight, including the name of each passenger, and make that record available to 

the FAA upon request.

14. Only IAF pilots qualified under Part 135 (air carrier/operator) are allowed to carry 

passengers not identified by the ITC as “ITC/IAF authorized passengers” during the 

time periods they are listed as operating under this exemption (Condition No. 5). 

These “other than ITC/IAF authorized passengers” flights must be conducted in 

accordance with Part 135 and the air carrier/operator’s operation specifications. All 

IAF flights conducted by Part 135 qualified pilots will be conducted in accordance 

with flight time and duty rules of § 135.267.

15. Any IAF pilot who is subject to flight and duty time limitations will log all IAF flight 

time as “other commercial flying.”

16. All IAF operations will be conducted under day visual flight rules. No nighttime or 

instrument flight operation will be conducted in any operation subject to this 

exemption.

17. All operations conducted under this exemption shall be conducted in accordance with 

the visibility requirements of § 135.205(a).

18. All operations conducted under this exemption shall be conducted in accordance with 

the minimum altitudes of § 135.203(a)(1).
5

19. All personnel affected by or relying on this exemption, including all listed IAF pilots 

(Condition No. 6), shall be provided a written copy of the exemption.

20. A copy of this exemption shall be carried aboard each aircraft operating under this 

exemption.

21. The ITC/IAF will conduct a briefing on the conditions of this exemption to all persons 

affected by or relying on this exemption before any person commences any flight 

operations conducted under this exemption. 

22. Each passenger will receive a plain language safety briefing by the pilot before each 

IAF flight, be informed of the exemption, and be notified that the flight is not being 

conducted by an FAA-certificated air carrier. This briefing will include the standards 

listed in § 135.117.

23. The IAF will keep records of its solicitations to Part 135 operators (including certified 

Part 135 IAF pilots) and produce such records upon request to the FAA.

The Effect of Our Decision

Our decision extends the termination date of Exemption No. 9810, as amended, to 

April 30, 2016, unless sooner superseded or rescinded. 

Sincerely,

/s/

Michael J. Zenkovich

Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service