AFS

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- E January 30, 2013

Exemption No. 10693 Regulatory Docket No. FAA

- 20 1 2

- 1328

Mr. James F. Maguire Vice President Operations

Vision Airlines 2705 Airport Drive

Las Vegas, NV 89 032

Dear Mr. Maguire :

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. It transmits our decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, including the date it ends.

T he Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated December 13, 2012 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on behalf of Vision Airlines , ( Vision ) for an exemption from § 121.434(c)(1)(ii) of

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to the extent necessary to allow Vision

, the

certificate holder

, to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman or aircrew program designee for an FAA Inspector to observe a qualifying pilot in command (PIC) who is completing initial or upgrade training sp ecified in § 121.424 during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and landing

.

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

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a pre cedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Vision

.

The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 8054 (copy enclosed) , the FAA

found that subject to certain conditions and limitations, the requirement for an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying PIC before he/she begins operations in an airplane unsupervised may2

be conducted by and satisfied by the certificate holder’s c heck airman or aircrew program designee. The FAA found that this could be accomplished without reducing the level of safety provided by the regulation

.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that

—

• they are similar in all materia l respects to relief previously requested in the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 8054 ;

• the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 8054 also apply to the situation you present; and

• a grant of exemption is in the public i nterest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, I hereby grant Vision Airlines an exemption from

14 CFR § 121.434(c)(1)(ii) to the extent necessary to allow Vision to subst itute a qualified

and authorized check airman or air crew program designee in place of an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying PIC while that PIC is performing prescribed duties during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and landing when compl eting initial or upgrade trai ning as specified in § 121.424 , subj ect to the conditions and limitations described below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. A Vision check airman or aircrew program designee may conduct a PIC observation in place of an FAA inspecto r when

—

a. The Administrator preapproves that substitution for each observation of a qualifying PIC candidate, thus reserving first right of refusal to the FAA in

each case. Vision , therefore, must contact its certificate holding district office

, in each in stance, before substituting that check airman or aircrew program designee ;

b. The qualifying PIC candidate has completed no less than 10 hours of supervised operating experience (OE) and accomplished no fewer than two takeoffs and landings; and

c. The qualify ing PIC candidate is performing PIC duties during a complete flight leg, including flightdeck preparation, before starting engines checklist, taxi, takeoff, all other flight phases, landing, taxi, and securing checklist.

2. Each Vision check airman and aircr ew program designee conducting a PIC observation in place of an FAA inspector must

—

a. Be approved by the Administrator to conduct the observation ;3

b. Have served as a check airman or aircrew program designee for Vision for no less than 6 months; and

c. Not supe rvise the OE or conduct the initial line check for the qualifying PIC candidate being observed.

3. Vision must maintain student, check airman, and aircrew program designee records that demonstrate compliance with the conditions and limitations of this exempt ion.

This exemption terminates on January 31, 2015 , unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John M. Allen Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure