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amSriC d 55 5 Airport Blvd. , 4 * Fl . Burlingame , C A 9401 0 Direc t Dial : (650 ) 762-739 4 Direc t Fax : (650)648-048 9 barbara.russell@virginamerica.cotn

Jun e 14,201 0 Mr . Joh n M . Alle n Director , Fligh t

Standard s Servic e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S W Washington , D C 2059 1 Re : Petitio n fo r

Exemptio n fro m14C.F.R . § 121.434rcynri n Dea r Mr . Allen : Pursuan t t o Par t 1 1 o f th e Federa l Aviatio n Regulatio n ("FAR") , Virgi n Americ aInc . ("Virgi n America")(VQIA199L ) petition s th e Administrato r for an exemptio n fro m1 4 C.F.R . § 121.434(c)(l)(ii) . Gran t

o f thi s exemptio n woul dpermi t Virgi n Americ at o substitut e aqualifie d an dauthorize dchec k

airma n o r

aircre w progra mdesigne e ("APD" ) fo r an FA A inspecto r

t o observ e aqualifyin g pilo t i n comman d("PIC") , durin g a t leas t on e flight

le g tha t include s a takeof f an dlanding . Virgi n Americ awoul dexercis e thi s exemptio n onl y i n accordanc e with th e condition s th e Administrato r ha s attache dt o numerou s similar requests. ' Exemptio n Requeste d Virgi n Americ aseek s an exemptio n fro m1 4 C.F.R . § 121.434(c)(l)(ii) , whic h provide s (i n part ) a s follows : In addition , i f

aqualifyin g pilo t

i n comman di s completin g initia l o r upgrad e trainin g specifie di n §121.424 , b e observe di n th e performanc e o f prescribe ddutie s b y an FA A inspecto r durin g at leas t on e flight

le g whic h include s atakeof f an dlanding .

' See . e.g. , Southwest

Airline s Co . (Exemption 7132 , Docke t FA A FAA-2002-11485) ; Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . (Exemptio n 8054 , Docke

t FAA-2002-12947) ; JetBlue Airway s Corporation (Exemption 8099 , Docke t FAA-2003

- 15446) ; an dAlask aAirlines , Inc . (Exemption No . 8743 , Docke t FAA-2006-24996) .

55 5 Airpor t Boulevar d T 650.762.700 0 www.virginamerica.co m Burlingame , C A 9401 0 F 650.762.700 1 hello@virginamerica.co mRelie f

Requeste d Thi s petitio n request s relie f fromSectio n 121.434(c)(l)(ii ) i n thos e circumstance s whe n a n FA A inspecto r

i s unavailabl e t o observ e aqualifyin g pilo t i n comman ddurin g an y o f th e schedule doperatin g experienc e flights. Th e requeste dexemptio n woul db e subjec t t o th e followin g standar dcondition s an dlimitations : 1 . Virgi n Americ avsdl l submi t t o it s PO I an estimat e o f th e numbe r

o f PIC s completin g trainin g an dapla n a s t o ho w th e initia l operatin g experienc e ("lOE" ) observation s are t o occur . Thi s pla n woul db e approve db y th e PO I prio r t o th e initiatio n o f

lO E observation s b y qualifie dchec k

airme n o r

APDs . 2 . Virgi n Americ awil l nominat e qualifie dchec k airme n o r

APD s t o performthi s lO E observation . Th e FA A (POI ) wil l approv e th e qualifie dchec k airme n o r

APD s t o conduc t observatio n throug h alette r o f authorization . 3 . Unde r

th e exemptio n th e requiremen t o f Sectio n 121.434(c) ( 1 )(ii ) wil l b e fiilfilled i f th e observatio n i s performe db y an FAA-qualifie dchec k airma n o r

APD . Th e observatio n requiremen t

v^dl l b e documente di n th e qualifyin g pilot' s record . 4 . Th e qualifie dchec k airma n o r

AP D wil l alway s b e othe r tha n th e on e wh o i s conductin g th e operatin g experienc e o f th e qualifyin g pilot . Justificatio n Th e origina l intent

o f Sectio n 121.434(c)(l)(ii) , issue dalmos t 4 0 year s ago , was t o validat e th e trainin g apilo t receive di n aflight

simulator . Sinc e tha t

rul e wa s adopted , th e airlin e industry ha s ha dove r

adecad e o f

experienc e with visua l simulator s followe db y nearl y tw o decade s experienc e wit h highl y advance dsimulation . Domesti c airline s hav e successfull y traine dthousand s o f

pilot s usin g sophisticate dadvanc^e dsimulators . Th e combine dexperienc e o f th e airlin e industry an dth e FAA , usin g advance dsimulation , ha s mad e th e presen t rul e partiall y obsolete . Th e FA A ha s th e authorit y t o observ e an y pilo t at an y tim e i t

wishes ; an dindee dth e FA A routinel y doe s so . However , th e FA A conduct s thes e routin e observation s o n aschedul e th e local offic e set s withou t

th e burde n o f

havin g t o observ e aparticula r pilo t o n specifi c flights necessitate db y th e airline' s trainin g an dservic e schedule . Relievin g FA A inspector s from Sectio n 121.434(c)(l)(ii ) wil l allo w th e FA A t o focu s it s effort s o n highe r priorit y safet

y concems . Costl y delay s i n qualifyin g PI C for lin e operation s result s whe n th e airlin e i s require dt o wai t unti l th e FA A ca n observ e th e qualifyin g PIC . I n som e instances , th e FA A inspecto r may no t b e qualifie do n th e airplan e typ e bein g flown. B y allowin g aVirgi n Americ achec k airman o r AP D wh o i s highl y qualifie di n th e airplane , an aapprove db y th e FA A for tha t duty , t o complet e th e observation , agreate r leve l o f scrutin y ari dobjectivenes s woul db e provide dfor th e qualifyin g PIC .A t

Virgi n America , w e ar e poise dfor majo r growth i n 201 0 - wit h aprojecte dfleet growth o f one-thir db y th e first

quarte r o f 201 1 an dcbntinue dgrowth thereafter . W e anticipat e that w e wil l upgrad e 2 5 mor e captain s thi s year , an dhav e approximatel y 7 6 ne w PIC s completin g trainin g eac h year fo r 201 1 an dth e foreseeabl e fiiture . Gran t o f thi s exemptio n would : 1 . B e wholl y consisten t wit h previou s exemption s grante di n similar circumstance s ; 2 . Allo w th e FA A greate r flexibility an dbette r

us e o f it s inspecto r

forc e b y focusin g o n highe r priorit y safety functions; 3 . Allo w th e us e o f qualifie dpilot s ijmnediatel y after completin g operatin g experience ; 4 . Allo w significantl y increase dus e o f qualifie dpilot s an dimprov e Virgi n America' s ability t o provid e dependable , on-tim e ai r servic e t o th e public ; 5 . Reduc e th e uimecessary cos t o f wage s an dlos t

productivit y fo r

thos e qualifie d pilot s awaitin g FA A observation ; an d 6 . Allo w th e travelin g publi c acces s t o Virgi n America' s ne w lo w cos t servic e at

a pac e consisten t

with th e deliver y o f

it s additional A-319/A-32 0 aircraft ; allo w full utilizatio n o f Virgi n America' s fleet

b y insurin g adequat e qualifie dpilots ; an dallo w increase dservic e t o previousl y underserve dmarkets . Safet y Impac t Gran t o f thi s relie f

t o Virgi n Americ awil l not reduc e th e leve l o f

safet y provide db y th e regulation , a s th e Administrato r ha s previousl y determine di n similar request s for

relie f 1 . Th e authorize dchec k airma n wil l b e highl y traine dan dexperience dwith th e particular aircraf t typ e an dwil l b e approve db y th e FAA ; 2 . Th e chec k

airma n wil l onl y b e use dt o fulfill Sectio n 121.434(c)(l)(ii ) whe n a qualifie dFA A inspecto r

i s no t available ; and , 3 . Th e FA A maintain s th e authority t o observ e an y pilo t an y tim e durin g lin e observations . I n summary , th e requeste dexemptio n focuse s o n th e timel y an dcompeten t completio n o f th e observatio n flight

an dbette r

utilizatio n o f

qualifyin g PICs . Seefn . I , supra .Reques t

for Publicatio n Waive r Virgi n Americ arespectfull y request s tha t th e Administrato r

promptl y gran t

th e relie f requeste dherei n an dwaiv e th e 12 0 day advanc e filiri g requiremen t o f Sectio n 11.63(d ) o f

th e Federa l Aviatio n Regulations . Thi s reques t i s consisten t

wit h numerou s similar

request s {see , e.g. , fn . 1 ) whic h th e Administrato r ha s previousl y grante da s bein g i n th e publi c interest . I n addition , pursuan t

t o Sectio n 11.87 , Virgi n Americ arequest s tha t publicatio n o f

thi s exemptio n reques t

i n th e Federa l Registe r

b e waive dbecaus e th e gran t o f thi s exemptio n woul d no t b e preceden t

setting ; th e reaso n for

an dcondition s propose dar e identica l t o exemption s alread y granted ; th e dela y woul dfurther disadvantag e ^ startu p carrie r attemptin g t o complet e i n highl y competitiv e markets ; an dsimilar petition s hav ^ bee n publishe di n Federa l Registe r with n o commen t

received . I f publicatio n is , however , required , pursuan t t o Sectio n 11.81(f) , Virgi n Americ a provide s th e followin g summary : Summary Virgi n Americ aInc . Petitio n for an Exemptio n Fro m1 4 CF R§ 121.434(c)(l)(ii ) Virgi n Americ aInc . petition s for an exemptio n from1 4 CF R§ 121.434(c)(l)(ii) , t o permi t i t t o substitut e aqualifie dan dauthorize dchec k airma n o r

aircre w progra mdesigne e fo r

a n FA A inspecto r

t o observ e aqualifyin g pilo t i n comman d wh o i s completin g initia l o r upgrad e trainin g specifie di n Sec . 121.42 4 durin g at leas t on e flight

le g tha t include s atakeof

f an dalanding . I f yo u hav e an y question s o r i f yo u requir e additiona l informatio n abou t thi s request , pleas e d o no t

hesitat e t o contac t

me . Sincerely ,

Barbar aRussel l Associat e Genera l Counse l