11/24/201 0 10.2 G FAX 202493514 2 FA A ^ OM S 0001/00 6 

### ^''"ARTMENTO F :v-\r^SPORTATIO N •COOPERATION S U.S . DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N 7 ; 0 ^D V 9I 4 A iQ : 2 8 OFFIC E O P HEARING S WASHINGTON , D.C . I N THE MAITE RO

V FLIGHTSTA RAIRCRAF T SERVICES , INC . FAA Docke t

No . 2008-OL-05-002 2 C x ] u t f L[Jt>i 3 (Civi l Penalt

y Action ) DM S No . FAA-XXX-XXX X ^^^ ^ ^ fO l / Judg e No t A.ssigned Hearin g Location : No t

assigne d Hearin g Date : No t

assigne d ANSWE RANI

> AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . COME S NOW , FLIGHTSTA RAIRCRAFT SERVICES , INC . (hereinafter "FLIGHTSTAR") , b

y an dthroug h undersigne dcounse l pursuan t t o Rul e 20 9 o f

th e Rule s o f Practic e (1 4 C.F.R . §13.209) , an dhereb y lile s it s Answer t o th e Complain t

filedb y th e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n date dOctober 26 , 2010 . O n October 6 , 2010 , FLIGHTSTA Rsubmitte dawritte n reques t fo r ahearin g pursuan t

t o 1 4 C.F.R . §13.16 . I . 1 . FLIGHTSTA Radmit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 o f th e Complaint . 2 . FLIGHT S FA

Radmit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 2 o f th e Complaint . COUN T 1 3 . FLIGHTSTARadmit s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 3 o f th e Complaint .* DM S 12002/00 8 11/24/201 0 10:2 6 FA X 202493514 2 FA A UH ^

4 . 1-LIG

H rSTA Rdenie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 4 o f

th e Complaint . 5 . FLIGIFFSTA Rlack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

to for mabelie f a s t o th e tnit h o r falsit y oi'Lh e allegation s containe di

n paragrap h 5 o f

th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s same anddemand s stric t

prooi " thereof

. 6 . FLIGHTSTA Rdenie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 6 o f th e Complain t 7 . FLIGHTSTARadmit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 7 o f

th e Complaint . 8 . FLIGHTSTA Rdenie s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 8 o f th e Complaint . 9 . FLIGHTS'FA

Rdenie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 9 o f th e Complaint . 10 . FLIGH rSTA Rdenie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 0 o f th e Complaint . COUN T 2 11 . FLIGH'ISTA Radmit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 1 o f th e Complaint . 12 . FLIGHTSTA Rdenie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 2 o f th e Complaint . a . FLIGHTSTA Rdenie s that i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . §43.13(a) . b . FLIGHTSTA Rdenie s tha t i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . § 145.205(a) . FLIGHTSTARdenie s that pursuan t l o 4 9 U.S. C §46301 , i t

i s subjec t t o acivi l penalty no t t o excee d$ 1 ,lO

O fo r eac h o f th e violation s alleged . FLIGH TSTA Rdenie s that under th e fact s an dcircumstance s o f thi s case , acivi l penalty o f $2,200.0 0 i s appropriate . Any mane r

no t specificall y admitte dby FLIGHTSTA Rshal l b e deeme ddenied .nA * + nM ^ 01003/OO G n/24/201 0 10:2 6 FA X 202493514 2 FA A L)M i "£ 1

AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . I n determinin g th e civi I penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s failedt o conside r

(1 ) th e nature an dcircumstance s o f th e violation ; (2 ) tli c exten t andgravit

y o f th e violation ; (3 ) th e re.$pondent' s degre e o f

culpability ; (4 ) th e respondent' s history o f prio r violations , if

any ; (5 ) th e respondent' s abilit

y t o pay th e civi l penalty ; (6 ) th e effect o n th e entity' s ability t o sta y in business ; an d(7 ) other matter s a s justic e ma

y require . Se e 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(e)(2) ; Se e als o Folsom' x Ai

r Service . Inc. . FAA Order

No . 2008-1 1 (November

6 , 2008) , p . 11 . 2 . In determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o determin e whethe r th e violatio n was inadverten t or deliberate . 3 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

th e Respondent' s size , particularl y i n determinin g th e allege doffender' s ability t o absor b th e sanction . 4 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt

y fail s t o reflec t

th e totalit y o f th e circumstance s surroundin g th e violations . Se e Fol.wm' s Ai r Service , inc. , FAA Orde r

No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r

6,2008) , p . 12 ; Eastern Ai

r Center , Inc. , FAA Orde

r No . 2008- 3 (Januar

y 28 , 2008) . 5 . FLIGHTSTA Rdoe s no t hav e th e financial abilit

y to pa y th e propose dcivi l penally . 6 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y woul dhav e adetrimental elTec t o n th e abilit

y o f FLIGHISTA R t o continu e doin g business . 7 . FLIGHTSTA Rrelie s upo n th e affirmativ e defens e o f reasonabl e reliance .11/24/201 0 10:2 6 FAX 202493514 2 FA A + DM S Ig)004/00 6

8 . Th e Federal Aviatio n Administration' s (FAA'S ) interpretatio n o f it s Federal Aviatio n Regulation s i n thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , a n abus e o f discretion , o r

otherwis e no t

i n accordanc e wit

h law . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; Watkin.< i v . NTSB , 17 8 F.3 d959 , 96 1 (8t h Cir . 1999) . 9 . Th e FAA' S interpretatio n o f it s aviatio n regulation s i s unconstitutionall y vague . Se e Thoma s v . Hinson , 7 4 F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8t h Cir . 1996) ; se e als o Tran s Suite s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8ih Cir . 2006) ; Heat h v . SEC , 200 9 U.S . App . LEXI S 2412 8 a t *53-55 . 10 . Th e I'AA' s applicatio n o f it s Federal Aviatio n Regulation s i n thi s cas e i s contrary l o th e regulation' s plai n language . Sc^Advant aUSA , Inc . v. Chao , 35 0 F.3 d726 , 72 8 (8t h Cir . 2003) , quotin g Gardebringv . .Imkins , 48 5 U.S . 415,430 , 10 8 S . Ct . 1306,9 9 L . Ed . 2 d51 5 (1988) . Se e als o Tran s State s Airlines . Inc . v , FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8t h Cir . 2006) . 11 . Responden t

as.sert s that

th e Complainan t

ha s faile dt o stat e aclai mupo n whic h th e relie f requeste dma

y b e granted . 12 . Responden t

assert s that

th e Complainan t

lack s substantial basi s i n la w an dfac t t o continu e prosecutio n o f

thi s matte r

agains t it .11/24/201 0 10:2 6 FA X 202493514 2 FA A • > DM S g|005/00 e

Dated ; Novembe r

17 , 201 0 Respectftill y Saomitted ,

WINTON , ESQ . fion Law Fir

m Cour t Suit e 45 0 Rockvilic , M D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5 G r e iz(q) A v i at i onL awLxperts . co m Counse l fo

r Responden t11/24/201 0 10:2 7 FA X 202493514 2 FA A DM S glOOG/OO G

CERTIFICAT E O F SERVIC E I hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e thi s date serve db y regula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a n origina l an d on e (1 ) cop y o f

th e foregoin g Answe r

addresse dto : Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Federal Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Suile2W100 0 Washington , D.C . 2059 1 And , further , that

I hav e thi s date serve dvi afacsimil e andregula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a cop y o f th e foregoin g Answer

addresse dto : Glen n L . Brow n Senio r Attorne y Federal Aviatio n Administratio n Grea t Lake s Region , AGL- 7 230 0 Devo n Avenu e De s Plaines , IL 6001 8 Tel : 847-294-706 3 Fax : 847-294-749 8 Dated : November

17 , 201 0 )RY S . WINTON , ESQ . /Aviatio n Law Fir

m 'n e Researc h Cour

t Suite 45 0 Rockville , M

D 2085 0 Tel : (.301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5