# SWIF T I S AIR.u c •J^p.lENTO F

February 4 , 201 1 ' -y;:p-JttTO N ^ Docke t Managemen t

Facility U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n ^

- . _( • U 2 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Wes t Buildin g Groun dFloo r Roo mW12-14 0 Washington , D.C . 2059 0 T o who mi

t may concern : Swif t Air , LL C request s relie f fromSectio n 121.434(cXl)(ii ) o f Title 14 , Cod e o f

Federal Regulation s (1 4 CFR ) t o th e exten t necessary t o permi t

th e company t o substitut e a qualifie dan dauthorize dchec k airma n i n plac e o f a n FA A inspecto r

t o observ e a qualifyin g pilo t

i n comman d(PIC ) whil e that PI C i s performin g prescribe ddutie s durin g a t leas t on e flight

le g that include s atakeof

f an dalandin g whe n completin g initia l o r upgrad e trainin g a s specifie di n Sectio n 121.424 . Ou r researc h o f

th e origina l inten t

o f Secfio n 121.434(c ) (1 ) (ii) , issue di n earl y 1970 , wa s t o validat e th e trainin g apilo t receive di n avisua l simulator . Sinc e tha t rul e wa s adopted , th e airiin e industry ha s ha dove r 3 0 year s o f

experienc e with visual simulator s an d advance dsimulation . A s matte r o f fact , th e airline s hav e successfull y traine dten s o f thousand s o f

pilot s usin g sophisticate dadvance dsimulators . W e believ e th e advance d simulatio n experienc e o f

th e airlin e industry combme dwit h that o f th e FA A ha s mad e th e presen t rul e obsolete . W e ar e forecastin g 9-2 1 ne w PIC s i n th e nex t 6 months . Thes e trainin g requirement s an dth e fac t

tha t w e d o man y charter s al l ove r th e worl dca

n caus e majo r

problem s tryin g t o ge t FAA support . In th e past , w e hav e experience dmeaningfij l delays becaus e o f limite dinspecto r

availability . Th e limite dinspecto r resource s hav e cause dcancellatio n o f schedule dO E observation s an da t time s hav e exacerbate dou r attempt s t o achiev e a n orderl y an defficien t

trainin g flow . Base dupo n pas t experience , thi s coul dproduc e significan t

delay s i n th e trainin g pipelin e an dmajo r operationa l shortfalls . We recogniz e th e manpowe r constraint s impose dupo n th e FA A an dthat th e PO I ha s had t o us e resource s fi-omth e FAA syste mt o satisf y som e o f

ou r requests . Thi s ha s bee n a n acceptabl e option ; however , th e result s hav e bee n inconsisten t an dunreliable . Recently , th e Compan y ha doperationa l an deconomi c impact s involvin g pilot s i n trainin g becaus e a n FAA PI C observatio n wa s canceled . Ther e hav e bee n othe r instance s involvin g pilo t i n comman dtrainin g tha t

hav e negativel y affecte dth e Company . Specifically , pilot s coul dno t assum e thei r

ne w statu s a s PI C becaus e the y wer e i n queu e waitin g fo r FA A support t o accomplis h operatin g experienc e observations . I f thi s continues , w e forecas t delays tha t

wil l hav e asignifican t

economi c an doperationa l impact .

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# SWIF T 5 § AIR.u c

W e believ e that

th e FA A ha s th e authorit y to , an droutinel y does , observ e an y pilo t a t an y time . I woul dad dthat

th e FAA conduct s thes e routin e observation s o n aschedul e tha t 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 tlight s necessitate db y th e airline' s trainin g an dservic e schedule . Swif t Ai r contend s tha t relievm g th e FA A inspector s o f thei r obligatio n t o observ e pilot s a s require dunde r Sectio n 121.434(c ) (1 ) (ii ) woul dallo w th e FA A t o focu s it s effort s o n highe r priority safet y concerns . A s amatte r

o f fac t a t pas t Safet y Summits , sponsore db y th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n an dth e FAA , on e o f th e recommendation s fromth e Trainin g Issue s Workin g Grou p wa s t o allo w qualifie dcompany chec k airma n t o provid e th e FA A observatio n whe n a

n FA A inspecto r

i s no t available . Thi s woul dallo w th e FA A t o targe t it s personne l o n thos e area s deservin g highe r priorit y an dattentio n providin g amor e cost effectiv e us e o f

a n inspector's time . Thi s recommendatio n ha s bee n endorse da t al l level s o f th e FA A a s a

n actio n tha t

clearl y woul dbenefi t

th e FA A an dairlines . W e als o believ e thi s propose dexemptio n woul db e i n th e publi c interest . I f approve dthis exemptio n i t

woul dallow : 1 . Th e FA A greate r

flexibility an dbette r

us e o f it s inspectio n forc e b y focusin g o n highe r priorit y safety ftmctions; 2 . Swif t Ai r t o us e aqualifie dpilo t

immediatel y after

completin g OE ; 3 . Swif t Ai r t o significantl y increas e th e us e o f qualifie dpilot s an dimprov e it s abilit y t o provid e on-time , dependabl e ai r servic e t o th e public ; an d 4 . Swif t Ai r t o reduc e th e unnecessar y cos t o f wage s an dlos t

productivit y for

thos e qualifie dpilot s waitin g for th e FA A observation . Swif t Ai r believe s thi s propose dexemptio n woul dhav e n o advers e effec t o n safet y for th e followin g reasons : 1 . Al l authorize dchec k

airma n woul db e highl y traine dan dexperience dwith th e particular airplan e typ e an dwoul db e approve db y th e FAA ; 2 . Al l chec k

airma n woul db e use dt o fiilfill th e requirement s o f Sectio n 121.434(c ) (1 ) (ii ) onl y whe n a

n FA A inspecto r

i s no t available ; an d 3 . Th e FA A ha s th e authority t o observ e an y pilo t a t any tim e durin g lin e operations . Furthermore , i

n som e instances , i

t coul db e possibl e th e FAA inspecto r performin g th e observatio n may no t

b e qualifie di n th e airplan e bein g flown o r knowledgeabl e o f

th e company' s procedures . B y allowin g acompany chec k airma n wh o i s highly qualifie di n

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# SWIFT S AIR... c

th e airplan e t o complet e th e observation , agreate r leve l o f scrutin y an dobjectivity woul d b e provide dfor

th e qualifyin g PIC . Th e exemptio n i f

grante dwoul db e subjec t t o th e followin g propose dcondition s an d limitations : 1 . Swif t Ai r woul dsubmi t

t o it s PO I a

n estimat e o f

th e numbe r

o f PIC s completin g trainin g an daplan o f

ho w O E observation s woul db e conducted . Th e plan woul d b e approve db y th e PO I befor e aqualifie dchec k airma n bega n a

n O E observation . 2 . Swif t Ai r woul dnominat e qualifie dchec k airme n t o performth e O E observation , an dth e FA A woul dapprov e th e qualifie dchec k airme n t o conduc t

th e observatio n throug h alette r o f authorization . 3 . Th e requiremen t

o f Sectio n 121.434(c ) (1 ) (ii ) woul db e considere dftilfilledi f th e observatio n i s performe db y a n FAA-authorize dchec k

airman . Th e observatio n requiremen t

woul db e documente di

n th e qualifyin g pilot' s record . 4 . Th e authorize dchec k airma n woul db e achec k airma n othe r

than th e on e wh o i s conductin g th e O E flights o f th e qualifyin g pilot . Respectfull y submitted .

Captai n Richar dBel l Directo r o f Operation s Swif t Air , LL C E-mail : rbell@swiftaviationgroup.co m Direc t Telephon e Contact : 602.432.069 9

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