AFS-12-179-E March 29, 2012

Exemption No. 7132G Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2002-11485

Ms. Leslie C. Abbott Senior Attorney Southwest Airlines Company 1901 L Street NW., Suite 640 Washington, D.C. 20036

Dear Ms. Abbott:

This letter is to inform you that we are revising your petition to extend Exemption No. 7132,

as amended.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated January 13, 2012, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Adm inistration (FAA) on behalf of Southwest Airlines Company (S outhwest) for an extension of Exemption No. 7132, as amended. That exemption from § 121.434(c)(1)(ii) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations allows Southwest to substitute a qualified and authorized check airman in place of an FAA inspector to observe a qualifying pilot in command (PIC) while that PIC is performing prescribed duties during at least one flight leg that includes a takeoff and a landing when completing initial or upgrade training as specified in § 121.424.

Once you were granted your extension, it was noted the FAA inadvertently included the wrong conditions and limitations. This exemption includes the correct list of conditions and limitations. The FAA apologizes for any inconvenience this has caused.

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 Southwest.

Our Decision

The FAA has determ ined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 7132, 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. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, I grant your petition, subject to the following conditions

and limitations.

Conditions and Limitations

1. A Southwest check airm an or aircrew program designee may conduct a PIC observation in place of an FAA inspector 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. Southwest, therefore, must contact an appropriate FAA office, in each instance, before substituting that check airman or aircrew program designee;

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

c. The qualifying 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 Southwest check airman or aircrew program designee conducting a PIC observation in place of an FAA inspector must––

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

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

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

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

The Effect of Our Decision

Our decision extends the term ination date of Exemption No. 7132, as amended, to February 28, 2014, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/ Raymond Towles Acting Director, Flight Standards

Service