AFS-15-4016-E November 30, 2015

Exemption No. 9844D Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2004-17207

Mr. Ed Rusk Manager of Quality Thrush Aircraft, Inc.

300 Old Pretoria Road Albany, GA 31706

Dear Mr. Rusk:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your petition to extend Exemption No. 9844, as amended. It transmits our decision, explains its basis, and gives you the conditions and limitations of the exemption, including the date it ends.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated July 22, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on behalf of Thrush Aircraft, Inc. (Thrush) for an extension of Exemption No. 9844, as amended. That exemption from § 61.31(a)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) allows Thrush pilots to operate as pilot-in-command (PIC) without holding a type rating when operating Thrush Model S2R-T660 aircraft that have a maximum gross weight that exceeds 12,500 pounds.

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.

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 Thrush.2

Our Decision

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 9844, 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. 106(f), 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegated to me, I grant Thrush Aircraft, Inc. (Thrush) an exemptionfrom 14 CFR § 61.31(a)(1) to the extent necessary to allow Thrush pilots to operate as pilotin-command (PIC) without holding a type rating when operating Thrush Model S2R-T660 aircraft that have a maximum gross weight that exceeds 12,500 pounds, subject to the

conditions and limitations below.

Conditions and Limitations

1. This exemption applies to pilots operating S2R-T660 aircraft that hold a restricted category airworthiness certificate for operations involving agricultural, forest protection, and narcotic crop eradication flight operations.

2. Thrush must develop and maintain a training manual that includes aeronautical knowledge training on the S2R-T660 aircraft systems, and the performance and handling characteristics of the SR2-T660 aircraft. This training manual must include characteristics that are unique to S2R-T660 aircraft that are operated above 12,500 pounds. Thrush may exercise the privileges of this exemption only if it has documentation showing approval of its training manual from the FAA’s General Aviation and Commercial Division, located at 800 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20591. The training manual and approval documentation must be made immediately available to any representative of the FAA Administrator, upon

request.

3. Except as provided in Condition and Limitation No. 4, before a pilot can serve as PIC in the S2R-T660 aircraft, that pilot must have successfully completed familiarization ground training for the S2R-T660 aircraft th at includes a review of the approved aircraft flight manual and cockpit familiarization checkout. This checkout must include documented ground training on the S2R-T660 aircraft systems, and the performance and handling characteristics of the S2R-T660 aircraft.

4. Pilots who have logged at least100 hours of flight time, with at least 10 hours in the preceding 12 months, in a S2R-T660 aircraft, need not complete the training requirements of Condition and Limitation No. 3. A record of this flight time must be made available by the pilot upon request by any representative of the FAA

Administrator.

5. Thrush must –

a. Ensure each pilot logs the ground training in his or her logbook, or Thrush must record such training in the pilot’s training record; and3

b. Make this record of training available for review to any representative of the FAA Administrator, upon request.

6. The person qualified to give training under this exemption must meet the following minimum qualifications:

a. Be authorized by Thrush to give this instruction;

b. Hold at least a commercial pilot certificate; and

c. Meet the following experience requirements:

i. 500 hours of flight time in turbine-powered agricultural type airplanes;

or

ii. 1,000 hours of flight time in agricultural type airplanes which includes at least 100 hours of flight time in a S2R-T660 aircraft.

7. Thrush must make a copy of this exemption available to each pilot who serves as PIC

in the S2R-T660 aircraft.

The Effect of Our Decision

This exemption terminates on November 30, 2017, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s//

John S. Duncan Director, Flight Standards Service