November 10, 2015

 Exemption No. 13749

 Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2015-3740

Mr. James Arthur

Director of Operations

Metro Aviation, Inc.

1214 Hawn Avenue

Shreveport, LA 71107

Dear Mr. Arthur:

This letter is to inform you that we have granted your request for exemption. 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 21, 2015, you petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 

behalf of Metro Aviation, Inc. (Metro Aviation), for an exemption from § 135.611(b) of 

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to allow Metro Aviation to conduct 

instrument flight rules (IFR) departures and IFR approach procedures at airports and heliports 

that do not have an approved weather reporting source in helicopter air ambulance operations 

using aircraft without functioning severe weather detection equipment (airborne radar or 

lightning strike detection equipment) when there is no reasonable expectation of severe 

weather at the destination, the alternate, or along the route of flight.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition 

in the Federal Register because the requested exemption would not set a precedent, and any 

delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Metro Aviation.

The FAA has issued a grant of exemption in circumstances similar in all material respects to 

those presented in your petition. In Grant of Exemption No. 13133 (copy enclosed), the FAA 

found that smaller operators and operators that have not yet established an operational control 
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center can establish flight monitoring capabilities utilizing personnel trained on availablility of 

severe weather reporting and forecasting products and appropriate methods of communicating 

observed real-time location and rate of development of severe weather. In addition, the FAA 

found that granting an exemption from the requirement for onboard severe weather detection 

equipment would not adversely affect safety if the operator provides appropriate training in 

conveying thunderstorm reporting and forecasting to flight crew and operational control 

specialist (OCS) or other personnel assigned to monitor operations to ensure that the

exemption is utilized only when there is no reasonable expectation of thunderstorms or other 

potentially hazardous weather that could otherwise be detected along the route with onboard 

weather radar or lightning detection equipment.

Having reviewed your reasons for requesting an exemption, I find that—

• they do not differ materially from those presented by the petitioner in the enclosed Grant

of exemption No. 13133;

• the reasons stated by the FAA for granting the enclosed Grant of Exemption No. 13133

also apply to the situation you present; and 

• a grant of exemption is in the public interest.

Our Decision

Under the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 106(f), 40113 and 44701, which the FAA 

Administrator has delegated to me, Metro Aviation, Inc. is granted an exemption from 

§ 135.611(b) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to allow Metro Aviation to 

conduct IFR departures and IFR approach procedures at airports and heliports that do not have 

an approved weather reporting source in helicopter air ambulance operations using aircraft 

without functioning severe weather detection equipment (airborne radar or lightning strike 

detection equipment) when there is no reasonable expectation of severe weather at the 

destination, the alternate, or along the route of flight, subject to the conditions and limitations 

described below.

Conditions and Limitations:

1. The exemption is limited to IFR helicopter air ambulance operations conducted by 

Metro Aviation (operating certificate HDNA610E) in accordance with § 135.601 in 

helicopters with a passenger seating configuration of nine seats or less (excluding any 

pilot seat).

2. Use of this exemption is authorized only at airports or heliports with an instrument

approach procedure and at which a weather report is not available from the national 

weather service (NWS), a source approved by the NWS, or a source approved by the

Administrator.
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3. When conducting operations under the provisions of this exemption, Metro Aviation

and the pilot in command (PIC) must comply with §§ 135.611(a), (c), and (d) as 

applicable.

4. The PIC and either a Metro Aviation OCS or other Metro Aviation personnel who 

satisfy the requirements of condition and limitation eight of this exemption must 

participate in the IFR pre-flight planning and risk analysis requied by § 135.617 for 

the purpose of assessing the probability of severe weather. If the PIC or either the 

OCS or personnel who satisfies the requirements of Condition and Limitation No. 8,

determines that there is a reasonable expectation of thunderstorms at the destination 

airport or heliport, at the alternate airport or heliport, or along the route to be flown 

for the period of time planned for the flight, the flight must be declined.

5. Each PIC who conducts operations under this exemption must use current weather 

observations and forecast information obtained from the NWS or from a source 

approved by the FAA, to determine that there is no reasonable expectation of 

thunderstorms at the destination airport or heliport, at the alternate airport or heliport, 

or along the route to be flown for the period of time planned for the flight. Sources 

include all of the following: AIRMET, SIGMET, Convective SIGMET, METAR, 

Regional NEXRAD, NOTAM, PIREP, and TAF or other aviation weather forecast, as 

appropriate and available.

6. All flights conducted under this grant of exemption must be continuously monitored by 

a Metro Aviation OCS or other Metro Aviation personnel who satisfy the requirements 

of Condition and Limitation No. 8 of this exemption. Any information concerning 

thunderstorms and severe weather must be provided directly to the pilot via two-way 

communication system or by relay through a communications center. 

7. Flight planning for IFR flights conducted under this exemption must include selection

of an alternate airport that meets the requirements of §§ 135.221 and 135.223 and has

an approved weather reporting source in accordance with § 135.213.

8. Metro Aviation must amend its FAA-approved training program as provided in § 135.325 

to ensure all pilots conducting IFR operations under this exemption and all Metro Aviation

OCSs or other Metro Aviation personnel reviewing risk analyses and monitoring flights 

satisfactorily complete additional initial and recurrent training, checking and testing prior 

to operating under the provisions of this exemption. The pilot recurrent training, testing and 

checking on the subjects identified in paragraphs a. through f. of this condition and 

limitation must take place within 12 calendar months before service as a pilot operating in 

compliance with this exemption. The OCS or other personnel monitoring the flight must 

complete this additional recurrent training and testing every 12 calendar months after 

completion of initial training and testing. The training, testing, and checking, as applicable 
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to the pilot and the OCS or other personnel monitoring the flight must include the 

following subjects:

a. The applicability and use of this exemption;

b. IFR operating procedures for locations without weather reporting;

c. IFR flight planning considerations for thunderstorms and convective activity;

d. Use and interpretation of NWS charts, weather reports, and forecast productsthat 

depict current or forecast thunderstorm activity as well as weather services, such as 

pilot reports, AIRMETS, SIGMETS, live radar feeds, and in-flight severe weather 

advisories;

e. Interpretation and appropriate use of available cockpit weather displays including 

the significant limitations of NEXRAD or similar mosaic weather displays and that 

such in-flight graphic weather depictions may not be used for penetration of areas 

of thunderstorms or navigation around thunderstorms; and

f. Methods for determining weather conditions including the presence of severe 

weather precursors during observations by the pilot. This must include methods for

determining present visibility (measured or estimated), methods for determining 

estimated ceilings, and methods for weather observation used by the NWS.

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

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan

Director, Flight Standards Service

Enclosure