OFFICE OF T’HE AlTORNEY GENERAL ?F I?=! AUSTIN ., QlLIALo c. Wlna rrm!mn omlsmu. 

### Honorable

Jeff Di StLnion,:V'i&-Chairman StateA#alre Oommltt,eo,~ "

"The teriioonund oarrler' tieawd any aldrart..; "~ oarriiaywhioh

olds ,itaplf

ou<to,the gsneral:pubLio: to 

### engagein.'the.:tran~portation.ln intras$ate"oommerfe : by 

### ulroraft.

o$.‘,periaone or, ,pr~p~e~~~ 

### or tiny' ,olaoe or. : . --\

. .-~

Eonorable Jeff D. Stinson,Vloe-Chalrman Page 2 olasses thereof for oompensatlon or hire whether over regular or irregular routee, airlanes or airways. “The ters * oontraot oarrler’means any aircraft oarrier whioh, under Individualor speoial oontraots or agreements,engG’ges in the transportation,’ in intrastate oommeroe,by .airoraft of persona or propsrty .for oospensation

or hire. The bill provides that no alroraft oarrler shall operate within the State, either as .a oommon oarrler or as a oontraot oarrler,without. obtaining a oertifioateof eonvenlenoe and neoesslty~fromthe Railroad Comuisslon. ‘.

Seotlon 16, of the &ot provides in ~parb: “The purpose of this Act is to regulate the operation ,’ :andnavigation of airoraft used- in .thisState to traneport persons or property for hire in intrastate oomme2o~e;. . .” ~,’ ‘i Wltbout~ a given faot sltuatioqbe&e. us. we o&ot oategorioally

answer your question. It is oonoelvablethat oertain,oontraots

might be made between farmers and airplane ‘~’ operators,

whloh.‘would

bring the operator thereof within the purview of the bill. The individualoontraote should be -made subjeot to sorutlny for the. purpose or asoertainlng whether or not euph oontraotsprovided for ~thetransportation or property

3or hire, however, we do not believe that a oontraot entered into by and between a f’armer and an aikplsne pllor or oommer’oial airplane operatorby which the pilot or operator obligated himself to spray or dust poisons upon the farmer*s crops for. an ‘agreed

oonsideratlon,

would bring the operator thereof within the’regulatory p~lovisions

of the bill. . We do not believe that he would be oarrying .*persons or, property ror oompensation

or shire*. Ris oontraot.youldbe one ,for eerviog

( “,The ,oarryj.ng

or transporting

,of. suoh~ poisons would be but jnotdental to ~theperformanoeof his o~ontraot~ for service;:

.. iRy,,‘supplemental

&quest from RonoFabie John Lee ‘Smith, Lieutenant:

(Governor,

we are requested to render-an opinion as ‘. / i to whethei?‘,:or~not

private fliers of alrorait.andalso owners of. alroraft.:.who

ave been in,

the business of ~flylng persons for hire ,ov’&r,‘iTregular routes and irregular. schedules to tiy point or:.

po$tit.s

.in: Texas : would oonie

uuder the grandfather olauee .@‘#j.t&~~ ayqtion rour or seotlon five o$ saia bill.

,.. ~, --.~

Honorable

## Jeff D. Stinson,Vioe-OhaIrman Page 3

*After the effective date of this Aot no aircraft. oarrler shall operate as a oomuon carrier in intrastate oonuneroe

without,firsthaving obtainedfrom,the Co3mission , under the provisions of this Aot, a oertifioateof publio convenienoeand neoessity pursuant to a finding that the public convenienceand neoessity require such operation. Provided, however, If any such oarrier or Dredeaessor in interest was in bona fide ~operation.as a common carrier by aircraft on Deoember l;.1942i over ,the routes',.airlsnes. an6 airways.or;w%thin the territoryfor which application is made and has so operated oontinuouslysinoe that time, the Commission sh&Ll.lssue such oertificate without requiring further proofthat public oonvenienoe~ and neoussity will be served-by suoh operation , end without furth‘er pro-.

. oeedings, ifapplloatlon is made for suoh oertifioateto the Commission, in oomplianoe with'this Aot within 120 days ,after,the

effective,

date of this Act. ,If,suoh appli-, oation is'timely filed as required herein~theapplicant shall be~entltled to continue to operate, until his applioation Is,aoted op by the Commlsslonr : ?After~,the

effeotivedate of this Aot'no airoraft The bill referred to by the Lieutenant Governor Is Senate Bill 61, whloh is the identloalbill oonslderedhereinabove, We believe the private fliers and airoraft owners mentioned are.within the #iview of the bill. and subjeot to regulation thereunder... '. Seotlons four and five of the bill deal with ooamon oarriers and contraat oarriers and read as follows:.

oarrier shall pperate as a.oontraot carrierwithoutfirst . having'obt+ed from the Commission a'oontraot oarrier pernit issued in complianoe with the requ,irements of this Aot, pursuant to's finding by the Commission that the proposed~operation will be oonsistantwith the~publio ,. interest; .Provided, however, if any suoh oarrier or prOdeoess,or

in interestwas in bona fide operation as qontraot:

oarrier,byairoraft on Deoember.l, 1942, over thtiroutee,.airlaneo~ and airways or within the territory fo,ti,whi@,applloatlon is -de and has so operated oon- ~tlnuousfy

sinoe~thattine; the Commission shall issue 'I. su.& permitwithout further prooeedings lf applloation ~,.' ~+s'made

to the~Com@issionfor suoh permit; in oomplianoe ._'

.- ._ : I I ,, ‘

.‘,: .’

‘

..__.: - -_-

_

honorableJeff D. Stlnson,Vioe-Chair&n Page 4 ‘,
with this Aot, within 120 days after the effleotive date of this Aot. If such appll6atloals’timelyfiled as requiredhereln;.the applicant shall be entitled to oontinue to operate until his applloationis acted on by the Comiss+on.. ._ We do not determlnewhether the’ aircraft oarriers inquiredabout are oommon oarriersor oontraot oarriers. That would depend upon a more detailed. desoriptlonof their method or operation. It 1s our opinion,however, that they would be entitled to the benefit affordedby the grandfatherclauses of seotlonfour or rive, depending upon a prior determination of the oategory into whloh they should fall. . .

. : .

..“. :- ;. : . .,, : ,,~., ..,‘.. .,-.,..‘.’

,, 1~ ~~Yours

‘vel’y~ truly ’

. ‘. ‘: ,::. * ‘,‘:;y ,_:. :.‘- ;BTpoRNEY GliwERu OF TlEQs ’ ‘..,.y:;:~ : , :.. .~, .l..‘!. .I, :
., ~. ~By. ,i~..‘L~..t’

:.~, Dyd mtrong : AsSistant Lfbnob ” ~. \.;.,.b~~ - ,..,‘,~.,.:)

‘>::.;.;;” I,: ,’ .~ ._

. . . ,., ‘..I ,:

,, ..;~ . . : hod APPROVEQ Mm. ~26,; .x343 ',.

: ~' ~. ~1 i .~' ~: ~. in

.

, .

.~ . . ., :