[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7010-7011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3194]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 135

[Docket No. FAA 2011-1397]


Clarification of Policy Regarding Approved Training Programs; 
Correction

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of availability; Correction.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is correcting a notice published on December 27, 2011 
(76 FR 80831). In that notice of availability the FAA announced the 
availability of an FAA Notice that would require FAA inspectors to 
review policy regarding approved training programs as well as to 
identify and correct those training programs which erroneously issued 
credit for previous training or checking. The Notice also provided 
guidance on constructing reduced hour training programs based on 
previous experience. Upon review of the comments and any necessary 
revision, the Notice would cancel and replace FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 
3, Chapter 19, Paragraph 3-1111. This document corrects an incorrect 
comment due date.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before February 27, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2011-1397 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room 
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket 
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the 
docket web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all 
comments received into any FAA dockets, including the name of the 
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions 
for accessing the docket or Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the 
West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Burke, Air Carrier Training 
Branch, Air Transportation Division, Flight Standards Service, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20591; telephone: 202-267-8262; facsimile: 202-267-5229; email: 
[email protected].

Background

    On December 27, 2011, the FAA published a notice of availability 
entitled, ``Clarification of Policy Regarding Approved Training 
Programs'' (76 FR 80831).
    The FAA Order 8900.1, Flight Standards Information Management 
System, was issued on September 13, 2007. This order consolidated and 
replaced FAA Orders 8300.1, 8400.1, and 8700.1, the FAA's guidance to 
inspectors. There have been numerous inquiries by part 135 certificate 
holders regarding the acceptance of training/evaluations previously 
completed by a crewmember while in the employment of another 
certificate holder. Regulations do not permit the crediting of such 
training (with the specific exception of CRM and DRM training).
    Additionally, some training centers have distributed a training 
program template that provides credit for training/evaluations 
conducted by another operator. Such provisions are contrary to the 
intent as well as the technical provisions of part 135 and are not 
appropriate for inclusion in a certificate holder's approved training 
program.
    Part 135 certificate holders may develop and submit for approval 
multiple curriculums for a particular crewmember position and aircraft 
make/model/variant. For example, a part 135 certificate holder may have 
a an initial new-hire curriculum designed to meet the requirements of 
new hire crewmembers that have minimal flight

[[Page 7011]]

time, no previous part 135 experience, or do not have qualifications 
related to the certificate holder's operational environment. The 
certificate holder may then also apply for a reduced new hire 
curriculum for pilots that have previous experience as a crewmember in 
part 135 operations and/or the particular aircraft and duty position. 
The second curriculum in this example may have less training hours due 
to the crewmember's extensive experience. Each of these curriculums 
would also have detailed prerequisites to define the level of 
experience required to enter into either of these new hire programs. 
There are no hour requirements which need to be defined on a reduced 
training program, however all the training elements of the certificate 
holder's full initial training program must be accomplished as well as 
the qualification module.
    While the FAA generally does not request comment on internal 
Notices and orders, the agency has established a docket for public 
comments regarding this guidance for inspectors in recognition of the 
interest of current 14 CFR part 135 certificate holders. The agency 
will consider all comments received by February 27, 2012. Comments 
received after that date may be considered if consideration will not 
delay agency action on the review. A copy of the proposed order is 
available for review in the assigned docket for the Order at http://www.regulations.gov.

Correction

    This document is correcting an incorrect comment due date of 
January 26, 2012 and replacing it with the correct comment due date of 
February 27, 2012.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 2, 2012.
John S. Duncan,
Acting Deputy Director, FAA Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-3194 Filed 2-9-12; 8:45 am]
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