| SFAR 88 Service Bulletins and BBJ AMOC Update |
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Dear PATS Customers, In our first Newsletter of 2009, we committed to keeping you up to date on our SFAR 88 Service Bulletin and AMOC Approval efforts. Following is a complete status update on all of the PATS Deactivation Service Bulletins, the current BBJ AMOC Approval status for the BBJ SFAR 88 Service Bulletins, and a summary of PATS continuing support efforts for Customers to aid them in completing these modifications and/or deactivations prior to the December 2009 AD deadline. A number of your calls and emails have expressed concerns over the length of time this process is taking. While the Service Bulletin and AMOC Approval process with the FAA has taken longer than PATS could ever have anticipated, PATS is pleased to announce that the approval of the PATS BBJ SFAR 88 Service Bulletins, as an Alternate Method of Compliance (AMOC) with AD2008-22-01, is now imminent and expected this week. While there are still a number of Deactivation Service Bulletins in front of the FAA awaiting their review and approval, we wish to assure our Customers that PATS is in nearly daily contact with the FAA and is doing everything possible to expedite their release. The FAA has been cooperating and is supporting our requests. Following are detailed breakdowns of the actions PATS is taking to support our Customers: 1. PATS Deactivation Service Bulletins The table at the end of this Newsletter shows all PATS SFAR 88 Deactivation Service Bulletins that are presently at the FAA awaiting final review and acceptance. Per our recent conversations with the FAA, we expect all of these Deactivation Service Bulletins to be approved in the April/May timeframe. 2. AMOCS
Since the issuance of AD2008-22-01 in October 2008, PATS submitted the first AMOC proposal to the FAA in November and resubmitted it again in December due to a FAA requested format change. For each of the past few months, PATS has been addressing a number of FAA requests and recommendations. As noted above, we have now been notified by the FAA that the approval of the BBJ SFAR 88 SB's as an AMOC with AD2008-22-01 is now imminent and can be expected this week.
To assist Customers who already have SFAR 88 compliant PATS STC's installed on their aircraft (that were mistakenly listed on this AD), PATS has submitted AMOC requests to the FAA for these STC's and also expects these AMOC approvals to follow shortly.
PATS has SFAR 88 solutions for the early models of the Boeing 737 aircraft. Due to the need for structural modifications to the aircraft and tank structure, these modifications will need to be performed at PATS' facility in Delaware. As noted above, PATS has prepared deactivation Service Bulletins for those operators who elect not to perform these modifications or who cannot do so before the AD deadline. SFAR 88 solutions for the Boeing 757-200 and Bombardier CRJ aircraft are still under review and development at PATS. PATS has prepared deactivation Service Bulletins for these aircraft as it is presently unlikely that a solution will exist prior to the AD deadline. Additional Information on the early 737 aircraft modifications, 757 and Bombardier CRJ AFS deactivation Service Bulletins is available from PATS Customer Service or Sales personnel shown in the Contact Table at the end of this Newsletter. Please feel free to contact us. 3. BBJ/BBJ2 SFAR 88 Service Bulletin Kits Presently, PATS shows only 10 BBJ/BBJ2 Operators who have not already placed orders for their SFAR 88 Service Bulletin Kits! Approximately 1/3 of all BBJ/BBJ2 aircraft have already installed their SB Kits, and all existing SB kit orders will be completed for delivery to Customers before the end of October. PATS is also increasing the number of SB Kits being produced each month to help ensure kits are available to support these Customers earliest possible installation date. Please call PATS Customer Service if you have not already ordered your Service Bulletin Kits. 4. PATS Installation Support In order to support the installation of as many SFAR 88 Service Bulletin Kits as possible by PATS trained and experienced personnel before the December 2009 AD deadline, PATS is taking the following actions:
PATS has recently expanded its ability to support the BBJ fleet by allocating additional modification slots at our Georgetown, Delaware hangars to support BBJ aircraft maintenance. PATS now has maintenance slots available in 2009 to accommodate Customer's maintenance needs and/or their SFAR 88 SB Kit installation requirements. Several maintenance slots will be available as early as June. Please contact our Sales Director, Brian Neal, if you are interested in scheduling one of these maintenance slots.
PATS “Tiger Team” can presently support two SFAR 88 SB Kit installations per month. Additional PATS tank and maintenance personnel are being dedicated to the SFAR 88 modification program so as to allow the creation of a second PATS “Tiger Team” by June 1st. These two teams will be capable of supporting up to four SFAR 88 SB Kit installations per month at facilities of the Customers choosing. Please contact PATS Sales or Customer Service for information on the availability of these “Tiger Teams”.
Additional PATS Engineers are being added to the SFAR 88 Program to help expedite PATS response time to deviation requests. These requests are associated with routing and/or structural issues encountered during the SFAR 88 SB Kit installations.
Although it is not anticipated that BBJ operators will require Deactivation Service Bulletins due to the release of the AMOC, PATS will developed and submitted these to the FAA for approval should a Customer not be able to complete these modifications by the December 2009 AD deadline. The following page contains a listing of PATS Customer Service, Sales and SFAR 88 contacts. We realize this letter may not address all of your concerns, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have. Best regards, Duncan Clark PATS Customer Service and SFAR 88 Contacts:
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