[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR121SFAR80]

[Page 731-732]

                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE

CHAPTER I--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                               (CONTINUED)

PART 121_OPERATING REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS--Table of Contents

Sec. Special Federal Aviation Regulation 80--Alternative Communications
                       and Dispatching Procedures

    1. Applicability. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation applies
to each holder of an air carrier or operating certificate (hereafter,
certificate holder) that meets one of the following eligibility
requirements:
    a. The certificate holder conducts scheduled operations with
airplanes having a passenger-seat configuration of 30 seats or fewer,
excluding each crewmember seat, and a payload capacity of 7,500 pounds
or less under part 121 of this chapter.
    b. The certificate holder conducts domestic operations in Alaska
under part 121 of this chapter.
    2. Alternative requirements.
    a. If an operator described in paragraph 1.a. of this SFAR is
conducting a flight with an airplane described in 1.a. and if
communications cannot be maintained over the entire route (which would
be contrary to the requirements of Sec. 121.99 of this chapter), such
an operator may continue to operate over such a route subject to
approval by the Administrator. In granting such approval the
Administrator considers the following:
    i. The operator has an established dispatch communication system.
    ii. Gaps in communication are not over the entire route, but only
over portions of the route.
    iii. When communication gaps occur, they occur due to one or more of
the following:
    A. Lack of infrastructure.
    B. Geographical considerations.
    C. Assigned operating altitude.
    iv. Procedures are established for the prompt re-establishment of
communications.
    v. The operator has presented a plan or schedule for coming into
compliance with the requirements in Sec. 121.99 of this chapter.
    b. A certificate holder who conducts domestic operations in Alaska
may, notwithstanding the requirements of Sec. 121.99 of this chapter,
use a communications system operated by the United States for those
operations.
    c. An operator described in paragraph 1.a. of this SFAR who conducts
operations in Alaska may share the aircraft dispatcher required by Sec.
121.395 with another operator described in paragraph 1.a. of this SFAR
who conducts operations in Alaska if authorized to do so by the
Administrator. Before granting such an authorization, the Administrator
considers:
    i. The operators' joint plans for complying with the aircraft
dispatcher training rules in subpart N of part 121 of this chapter and
the aircraft dispatcher qualification and duty time limitation rules in
subpart P of part 121 of this chapter.
    ii. The number of flights for which the aircraft dispatcher would be
responsible.

[[Page 732]]

    iii. Whether the responsibilities of the dispatcher would be beyond
the capability of a single dispatcher.
    3. Expiration. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation terminates
on March 12, 2001, unless sooner terminated.

[SFAR-80, 62 FR 13255, Mar. 19, 1997; 62 FR 15570, Apr. 1, 1997]