THE LNDG GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT ON TKOF OUT OF BDR. THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY TOWARD HIS DISPATCHED DEST WITH THE GEAR DOWN WHILE AWAITING COMPANY RESPONSE RATHER THAN RETURN AND LAND AT BDR. BY THE TIME COMPANY SUGGESTED TO DIVERT TO READING WHICH TOOK ABOUT AN HR THE ORIGINAL DEST APPEARED MORE RATIONAL BEING ONLY 25 MINS AWAY. THE CAPT CONTINUED TO DEST.

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DURING TKOF FROM BDR; BRIDGEPORT; CT; LNDG GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING AND FOLLOWING CHKLIST; WE CALLED COMPANY OPS TO SEE WHERE COMPANY WANTED US TO DIVERT. BY THE TIME THE COMPANY RESPONDED WITH A PLAN WE WERE WELL INTO OUR RTE. WE CARRIED ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH DEST PLUS 45 MINS RESERVE. WE WERE TOLD TO DIVERT TO READING (RDG); BUT IT APPEARED TO BE FARTHER THAN OUR DEST (BWI). DECISION WAS MADE AT AVALO INTXN (SIE R-059; 17 DME) TO PROCEED TO BWI DUE TO LONGER RWYS; KNOWN RTE (BASED ON FUEL DECISION); NOT KNOWING HOW WE WOULD BE ROUTED TO RDG (BASED ON FUEL CONCERN); AVAILABILITY OF RESCUE EQUIP AND MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THEY WERE FLYING A BE02. HE STATED HE RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE BUT THE LNDG GEAR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE GEAR HANDLE MOVEMENT. THE PROB WAS NOT THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS NOT RELEASING TO THE UP POS. THE RPTR SAID THAT NORMALLY HE TOPS OFF THE FUEL BUT THE NORMAL CONTRACT FUEL PEOPLE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE FUEL WAS NOT AS MUCH AS IT NORMALLY IS. HE SAID THE FAA BELIEVES HE LANDED AT BALTIMORE WITH 80 LBS IN EACH TANK. THE AIRPLANE BURNS 800 LBS PER HR. THE RPTR CLAIMS HE HAD AT LEAST 300 LBS IN EACH TANK ON LNDG AT BWI. THAT IS 3/4 HR AND 1/2 HR IS MINIMUM RESERVE FOR VFR PART 135 DAY. THE PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE THE FUEL ARE COMPETITORS. THEY ARE THE REASON THE FAA THINKS HE LANDED BELOW MINIMUM FUEL. THE RPTR STATES HE CAN ESTABLISH HOW MUCH HE DEPARTED WITH AND HOW LONG HE FLEW AT 180 KTS AND THE PWR SETTINGS AND FUEL FLOW TO ESTABLISH HE HAD 600 LBS FUEL AND 300 LBS FUEL IN EACH TANK. THE RPTR STATED THE NORMAL SCHEDULED TIME IS 1 HR 20 MINS AT 220 KTS INDICATED; HIS FLYING TIME WAS 1 HR 25 MINS AT 180 KTS INDICATED WHICH IS THE MAX GEAR DOWN SPD. HE STATED THEY HAD GOOD TAILWINDS. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY PROCS IN THE EVENT THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT DID NOT SAY TO RETURN AND LAND. THE BE02 PROCS IN THE EVENT THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT DID NOT SAY TO RETURN AND LAND. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA IS ALSO UPSET BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SINGLE ENG SVC CEILING CHARTS FOR GEAR DOWN FLT ALONG HIS RTE. HIS RTE WAS ALL AT OR CLOSE TO SEA LEVEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 333472 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER TKOF THE GEAR HANDLE CAME UP BUT THE LNDG GEAR DIDN'T. THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. THE CAPT TALKED TO BDR COMPANY OPS WHO TALKED TO COMPANY MAINT. HE SAID THE COM TOOK A LONG TIME -- ALMOST AN HR BEFORE COMPANY CAME BACK WITH THE DECISION TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO READING. BY THEN THEY WERE AROUND AVALO AND BALTIMORE LOOKED CLOSER. THE RPTR STATED THAT BOTH HE AND THE CAPT WERE SUSPENDED FOR 2 WKS TO AVOID HAVING THE FAA TAKE CERTIFICATE ACTION. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA HAS TAKEN CERTIFICATE ACTION AGAINST THE CAPT ANYWAY. THE RPTR DID NOT KNOW ON WHAT BASIS THE FAA WAS TAKING CERTIFICATE ACTION. THE RPTR STATED THEY DID HAVE THEIR 45 MINS FUEL ON LNDG AT BWI. THE RPTR STATED THEY WENT RIGHT BY PHILADELPHIA AND LACK OF FUEL WAS NOT A PROB AND PERFORMANCE WITH GEAR DOWN WAS NOT A PROB AND WOULD NOT BE WITH AN ENG OUT EITHER.