[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 25 (Monday, February 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2681]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
14 CFR Part 71

[Airspace Docket No. 93-AWA-10]

 

Proposed Revocation of the Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA, Class C 
and Class E Airspace Areas and Revision of the Sacramento, McClellan 
AFB, CA, Class C Airspace Area and the Sacramento Executive Airport, 
CA, Class D Airspace Area

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This proposed rule would revoke the Class C and Class E 
airspace areas at Mather Air Force Base (AFB), Sacramento, CA, due to 
the closure of Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. This proposed rule would 
also alter the Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area to 
encompass part of the airspace previously delegated to Mather AFB. This 
proposal would alter the Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D 
airspace area designation by removing all references to the Sacramento 
Mather AFB.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 28, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on the proposal in triplicate to:

Federal Aviation Administration,
Office of the Chief Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket [AGC-200],
Airspace Docket NO. 93-AWA-10,
800 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20591.

    The official docket may be examined in the Rules Docket, Office of 
the Chief Counsel, room 916, weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 
8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
    An informal docket may also be examined during normal business 
hours at the office of the Regional Air Traffic Division.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norman W. Thomas, Airspace and 
Obstruction Evaluation Branch (ATP-240), Airspace-Rules and 
Aeronautical Information Division, Air Traffic Rules and Procedures 
Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-9230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed 
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they 
may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the 
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing 
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. 
Communications should identify the airspace docket number and be 
submitted in triplicate to the address listed above. Commenters wishing 
the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must 
submit with those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which 
the following statement is made: ``Comments to Airspace Docket No. 93-
AWA-10.'' The postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the 
commenter. All communications received on or before the specified 
closing date for comments will be considered before taking action on 
the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this notice may be changed 
in light of comments received. All comments submitted will be available 
for examination in the Rules Docket both before and after the closing 
date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact 
with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the 
docket.

Availability of NPRM's

    Any person may obtain a copy of this notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(NPRM) by submitting a request to the Federal Aviation Administration, 
Office of Public Affairs, Attention: Public Inquiry Center, APA-220, 
800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling (202) 
267-3485. Communications must identify the notice number of this NPRM. 
Persons interested in being placed on a mailing list for future NPRM's 
should also request a copy of Advisory Circular No. 11-2A, which 
describes the application procedure.

The Proposal

    The FAA is considering an amendment to part 71 of the Federal 
Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 71) to revoke the Class C and Class E 
airspace areas at Mather AFB, Sacramento, CA, due to the closure of 
Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. This proposed rule would also alter the 
Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area to encompass part 
of the airspace previously delegated to Mather AFB. This proposal would 
alter the Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area 
designation by removing all references to the Sacramento Mather AFB. 
The coordinates for this airspace docket are based on North American 
Datum 83. Class C, D, and E airspace designations are published in 
paragraphs 4000, 5000, and 6003, respectively, of FAA Order 7400.9A 
dated June 17, 1993, and effective September 16, 1993, which is 
incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 (58 FR 36298; July 6, 1993). 
The Class C, D, and E airspace designations listed in this document 
would be subsequently removed or published, as appropriate, in the 
Order.

Regulatory Evaluation Summary

    The FAA has determined that this proposed rule is not a 
``significant regulatory action'', as defined by Executive Order 12866 
(Regulatory Planning and Review). The anticipated costs and benefits 
associated with this proposed rule are summarized below.
    This proposed rule would revoke the Mather Air Force Base (AFB) 
Class C and Class E airspace areas at Sacramento, CA, due to the 
closure of Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. In addition, this proposed rule 
would accomplish two other objectives. First, it would alter the 
Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area designation, by 
removing all references to the Sacramento Mather AFB. Second, it would 
modify the McClellan AFB Class C airspace area, at Sacramento, CA, by 
expanding the boundaries to the south. This modification would be 
necessary to prevent a potential deterioration of safety that could 
result from greater mixing of visual flight rules (VFR) operations and 
instrument flight rules (IFR) operations once the Class C airspace area 
at Mather AFB is revoked. The FAA has determined that the revocation of 
the Class C airspace area at Mather AFB would reduce the Class C 
airspace area and expose the arrival flow of air traffic to the 
McClellan AFB to more potentially conflicting VFR traffic.
    The Class C airspace area concept (like that for Class B airspace, 
though to a lesser extent) was developed to reduce the likelihood of 
midair collisions in the congested airspace surrounding large airports 
in which large turbine-powered aircraft are mixing with smaller 
aircraft of varying performance characteristics. In addition, VFR and 
IFR aircraft are also mixing. As this complexity increases, so does the 
potential for midair collisions. This type of condition warrants an 
expansion of Class C airspace.
    The primary benefit of this proposed rule is that it would ensure 
that the current level of aviation safety remains intact. The 
termination of the Mather AFB Class C airspace area would permit 
transiting VFR aircraft to fly closer to McClellan AFB without entering 
the Class C airspace area. In order to minimize potential conflicts 
with traffic intending to land or take off from the airport, the FAA 
has concluded that the Class C airspace area at McClellan AFB should be 
expanded to the south.
    This proposed rule would have a positive impact on operational 
efficiency by allocating additional airspace to users who choose to 
avoid the Class C airspace area. The revocation of the Class C airspace 
area at Mather AFB would significantly contract the Class C airspace 
area in the vicinity of McClellan AFB. Aircraft operators who 
previously circumnavigated the Mather AFB Class C airspace area would 
be able to fly in this airspace without contacting ATC or having to 
satisfy associated avionics requirements. The planned expansion in the 
McClellan AFB Class C airspace area would involve some of the airspace 
that formerly belonged to the Mather Class C airspace area. Therefore, 
no additional airspace would be converted into Class C airspace.
    This proposed rule would not impose additional administrative cost 
on the FAA for either personnel or equipment. The additional operations 
workload the proposed rule is expected to generate can be handled with 
current personnel and equipment resources in place at the McClellan 
AFB, CA, Class C airspace area. Another potential cost to the FAA 
associated with the proposed rule would be the revision of aeronautical 
charts to reflect the change in airspace around McClellan AFB. The 
change would be incorporated during the routine updating and printing 
of the charts, however, so that all costs associated with printing 
aeronautical charts are assumed to be a normal cost of doing business.
    This proposed rule is not expected to impose any incremental costs 
on users to the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area. This 
assessment is based on the fact that the proposed rule would only 
modify the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area by expanding it to 
the south of McClellan AFB. This additional airspace would be taken 
from the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Any users of this airspace 
(i.e., pilot schools, air taxi operators, general aviation (GA) 
operators) would be able to continue their flying practices in the same 
manner as before. Thus, the proposed rule would not adversely affect 
these airspace users.
    This proposed rule would not impose any costs on either the FAA, 
the aviation community, or society. Although the FAA concludes that 
this proposed rule would not have an impact on safety other than to 
ensure the maintenance of current levels, the rule proposed is expected 
to promote the efficiency of operations. Thus, the FAA contends that 
this proposed rule is cost-beneficial.

Regulatory Flexibility Determination

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) was enacted to ensure 
that small entities are not unnecessarily and disproportionately 
burdened by Government regulations. The RFA requires agencies to review 
rules that may have ``a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.'' The types of small entities that would be 
potentially affected by the implementation of the proposed rule are air 
taxi operators and pilot schools.
    Neither air taxi operators nor pilot schools would be impacted by 
this planned expansion. This assessment is based on the fact that this 
expansion would capture some of the airspace that was previously 
included in the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Current users of this 
airspace would be able to continue to do so in the same manner as 
before. Thus, there would be no incremental cost impact on these 
operators as a result of this proposed rule.

International Trade Impact Assessment

    This proposed rule would not have an effect on the sale of foreign 
aviation products or services in the United States, nor would it have 
an effect on the sale of U.S. products or services in foreign countries 
because the proposed rule would neither impose costs on aircraft 
operators nor aircraft manufacturers (U.S. or foreign).

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).

The Proposed Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation 
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

PART 71--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 71 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. app. 1348(a), 1354(a), 1510; E.O. 10854, 24 
FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389; 49 U.S.C. 106(g); 14 CFR 
11.69.


Sec. 71.1  [Amended]

    2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of the Federal 
Aviation Administration Order 7400.9A, Airspace Designations and 
Reporting Points, dated June 16, 1993, and effective September 16, 
1993, is amended as follows;

    Paragraph 4000--Subpart C-Class C Airspace
* * * * *
AWP CA C Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA [Removed]
AWP CA C Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA [Revised]
Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA
    (lat. 38 deg.40'04''N., long. 121 deg.24'02''W.)
Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA
    (lat. 38 deg.41'44''N., long. 121 deg.35'27''W.)
Rio Linda Airport, CA
    (lat. 38 deg.40'34''N., long. 121 deg.26'44''W.)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
4,100 feet MSL within a 5-mile radius of McClellan AFB, excluding 
that airspace within an area bounded by a line beginning at a point 
where the 321 deg. bearing from McClellan AFB intersects the 5-mile 
radius of McClellan AFB; thence southeasterly via the 321 deg. 
bearing to a point where it intersects the 007 deg. bearing from Rio 
Linda Airport and thence direct to the point where the 187 deg. 
bearing from the Rio Linda Airport intersects the 215 deg. bearing 
from McClellan AFB and thence southwesterly via the 215 deg. bearing 
to the 5-mile radius of McClellan AFB; and the airspace extending 
upward from 1,600 feet MSL to 4,100 feet MSL within a 10-mile radius 
of McClellan AFB to the points where the 10-mile radius intercepts 
the 10-mile radius of the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA, Class 
airspace area.
* * * * *
    Paragraph 5000--Subpart D-Class D Airspace
* * * * *
AWP CA D Sacramento Executive Airport, CA [Revised]
Sacramento Executive Airport, CA
    (lat. 38 deg.30'45''N., long. 121 deg.29'37''W.)
Sacramento VORTAC, CA
    (lat. 38 deg.26'37''N., long. 121 deg.33'06''W.)
Sacramento McClellan AFB, CA
    (lat. 38 deg.40'04''N., long. 121 deg.24'02''W.)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
2,500 feet MSL within a 4.3-mile radius of Sacramento Executive 
Airport and within 1.8 miles each side of the Sacramento VORTAC 
032 deg. radial, extending from the 4.3-mile radius southwest of the 
VORTAC, excluding that airspace within the Sacramento McClellan AFB, 
CA, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA, Class C airspace 
areas.
* * * * *
    Paragraph 6003--Subpart E-Class E airspace areas designated as 
an extension to a Class C surface area
* * * * *
AWP CA E3 Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA [Removed]
* * * * *
    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 27, 1994.
Willis C. Nelson,
Acting Manager, Airspace-Rules and Aeronautical Information Division.
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M

TP07FE94.000


[FR Doc. 94-2681 Filed 2-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-C