[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 9, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19406]
Federal Register / Vol. 59, No. 152 / Tuesday, August 9, 1994 /
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 9, 1994]
VOL. 59, NO. 152
Tuesday, August 9, 1994
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Airspace Docket No. 93-AWA-10]
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: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This action revokes 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 action also alters the Sacramento,
McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area to encompass part of the
airspace previously delegated to Mather AFB. This action will alter the
Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area designation by
removing all references to the Sacramento Mather AFB.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 0901 UTC, October 13, 1994.
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:
History
On February 7, 1994, the FAA proposed to amend 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, and to alter the
Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area and the Sacramento
Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area (59 FR 5556). Interested
parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking proceeding by
submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. Two comments
were received in response to the proposal. The Northern California
Airspace Users Working Group (NCAUWG) and one of its members each
submitted comments in opposition to altering the existing Sacramento,
McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace to encompass part of the airspace
previously delegated to Mather AFB.
NCAUWG later withdrew this objection after receiving additional
information from the FAA and a military representative from the
McClellan AFB. Upon further consideration by its members, NCAUWG voted
to withdraw its prior objection and to approve the proposal to alter
the existing Sacramento, Mather AFB, Class C airspace. Except for
editorial changes, this amendment is the same as that proposed in the
notice.
The Rule
This amendment to part 71 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR part 71) revokes 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 action also alters the Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C
airspace area to encompass part of the airspace previously delegated to
Mather AFB. This action will alter the Sacramento Executive Airport,
CA, Class D airspace area designation by removing all references to the
Sacramento Mather AFB. 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 will be subsequently removed or published, as appropriate, in
the Order.
Regulatory Evaluation Summary
The FAA has determined that this final 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 rule are summarized below.
This rule will revoke the Mather AFB Class C and Class E airspace
areas at Sacramento, CA. This action is a result of the closure of
Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. In addition, this rule will accomplish two
other objectives. First, it will modify the Sacramento Executive
Airport, CA, Class D airspace designation, by removing all references
to the Sacramento Mather AFB. Second, it will modify the McClellan AFB
Class C airspace area, at Sacramento, CA, by expanding the boundaries
to the south. This modification is 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 expose the arrival flow of air traffic to the
McClellan AFB to more potentially conflicting VFR traffic.
The Class C airspace 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, providing more Class C airspace for
aircraft in the outlying areas surrounding major terminals.
This rule will ensure that the current level of aviation safety
remains intact. The termination of the Mather AFB Class C airspace area
will permit transiting VFR aircraft to fly closer to McClellan AFB
without entering a 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 rule will 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 will significantly contract Class C airspace in the vicinity of
McClellan AFB. Aircraft operators who previously circumnavigated the
Mather AFB Class C airspace area will be able to fly into this airspace
without contacting air traffic control or having to satisfy associated
avionics requirements. The planned expansion in the McClellan AFB Class
C airspace area will involve some of the airspace that formerly
belonged to the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Therefore, no
additional airspace would be converted into Class C airspace.
This rule will not impose additional administrative cost on the FAA
for either personnel or equipment. The additional operations workload
the 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
rule will be the revision of aeronautical charts to reflect the change
in airspace around McClellan AFB. The change will 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 rule is not expected to impose any incremental costs on users
of the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area. This assessment is
based on the fact that the rule will only modify the McClellan AFB, CA,
Class C airspace area by expanding it to the south of McClellan AFB.
This additional airspace will 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] will be able to
continue their flying practices in the same manner as before. Thus, the
rule will not adversely affect these airspace users.
This rule will not impose any costs on either the FAA, the aviation
community, or society. Although the FAA concludes that this rule will
not have an impact on safety other than to ensure the maintenance of
current levels, the rule is expected to promote the efficiency of
operations. Thus, the FAA contends that this 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 will be
potentially affected by the implementation of the final rule are air
taxi operators and pilot schools.
Neither air taxi operators nor pilot schools will be impacted by
this planned expansion. This assessment is based on the fact that this
expansion will capture some of the airspace that was previously
included in the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Current users of this
airspace will be able to continue to do so in the same manner as
before. Thus, there will be no incremental cost impact on these
operators as a result of this rule.
Inernational Trade Impact Assessment
This final rule will not have an effect on the sale of foreign
aviation products or services in the United States, nor will it have an
effect on the sale of U.S. products or services in foreign countries
because the rule will 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).
Adoption of the Amendment
In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation
Administration amends 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 17, 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 that 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
C 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 July 27, 1994.
Harold W. Becker,
Manager, Airspace-Rules and Aeronautical Information Division.
Appendix--Sacramento, CA, Class C Airspace Area
BILLING CODE 4910-13-F
TR09AU94.006
[FR Doc. 94-19406 Filed 8-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-C