[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 /
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[[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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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