[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28633-28634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14042]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration


Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Transport Airplane and 
Engine Issues--New Task

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of new task assignment for the Aviation Rulemaking 
Advisory Committee (ARAC).

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SUMMARY: Notice is given of a new task assigned to and accepted by the 
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC). This notice informs the 
public of the activities of ARAC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael H. Borfitz, Manager, Engine and Propeller Standards Staff, 
Engine and Propeller Directorate, ANE-110, FAA, Aircraft Certification 
Service, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803, telephone 
(617) 238-7110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA has established an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
to provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator, through 
the Associate Administrator for Regulation and Certification, on the 
full range of the FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-
related issues. This includes obtaining advice and recommendations on 
the FAA's commitment to harmonize its Federal Aviation Regulations 
(FAR) and practices with its trading partners in Europe and Canada.
    One area ARAC deals with is Transport Airplane and Engine issues. 
These issues involve the airworthiness standards for transport category 
airplanes in 14 CFR parts 25, 33, and 35 and parallel provisions in 14 
CFR parts 121 and 135.

The Task

    This notice is to inform the public that the FAA has asked ARAC to 
provide advice and recommendation on the following harmonization task:
    Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Approval Procedures: (1) Examine the 
adequacy of existing APU approval procedures; (2) Resolve technical 
differences in approval procedures between Joint Aviation Regulation 
APU and Technical Standard Order C-77, and review the adequacy of 
requirements in the light of possible APU usages, e.g., ETOPS; (3) 
Coordinate these tasks, as appropriate, with other relevant bodies, 
e.g., the Powerplant Installation Harmonization Working Group; (4) 
Technical agreement should be reached within 24 months following 
publication of the notice of task in the Federal Register.
    The FAA also has asked that ARAC determine if rulemaking action 
(e.g., NPRM, supplemental NPRM, final rule, withdrawal) should be 
taken, or advisory material should be issued. If so, ARAC has been 
asked to prepare the necessary documents, including economic analysis, 
to justify and carry out its recommendation(s).

ARAC Acceptance of Task(s)

    ARAC has accepted the task(s) and has chosen to assign it to the 
existing Propulsion Harmonization Working Group. The working group will 
serve as staff to ARAC to assist ARAC in the analysis of the assigned 
task. Working group recommendations must be reviewed and approved by 
ARAC. If ARAC accepts the working group's recommendations, it forwards 
them to the FAA as ARAC recommendations.

Working Group Activity

    The Propulsion Harmonization Working Group is expected to comply 
with the procedures adopted by ARAC. As part of the procedures, the 
working group is expected to:
    1. Recommend a work plan for completion of the task, including the 
rationale supporting such a plan, for consideration at the meeting of 
ARAC to consider Transport Airplane and Engine Issues held following 
publication of this notice.
    2. Give a detailed conceptual presentation of the proposed 
recommendations, prior to proceeding with the work stated in item 3 
below.
    3. For each task, draft appropriate regulatory documents with 
supporting economic and other required analyses, and/or any other 
related guidance material or collateral documents the working group 
determines to be appropriate; or, if new or revised requirements or 
compliance methods are not recommended, a draft report stating the 
rationale for not making such recommendations.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of ARAC held to consider 
Transport Airplane and Engine Issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The Propulsion Harmonization Working Group is composed of experts 
having an interest in the assigned task. A working group member need 
not be a representative of a member of the full committee.
    An individual who has expertise in the subject matter and wishes to 
become a member of the working group should write to the person listed 
under the caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT expressing that 
desire, describing his or her interest in the tasks, and stating the 
expertise he or she would bring to the working group. The request will 
be reviewed by the assistant chair, the assistant executive director, 
and the working group chair, and the individual will be advised whether 
or not the request can be accommodated.
    The Secretary of Transportation has determined that the formation 
and use of ARAC are necessary and in the public interest in connection 
with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    Meetings of ARAC will be open to the public, except as authorized 
by section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Meetings of the

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Propulsion Harmonization Working Group will not be open to the public, 
except to the extent that individuals with an interest and expertise 
are selected to participate. No public announcement of working group 
meetings will be made.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 30, 1996
Chris Christie,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 96-14042 Filed 6-4-96; 8:45 am]
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