[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 184 (Friday, September 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49519-49520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24067]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration


Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Air Traffic 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 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:
Reginald C. Matthews, Assistant Executive Director for Air Traffic 
Issues, Airspace and Rules Division (ATA-400), 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591, Telephone: (202) 267-8783.

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 air traffic issues. These issues 
involve the basic visual flight rules (VFR) weather

[[Page 49520]]

minimums and special visual flight rules (SVFR) in 14 CFR part 91.

The Task

    This notice is to inform the public that the FAA has asked ARAC to 
provide advice and recommendation on the following task:

--VFR/SVFR Weather Minimums: Review the existing language in 14 CFR 
91.155 and 14 CFR 91.157 to create language that would be more 
easily understood.

    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

    ARAC has accepted the task and has chosen to establish a new SVFR 
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 SVFR 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 tasks, including the 
rationale supporting such a plan, for consideration at the meeting of 
ARAC to consider air traffic 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 
air traffic issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The SVFR 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 
VFR/SVFR 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 September 13, 1996.
Reginald C. Matthews,
Assistant Executive Director for Air Traffic Issues, Aviation 
Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 96-24067 Filed 9-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M