[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 127 (Friday, July 2, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40331-40332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15116]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71


User Input to the Aviation Weather Technology Transfer (AWTT) 
Board

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The FAA will hold an informal public meeting to seek input 
from a specific, focused group of aviation weather users. Details: July 
14, 2004; Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA), 421 Aviation 
Way, Frederick, MD 21701-4756; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The objective of this 
meeting is to provide an opportunity for a specific group of aviation 
weather users, general aviation pilots, to provide input on FAA's plans 
for implementing new weather products.

DATES: The meeting will be held at AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, 
MD 21701-4756: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 14, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debi Bacon, Aerospace Weather Policy 
Division, ARS-100, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence 
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone number (202) 385-7705; Fax: 
(202) 385-7701; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

History

    In 1999, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established an 
Aviation Weather Technology Transfer (AWTT) Board to manage the orderly 
transfer of weather capabilities and products from research and 
development (R&D) into operational use. The board is composed of mid-
level managers from FAA and National Weather Service (NWS) and meet 
semi-annually or as needed. The Board is responsible to determine the 
readiness of weather R&D products for

[[Page 40332]]

experimental use, full operational use for meteorologists or full 
operational use for end users. The board's determinations are based 
upon criteria such as users needs, costs and benefits, risks, product 
readiness and budget.
    FAA has the sole responsibility and authority to make decisions 
intended to provide a safe, secure, and efficient U.S. national 
airspace system. However, it behooves FAA to not make decisions in a 
vacuum. Therefore, FAA seeks input from the user community at quarterly 
meetings before decisions are finalized. Two such meetings were held in 
January and April 2004.
    At the quarterly meetings, industry users are invited to provide 
for development of concepts of use (ConUse) for individual aviation 
weather products approaching specific AWTT board decision points. In 
2004, meetings are also being used to acquire input for an aviation 
weather roadmap. Meetings are announced in the Federal Register and 
open to all interested parties.
    While this meeting is the normal quarterly meeting, input will not 
be sought for any specific weather product. Rather, it is intended to 
acquire input for the aviation weather roadmap from one specific user 
group: General aviation pilots. All interested users in other user 
groups may attend and observe, however only certain, focused 
information will be sought from the specific group.

Meeting Procedures

    (a) The meeting will be informal in nature and will be conducted by 
representatives of FAA Headquarters.
    (b) The meeting will be open to all persons on a space-available 
basis. Every effort was made to provide a meeting site with sufficient 
seating capacity for the expected participation. There will be neither 
admission fee nor other charge to attend and participate.
    (c) Attendees should present themselves to the receptionist at the 
front entrance of the AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701-4756. 
Attendees will be further directed to the meeting room location.
    (d) FAA personnel will lead a session intended to refine an 
aviation weather roadmap. Comments from the specific user group will be 
sued to complete and/or verify a decision-making matrix regarding 
specific types of weather phenomena. Comments/Feedback on the proposed 
documents will be captured through discussion between FAA personnel and 
those focused users attending the meeting.
    (e) FAA will not take any action items from this meeting nor make 
any commitments to accept specific users suggestions. The meeting will 
not be formally recorded. However, informal tape recordings may be made 
of the presentations to ensure that each respondent's comments are 
noted accurately.
    (f) An official verbatim transcript or minutes of the informal 
meeting will not be made. However, a list of the attendees and a 
completed matrix will be produced. Any person attending may receive a 
copy of the written information upon request to the information 
contact, above.
    (g) Every reasonable effort will be made to hear each person's 
feedback consistent with a reasonable closing time for the meeting. 
Written feedback is also solicited and may be submitted to FAA 
personnel for the period July 15-August 31, 2004.

Agenda

    (a) Opening Remarks and Discussion of Meeting Procedures.
    (b) Review of AWTT user input process.
    (c) Focused Input Session.
    (d) Closing Comments.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 28, 2004.
Richard J. Heuwinkel,
Acting Staff Director, Office of Aerospace Weather Policy and 
Standards.
[FR Doc. 04-15116 Filed 7-1-04; 8:45 am]
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