[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52063-52064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19366]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Proposed Policy Statement: Proposed Change to the Airworthiness
Criteria for Airworthiness Certification of Normal Category Airships;
FAA Document FAA-P-8110-2; PS-ACE100-2004-10033
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests
comments on FAA document number FAA-P-8110-2, Airship Design Criteria,
(ADC) at Change 2. The ADC is suitable for the type certification of
airships in the normal category, with a seating capacity of nine seats
or less, excluding pilots. This notice advises the public, and
especially manufacturers and potential manufacturers of normal category
airships, that the FAA intends to develop Change 3 for this document.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 22, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the current Airship Design Criteria, FAA Document
FAA-P-8110-2, PS-ACE100-2004-10033, may be requested from the
following: Small Airplane Directorate, Standards Office (ACE-110),
Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 901
Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106. These airworthiness
criteria are also available on the Internet. These criteria will be
posted in the Regulations and Guidance Library at the following address
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/policy. Send all comments concerning the
proposed Change 3 of the airworthiness criteria for normal category
airships to the individual identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Reyer or Karl Schletzbaum,
Federal Aviation Administration, Small Airplane Directorate,
Regulations & Policy, ACE-111, 901 Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas
City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4131 (M. Reyer); or (816)
329-4146 (K. Schletzbaum); fax: (816) 329-4090; e-mail:
[email protected].
Discussion
Background
Comments received may be utilized to develop Change 3 for the ADC.
This notice includes the Airship Design Criteria at Change 2 as issued
on February 5, 1995. Since the issuance of Change 2 of the ADC, the FAA
has received various inputs relating to revising or improving these
criteria, but these inputs have not been incorporated into the document
yet. Some of these recommendations may have been unsolicited and not
received in the context of a formal process. Additionally, with time
and the rapid change of technology since the last update of these
criteria, some of the recommendations may not be as applicable as when
they were initially proposed. We also believe that the structure of the
industry affected has changed substantially since the receipt of many
of the comments. Considering these factors, we decided to not include
any of the proposed changes to the ADC in this notice but to solicit
new, additional, or revised comments from the current active airship
industry. This notice includes the ADC at Change 2 as issued on
February 5, 1995, as a reference document for commenters.
This notice is necessary to advise the public of the development of
this proposed change to the airship airworthiness criteria and to give
all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on it.
Airships are certificated under the provisions of 14 CFR, part 21,
Sec. 21.17(b), which allows the Administrator to designate appropriate
airworthiness criteria for special classes of aircraft, including
airships. Designated criteria should provide a level of safety
equivalent to the airworthiness regulations contained in 14 CFR, parts
23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, and 35. The FAA has decided that airworthiness
criteria, not the issuance of actual regulations, are the most
efficient and flexible method of obtaining an acceptable level of
safety for normal category airships. The FAA bases this decision on the
formative state of this industry and the potential for airships to
develop into a larger segment of the aerospace industry. The FAA may
decide to codify airship airworthiness requirements at a later time, if
warranted.
These are acceptable airworthiness criteria, but not the only
acceptable criteria, for certificating a normal category airship in the
United States. These criteria are internationally recognized, but are
not suitable for all types of airships, specifically those that have
more than nine seats. Up to 19 seats, the FAA may consider some other
criteria based on foreign airship airworthiness standards. For certain
types of proposed large airships, the FAA has recognized the need for a
transport category of airships and has noticed the German-Dutch
Transport Airship Requirement (TAR) as proposed airworthiness criteria.
These proposed airworthiness criteria only apply to non-rigid
airships that are capable of vertical ascent (near equilibrium)
operations. These proposed airworthiness criteria do not include
provisions for hybrid aircraft/airships that require or operate with
significant dynamic lift. The FAA expects that modifications and
additions to proposed criteria will be necessary for specific airship
projects, due to the unique nature of each airship design. Comments on
technology issues beyond the current criteria will be reviewed, but not
necessarily incorporated.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite your comments on this proposed change to airworthiness
criteria for normal category airships. Send any data or views as you
may desire. Identify the airworthiness criteria Policy Statement Number
PS-ACE100-2004-10033 on your
[[Page 52064]]
comments, and if you submit your comments in writing, send two copies
of your comments to the above address. The Small Airplane Directorate
will consider all communications received on or before the closing date
for comments. We may change the proposal contained in this notice
because of the comments received.
Comments sent by fax or the Internet must contain ``Comments to
proposed policy statement PS-ACE100-2004-10033'' in the subject line.
You do not need to send two copies if you fax your comments or send
them through the Internet. If you send comments over the Internet as an
attached electronic file, format it in Microsoft Word. State what
specific change you are seeking to the proposed policy statement and
include justification (for example, reasons or data) for each request.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 12, 2004.
John R. Colomy,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-19366 Filed 8-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P