[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]


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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.

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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