[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 77453-77454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31976]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 183

[Docket No. FAA-2011-1149]


Clarification of Policy Regarding Designated Aircraft Dispatcher 
Examiners; Reopening of Comment Period

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

ACTION: Notice of availablity; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This action reopens the comment period for guidance material 
that was published for comment in the Federal Register on November 8, 
2011. In that document, the FAA clarifies guidance to employees on the 
responsibilities, qualifications, and oversight of designated aircraft 
dispatcher examiners. The comment period closed on December 8, 2011. 
This reopening is a result of a request for extension of the comment 
period.

DATES: The comment period for the guidance material closed on December 
8, 2011. The comment period is reopened and extended until February 8, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by docket number FAA-2011-
1149 using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room 
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket 
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including

[[Page 77454]]

any personal information the commenter provides. Using the search 
function of the docket web site, anyone can find and read the 
electronic form of all comments received into any FAA docket, including 
the name of the individual sending the comment (or signing the comment 
for an association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete 
Privacy Act Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions 
for accessing the docket or Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the 
West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theodora Kessaris, Technical Programs 
Branch, Air Transportation Division (AFS-200), Flight Standards 
Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-8166; facsimile: (202) 267-
5229; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: See the ``Additional Information'' section 
for information on how to comment on this proposal and how the FAA will 
handle comments received. The ``Additional Information'' section also 
contains related information about the docket, privacy, the handling of 
proprietary or confidential business information. In addition, there is 
information on obtaining copies of related rulemaking documents.

Background

    On November 8, 2011, the FAA published Clarification of Policy 
Regarding Designated Aircraft Dispatcher Examiners (76 FR 69171, 
69172). The comment period closed on December 8, 2011.
    In a letter dated November 18, 2011, Sheffield School of 
Aeronautics requested a five month extension of the comment period to 
allow the part 65 dispatcher certification course operators, which 
often are small businesses with limited resources, sufficient time to 
review and comment on the guidance material. While the FAA concurs with 
the petitioners' requests for an extension of the comment period, it 
does not support a five month extension as requested by the petitioner. 
The FAA finds that providing an additional 60 days is sufficient to 
provide meaningful comment.
    The FAA does not anticipate any further extension of the comment 
period for this guidance material.

Extension of Comment Period

    In accordance with 14 CFR 11.47(c), the FAA has reviewed the 
request for extension of the comment period to the proposed guidance 
material. The petitioner has shown a substantive interest in the 
guidance material and good cause for the extension. The FAA has 
determined that extension of the comment period is consistent with the 
public interest, and that good cause exists for taking this action.
    Accordingly, the comment period is reopened and extended until 
February 8, 2012.

Additional Information

A. Comments Invited

    The FAA invites interested persons to participate in the 
development of this guidance material by submitting written comments, 
data, or views. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion 
of the guidance, explain the reason for any recommended change, and 
include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain 
duplicate comments, commenters should send only one copy of written 
comments, or if comments are filed electronically, commenters should 
submit only one time.
    The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives. The FAA 
will consider all comments it receives on or before the closing date 
for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed after the comment 
period has closed if it is possible to do so without incurring expense 
or delay. The agency may change this guidance material in light of the 
comments it receives.
    Proprietary or Confidential Business Information: Do not file 
proprietary or confidential business information in the docket. Such 
information must be sent or delivered directly to the person identified 
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document, and 
marked as proprietary or confidential. If submitting information on a 
disk or CD ROM, mark the outside of the disk or CD ROM, and identify 
electronically within the disk or CD ROM the specific information that 
is proprietary or confidential.
    Under 14 CFR 11.35(b), if the FAA is aware of proprietary 
information filed with a comment, the agency does not place it in the 
docket. It is held in a separate file to which the public does not have 
access, and the FAA places a note in the docket that it has received 
it. If the FAA receives a request to examine or copy this information, 
it treats it as any other request under the Freedom of Information Act 
(5 U.S.C. 552). The FAA processes such a request under Department of 
Transportation procedures found in 49 CFR part 7.

B. Availability of Guidance Material

    An electronic copy of the guidance material documents may be 
obtained from the Internet by--
    1. Searching the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov);
    2. Visiting the FAA's Regulations and Policies Web page at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies or
    3. Accessing the Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
    Copies may also be obtained by sending a request to the Federal 
Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, ARM-1, 800 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling (202) 267-9680. 
Commenters must identify the docket for this guidance material.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 6, 2011.
John M. Allen,
Director, Flight Standards Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-31976 Filed 12-12-11; 8:45 am]
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