[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34423-34424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13513]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0316]


Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Airman Testing 
Standards and Training Working Group (ATSTWG)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Availability; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the reopening of the comment period on 
the availability of draft Airman Certification Standards (ACS) 
documents developed by the Airman Testing Standards and Training WG for 
the private pilot certificate and the instrument rating. These 
documents are available for public review, download, and comment.

DATES: The comment period for the notice published on April 24, 2013 
(78 FR 24289) closed May 24, 2013, and is reopened until July 8, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2013-0316 
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 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 dockets, 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 go to the 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: Van L. Kerns, Manager, Regulatory 
Support Division, FAA Flight Standards Service, AFS 600, FAA Mike 
Monroney Aeronautical Center P.O. Box 25082 Oklahoma City, OK 73125; 
telephone (405) 954-4431, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 24, 2013, the FAA established Docket No. FAA-2013-0316 for 
the purpose of enabling the public to comment on some draft documents 
developed by the Airman Testing Standards and Training Working Group. 
The following documents were placed in that docket for public review 
and comment:
    (1) Background Information; Industry-Led Changes to FAA Airman 
Testing Standards and Training
    (2) Draft PRIVATE PILOT--AIRPLANE Airman Certification Standards;
    (3) Draft Change Tracking Matrix referenced to FAA-S-8081-14B, 
Private Pilot Practical Test Standards for Airplane (Single Engine Land 
and Single-Engine Sea Areas of Operation); Section 1: Private Pilot
    (4) Draft INSTRUMENT RATING--Airman Certification Standards; and
    (5) Draft Change Tracking Matrix referenced to FAA-S-8081-4E, 
Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards for Airplane, Helicopter, 
and Powered Lift
    During the initial 30-day comment period, which closed on May 24, 
2013, more than 130 individuals and organizations posted comments on 
these documents. The ATSTWG received a wide range of comments that 
provided suggestions on how the ATSTWG could further improve its draft 
PRIVATE PILOT--AIRPLANE and draft INSTRUMENT RATING Airman

[[Page 34424]]

Certification Standards documents. Given the size and scope of the 
documents, which align the aeronautical knowledge testing standards 
with the flight proficiency standards set out in the existing Practical 
Test Standards (PTS), several commenters requested additional time to 
review the material and develop their response.
    The ATSTWG's work is intended to improve the relevance, 
reliability, validity, and effectiveness of the FAA's aeronautical 
testing and training materials, as well as to support the FAA's goal of 
reducing fatal general aviation accidents by incorporating task-
specific risk management considerations into each Area of Operation. 
Because the ACS documents are intended to be the foundation for 
transitioning to a more integrated and systematic approach to airman 
certification testing and training, the ATSTWG wishes to benefit from 
the broadest possible range of public comment on the work it will 
submit to the FAA via the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee in 
September 2013. The ATSTWG has asked the FAA to extend the public 
comment period by an additional 30 days, and the FAA has accordingly 
reopened the docket, as noted in the DATES section above.
    The ATSTWG will continue its additional work on remaining 
assignments, including development of the authorized instructor ACS 
document. The ATSTWG expects to make the authorized instructor ACS 
document available for public review and comment at a later date.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2013.
Lirio Liu,
Designated Federal Officer, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2013-13513 Filed 6-6-13; 8:45 am]
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