[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18389-18391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08707]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0975]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submissions for OMB 
Approval

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

ACTION: 30-day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a renewal of the existing 
Information Collection 2120-0768. As required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the purpose of this notice is to allow 30 
days for public comment. The Information Collection was previously 
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 and allowed 60 
days for the public comment.
    The FAA proposes collecting information related to requests to 
operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in controlled airspace. The FAA 
will use the collected information to make determinations whether to 
authorize or deny the requested operation of UAS in controlled 
airspace. The proposed information collection is necessary to issue 
such authorizations or denials consistent with the FAA's mandate to 
ensure safe and efficient use of national airspace.
    In addition, the FAA proposes collecting information related to 
requests for waiver from the waivable provisions of the applicable 
regulations. The proposed information collection is necessary to 
determine whether the proposed operation is eligible for waiver 
consistent with the FAA's mandate to ensure safe and efficient use of 
national airspace.
    Several comments received were either positive or pertained to 
matters not directly addressed in this Information Collection.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 29, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by Docket No. FAA-2017-
0975] through one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey

[[Page 18390]]

Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Casey Nair, FAA's UAS Low Altitude 
Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) Program Manager, tel 
(202) 267-0369 or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Comments Invited. You are asked to 
comment on any aspect of this information collection, including (a) 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
FAA's performance; (b) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways 
for the FAA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized 
without reducing the quality of the collected information.
    Title: Renewal of Existing Information Collection 2120-0768.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0768.
    Form Number(s): There are no FAA forms associated with this 
collection.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: The FAA has seen increased operations of small Unmanned 
Aircraft Systems (UAS) flying under 14 CFR part 107. Section 107.41 
states that ``no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class 
B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the 
surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that 
person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).'' Such 
authorization may be obtained in the form of either an airspace 
authorization issued by the FAA or a waiver of the authorization 
requirements of 14 CFR 107.41 (airspace waiver). Additionally, 
operators may request waivers of the other operational requirements 
listed in Sec.  107.205 (operational waivers).
    In order to process authorization and airspace waiver requests, the 
FAA requires the operator's name, the operator's contact information, 
and information related to the date, place, and time of the requested 
small UAS operation. This information is necessary for the FAA to meet 
its statutory mandate of maintaining a safe and efficient national 
airspace. See 49 U.S.C. 40103 and 44701; Public Law 112-95, Section 
333.
    Additionally, if the operator is seeking an operational waiver from 
one of the other regulations listed in 14 CFR 107.205, further 
information is required related to the proposed waiver and any 
necessary mitigations. The FAA will use the requested information to 
determine if the proposed UAS operation can be conducted safely.
    The FAA proposes to use LAANC and a web portal to process 
authorization requests from the public to conduct part 107 flight 
operations pursuant to Sec.  107.41. The FAA also proposes to use the 
web portal to process requests from the public to conduct part 107 
flight operations that require an operational waiver or an airspace 
waiver.
    Summary of Comments: The FAA received three comments during the 
published public comment period that began on February 12, 2018. One 
commenter asserted that the process for part 107 operators to obtain 
authorization from ATC is overbearing and that part 107 operators 
should be allowed to contact ATC directly via the telephone. The large 
number of potential telephone calls (estimated at over 200,000 from 
2018 to 2020) makes this proposed solution unfeasible and such a 
process would increase the burden on part 107 operators by creating 
unreasonably long wait times for approval and would increase 
uncertainty and inconsistency of authorization when ATC cannot be 
reached. Under the web portal process, which processes individual 
requests such as the one proposed here, the wait time for a response is 
90+ days.
    Another comment addressed procedures for implementing Control and 
Non-Payload Communications Links and does not pertain to the matters 
addressed in this Information Collection.
    The final comment was from the Air Line Pilots Association, 
International (ALPA), which addressed a number of issues, grouped in 
two main categories. First, ALPA commented that the use of LAANC and 
the web portal to process authorization requests to conduct part 107 
flight operations in controlled airspace has not been subject to 
sufficient safety risk evaluation. Both LAANC and the web portal are 
administrative systems. Neither introduce change to the NAS enterprise 
architecture or any alteration to any established FAA processes 
including those that involve safety. LAANC and the web portal provide 
another means for part 107 operators to comply with part 107's 
established requirements and safety processes. Both LAANC and the web 
portal are in alignment with part 107.
    Second, ALPA commented that the FAA has not determined through its 
SMS process the risk that UAS operating in controlled airspace 
introduce to the NAS and, therefore, ALPA is unable to determine if the 
information collected is adequate. This second category of comments was 
substantially the same as comments that ALPA submitted to the earlier 
Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that was eventually implemented 
as a final rule at 81 FR 42063 on June 28, 2016 and codified as 14 CFR 
part 107. Part 107 addresses ALPA's safety concerns. The FAA analyzed 
the proposed information to be collected from the public for both 
authorization requests and waivers and determined that the information 
is sufficient for the FAA to meet the previously established 
requirements.
    Additionally, the FAA has re-reviewed the nine comments that were 
received in response to the earlier published Federal Register notice 
for the emergency approval of the existing Information Collection 2120-
0768, published on October 12, 2017 at 82 FR 47289. Six of these 
comments were positive and supported the implementation of an automated 
system to process authorization requests. Two comments discussed the 
wait times under the non-automated approval process and involved the 
commenters' disagreement with the requirements of part 107. These 
comments pertain to matters not directly addressed in this Information 
Collection. The remaining comment made a recommendation to allow local 
emergency management officials to create temporary ``no fly'' zones to 
support emergency operations. This comment is also not directly related 
to the matters addressed in this Information Collection.
    Affected Public: Small UAS operators seeking to conduct flight 
operations under 14 CFR part 107 either within controlled airspace or 
that require waiver from certain provisions of part 107.
    Frequency of Submission: The requested information will need to be 
provided each time a respondent requests an airspace authorization to 
operate a small UAS under 14 CFR part 107 in controlled airspace. A 
respondent may reduce the frequency by seeking and obtaining an 
airspace waiver to conduct recurring operations. For requests for 
operational waivers, a respondent will only need to provide the 
information once at the time of the request for waiver. If granted, 
operational waivers may be valid for up to four (4) years.
    Number of Respondents: Between 2018-2020, the FAA estimates it will 
receive a total of 203,116 requests for airspace authorizations, 24,721 
requests for airspace waivers, and 15,169 requests for operational 
waivers. The FAA has increased the estimated number of requests for 
airspace

[[Page 18391]]

authorizations to 203,116 from the 160,766 that was estimated in the 
published 60-Day Notice due to the change in the forecast of UAS growth 
that was published in the FAA Aerospace Forecast for Fiscal Years 2018-
2038.
    Total Annual Burden: The FAA estimates that the annual burden hours 
on respondents will be 11,948 hours (4,173 hours for LAANC respondents 
and 7,775 hours for web portal respondents) for airspace 
authorizations, 4,120 hours for airspace waivers, and 3,286 hours for 
operational waivers. The estimated total annual burden hours increased 
from the 9,953 hours published in the 60-Day Notice to 11,948 hours due 
to the change in the forecast of UAS growth that was published in the 
FAA Aerospace Forecast for Fiscal Years 2018-2038.
    Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FAA 
informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and 
a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2018.
Casey Nair,
UAS LAANC Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018-08707 Filed 4-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P