[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 71 (Friday, April 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15036-15038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06650]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. FAA-2019-0264]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments;
Clearance of a Renewal of an Information Collection: Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Rebate System
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
FAA invites public comments about its intention to request Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a renewal of an information
collection. The FAA has launched a rebate program to emphasize the
urgent need for pilots to comply with Automatic Dependent Surveillance
Broadcast (ADS-B) Out requirements ahead of the January 1, 2020,
compliance deadline. This program is defraying costs associated with
the ADS-B equipment and installation for eligible general aviation
aircraft, and helps ensure that all general aviation aircraft are
equipped by the compliance date.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by June 11, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments:
By Electronic Docket: www.regulations.gov (Enter docket number into
search field)
By mail: Gayle Thornton, ANG-M, 3rd Floor, 1250 Maryland Ave. SW,
Washington, DC 20024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gayle Thornton by email at:
[email protected]; phone: 202-267-7344.
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 FAA's performance; (b) the
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for 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. The agency will summarize and/or include
your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information
collection.
OMB Control Number: 2120-0769.
Title: Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Rebate
System.
Form Numbers: Information is collected via a website specific to
the ADS-B Rebate program.
Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
Background: On May 21, 2010, the FAA issued a final rule requiring
Automatic Dependence Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out avionics on
aircraft operating in Classes A, B, and C airspace, as well as certain
other classes of airspace within the National Airspace System (NAS), no
later than January 1, 2020 (75 FR 30160). ADS-B Out equipage is a
critical step in achieving the benefits of NextGen, in that it
transforms aircraft surveillance with satellite-based precision. When
properly equipped with ADS-B, both pilots and controllers can, for the
first time, see the same real-time displays of air traffic, and pilots
will be able to receive air traffic services in places where it has not
been previously available.
To meet this deadline for compliance, the FAA estimated that as
many as 160,000 general aviation aircraft would need to be equipped
with ADS-B by January 1, 2020. In developing the ADS-B Out final rule,
the FAA assumed that these aircraft owners would begin equipping new
aircraft with ADS-B equipment in 2012, and begin retrofitting the
existing aircraft in 2013, to minimize costs associated with
retrofitting outside of the aircraft's heavy maintenance cycle. In any
given year, avionics installers are capable of completing approximately
35,000-50,000 installations. In order to guarantee that general
aviation aircraft that will operate in ADS-B airspace are equipped by
January 1, 2020, approximately 23,000 aircraft would have needed to
equip each year beginning in early 2013. This would have ensured there
would be a balance between the expected demand for avionics
installations and the capacity of avionics installers. Owners of
general aviation aircraft who are particularly price sensitive are
postponing their installations. This trend demonstrates that there is a
near-term need to accelerate equipage, to ensure that pilots,
manufacturers, and retail facilities have adequate time and capacity to
equip aircraft by the January 1, 2020, compliance deadline. It is
necessary to take advantage of the installation capacity available now
in order to avoid back-end capacity
[[Page 15037]]
constraints that could result in some aircraft being unable to receive
their upgrades ahead of the compliance deadline, which will, in turn,
lead to denial of access to ADS-B airspace once the ADS-B equipage
mandate is in effect. This limited-time rebate will provide an
incentive for early retrofitting, but it is intended to emphasize the
urgent need for pilots to comply with ADS-B Out requirements ahead of
2020.
Section 221 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012
provided the FAA with the authority to establish an incentive program
for equipping general aviation and commercial aircraft with
communications, surveillance, navigation, and other avionics equipment.
Thus, the FAA established an initiative (the ADS-B Rebate Program) to
address the rate of general aviation equipage by incentivizing those
aircraft owners who are affected by the ADS-B Out requirements and are
the most price sensitive to the cost of avionics and the associated
installation. The ADS-B Rebate Program provides a one-time $500 rebate
to an aircraft owner to defray some of the cost of an ADS-B Out system
meeting the program eligibility requirements. The rebates are available
on a first come first served basis.
The FAA, with input from industry partners (Aircraft Electronics
Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and General
Aircraft Manufacturers Association), designed this rebate program
targeting specific eligibility requirements for avionics, aircraft
types, and aircraft owners. The eligibility requirements are as
follows:
Eligible Avionics--Technical Standard Order (TSO)-certified Version
2 ADS-B Out system, purchased on or after June 8, 2016. Such equipment
must have a TSO marking for TSO-C154c, or TSO-C166b, or both. Eligible
ADS-B Out system equipment may have an embedded position source
compliant with one of the following TSOs: TSO-C-145c (or subsequent
versions), TSO-C146c (or subsequent versions), or may be connected to a
separate position source compliant with TSO-C-145c (or subsequent
versions) or TSO-C146c (or subsequent versions). Any separate position
source must comply with the guidance published in FAA Advisory Circular
(AC) 20-165B. ADS-B In/Out systems compliant with TSO-C154c, TSO-C166b,
or both, are also eligible.
Eligible Aircraft--Only U.S.-registered, fixed-wing single-engine
piston aircraft first registered before January 1, 2016 are eligible
for the program. This eligibility is determined via the FAA Civil
Aircraft Registry. Program eligibility also requires permanent
installation of new avionics equipment in a single aircraft in
compliance with applicable FAA regulations and guidance material.
Aircraft Owner--Program eligibility is limited to one rebate per
aircraft owner. An aircraft owner means either a single individual
owner or any owning entity (any legal ownership entity including but
not limited to an LLC, corporation, partnership or joint venture)
identified as the owner of the eligible aircraft in the FAA Civil
Aviation Registry.
Exclusions--All aircraft for which FAA has already paid or
previously committed to upgrade to meet the ADS-B Out mandate. Software
upgrades to existing equipment are not eligible. Aircraft that already
have a Version 2 ADS-B Out system prior to the launch of the data
collection system are not eligible. New aircraft produced after January
1, 2016, are not eligible.
For reimbursement under this program, the FAA Civil Aircraft
Registry information regarding ownership is controlling and the rebate
program is using the publically available database to determine
eligibility requirements based on the aircraft information. The
aircraft owner is responsible for ensuring that the FAA Civil Aircraft
Registry information is accurate before a claim for the rebate is
submitted; rebates will only be mailed to the registered owner and
address as indicated in the Civil Aircraft Registry.
To request a rebate, the applicant must provide via the program
website a valid email address for official correspondence and
notifications and aircraft-specific information such as the aircraft
registration number, TSO certified equipment purchased, and scheduled
installation date. Once the information is submitted, the FAA will
validate eligibility for the program with the official records
regarding aircraft ownership contained in the publically available
Civil Aircraft Registry. Additionally, anyone requesting a rebate will
need to accept legal notices electronically by acknowledging their
agreement and acceptance and providing the name of the person
submitting the information on the individual web application.
Through the ADS-B Rebate Program, aircraft owners are permitted to
reserve a rebate, validate their installation, and then claim their
rebate through the ADS-B Rebate Program website. The program steps and
timeline requirements are as follows:
[1] Decide: The aircraft owner arranges for purchase and schedules
installation of TSO-certified avionics for an eligible aircraft.
[2] Reserve: Before avionics installation occurs, the aircraft
owner must go to the ADS-B Rebate Program website to submit information
for a rebate reservation. Upon successful submission, the system will
generate an email with a Rebate Reservation Code. During the rebate
reservation process, the eligible aircraft's information is validated
against the FAA Civil Aircraft Registry, including ownership
information. If there are discrepancies, the aircraft owner may
continue with the reservation process; but before a valid Incentive
Code can be obtained in step [5], the aircraft owner must ensure that
the FAA Civil Aircraft Registry data for their eligible aircraft is
corrected.
[3] Install: TSO-certified ADS-B avionics are installed in the
eligible aircraft.
[4] Fly & Validate: Only after the prior steps are completed, the
eligible aircraft must be flown in the airspace defined in 14 CFR
91.225 for at least 30 minutes, with at least 10 aggregate minutes of
maneuvering flight, per the guidance in AC 20-165B
regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/
document.information/documentID/1028666, sections 4.3.2 and 4.3.2.3-
4.3.2.6 for Part 23 aircraft. After flight, the ADS-B data is used to
generate a Public Compliance Report (PCR) and General Aviation
Incentive Requirements Status (GAIRS) Report, which is how the
performance of the eligible aircraft's ADS-B installation is validated.
Note that it may be necessary to repeat this step more than once, until
the GAIRS Report indicates PASS for all fields and provides an
Incentive Code in the Rebate Status section. Once proper installation
and operation of the ADS-B is validated the FAA will notify the
applicant using the email address provided at the time of rebate
request.
[5] Claim: Within 60 days of the scheduled installation date, the
aircraft owner gathers their Rebate Reservation Code (from step [2])
and their Incentive Code (from step [4]) and submits this information
as well as their name and aircraft number via the ADS-B Rebate Program
website to complete the claim for their rebate.
The FAA is seeking comments from the public regarding the
information we collect for the program and how we collect it. The
information provided in this notice is solely to identify and collect
information from the public on the potential burden to an individual
that would result from this program.
Respondents: Approximately 20,000 rebates.
[[Page 15038]]
Frequency: Information is collected only during the times the user
is submitting their reservation and claiming their rebate after proof
of meeting the eligibility requirements.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 6 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: Approximately 2,000 hours.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2019.
Tiffany Ottilia McCoy,
General Engineer, NextGen Office of Collaboration and Messaging, ANG-M,
Office of the Assistant Administrator for NextGen, Federal Aviation
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-06650 Filed 4-11-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P