[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 25, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50347-50349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20690]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2019-0686; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-21]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airway V-7 in the Vicinity of 
Sheboygan, WI

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

[[Page 50348]]


ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 
Federal airway V-7 in the vicinity of Sheboygan, WI. The modifications 
are necessary due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of 
the Falls, WI, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation 
aid (NAVAID), which provides navigation guidance for portions of the 
affected air traffic service (ATS) route. The Falls VOR is being 
decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network 
(MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 12, 2019

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 
(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2019-0686; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-21 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and 
subsequent amendments can be viewed online at http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. For further information, you can contact the 
Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the 
availability of FAA Order 7400.11D at NARA, email: 
[email protected] or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Airspace Policy Group, 
Office of Airspace Services, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority for This Rulemaking

    The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is 
found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106 
describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, 
Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's 
authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described 
in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, 
the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of 
the airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the 
efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that 
authority as it would modify the route structure as necessary to 
preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic within the National 
Airspace System.

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed 
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they 
may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the 
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing 
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal.
    Communications should identify both docket numbers (FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2019-0686; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-21) and be submitted in 
triplicate to the Docket Management Facility (see ADDRESSES section for 
address and phone number). You may also submit comments through the 
internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
on this action must submit with those comments a self-addressed, 
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments 
to FAA Docket No. FAA-2019-0686; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-21.'' The 
postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received on or before the specified comment 
closing date will be considered before taking action on the proposed 
rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of 
comments received. All comments submitted will be available for 
examination in the public docket both before and after the comment 
closing date. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with 
FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the 
docket.

Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the 
internet at http://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/.
    You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any 
comments received and any final disposition in person in the Dockets 
Office (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number) between 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal 
holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal 
business hours at the office of the Operations Support Group, Central 
Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Blvd., 
Fort Worth, TX, 76177.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and effective 
September 15, 2019. FAA Order 7400.11D is publicly available as listed 
in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11D lists 
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

Background

    The FAA is planning decommissioning activities for the VOR portion 
of the Falls, WI, VOR/DME in May 2020, as one of the candidate VORs 
identified for discontinuance by the FAA's VOR MON program and listed 
in the final policy statement notice, ``Provision of Navigation 
Services for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) 
Transition to Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) (Plan for Establishing 
a VOR Minimum Operational Network),'' published in the Federal Register 
of July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-1082. Although the 
VOR portion of the Falls, WI, VOR/DME NAVAID is planned for 
decommissioning, the DME portion is being retained. The only ATS route 
dependency to the Falls VOR is VOR Federal airway V-7.
    With the planned decommissioning of the Falls VOR, the remaining 
ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the 
continuity of the airway. As such, the proposed modification to V-7 
would result in a gap in the airway and the PETTY fix, on V-7, being 
redefined using new intersecting NAVAID radials. To overcome the gap, 
instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use adjacent VOR Federal 
airways, including V-9, V-26, V-55, V-63, V-170, V-191, V-217, V-341, 
and V-450, to circumnavigate the affected area. Additionally, IFR

[[Page 50349]]

traffic could file point to point through the affected area using the 
fixes that will remain in place, or receive air traffic control (ATC) 
radar vectors through the area. Visual flight rules pilots who elect to 
navigate via the airways through the affected area could also take 
advantage of the adjacent VOR Federal airways or ATC services listed 
previously.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 by modifying VOR Federal airway V-7. The 
planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Falls, WI, VOR/DME 
has made this action necessary. The proposed VOR Federal airway change 
is outlined below.
    V-7: V-7 currently extends between the Dolphin, FL, VOR/Tactical 
Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Muscle Shoals, AL, VORTAC; and between 
the Central City, KY, VORTAC and the Sawyer, MI, VOR/DME. The airspace 
below 2,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) outside the United States is 
excluded. The portion outside the United States has no upper limit. The 
FAA proposes to amend the PETTY fix in the airway description to 
describe it as the intersection of the existing Chicago Heights, IL, 
VORTAC 358[deg] radial and the Badger, WI, VOR/DME 117[deg](T)/
119[deg](M) radial. Additionally, the FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the intersection of the Chicago Heights, IL, VORTAC 
358[deg] and Badger, WI, VOR/DME 117[deg](T)/119[deg](M) radials (PETTY 
fix) and the Green Bay, WI, VORTAC. The unaffected portions of the 
existing airway would remain as charted.
    All radials in the route description below that are unchanged are 
stated in True degrees. Radials that are stated in True (T) and 
Magnetic (M) degrees are new computations based on available NAVAIDS.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) of FAA Order 
7400.11D dated August 8, 2019, and effective September 15, 2019, which 
is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The VOR Federal airway 
listed in this document would be subsequently published in the Order.
    FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is 
published yearly and effective on September 15.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this proposed regulation only involves 
an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and 
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current. 
It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under 
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under 
Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulatory Policies and Procedures 
(44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation 
of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal. 
Since this is a routine matter that will only affect air traffic 
procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this proposed rule, 
when promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

    This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in 
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies 
and Procedures'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).

The Proposed Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation 
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR 
TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 71 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.


Sec.  71.1   [Amended]

0
2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11D, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and 
effective September 15, 2019, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-7

    From Dolphin, FL; INT Dolphin 299[deg] and Lee County, FL, 
120[deg] radials; Lee County; Lakeland, FL; Cross City, FL; 
Seminole, FL; Wiregrass, AL; INT Wiregrass 333[deg] and Montgomery, 
AL, 129[deg] radials; Montgomery; Vulcan, AL; to Muscle Shoals, AL. 
From Central City, KY; Pocket City, IN; INT Pocket City 016[deg] and 
Terre Haute, IN, 191[deg] radials; Terre Haute; Boiler, IN; Chicago 
Heights, IL; to INT Chicago Heights 358[deg] and Badger, WI, 
117[deg](T)/119[deg](M) radials. From Green Bay, WI; Menominee, MI; 
to Sawyer, MI. The airspace below 2,000 feet MSL outside the United 
States is excluded. The portion outside the United States has no 
upper limit.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2019.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Airspace Policy Group.
[FR Doc. 2019-20690 Filed 9-24-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P