[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65889-65891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25923]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. FAA-2019-0631]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments;
Clearance of New Approval of Information Collection: Service
Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT)
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection.
The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting
comments on the following collection of information was published on
August 22, 2019. The collection involves aircraft operators using pre-
flight availability predictions for navigation and surveillance and
submitting a request for an authorization from air traffic control
(ATC) via a web-based tool and application process. The collected
information is necessary to:
(1) Predict whether an aircraft flying the proposed route of flight
will have sufficient position accuracy and integrity for:
(a) Navigation, via the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM)
SAPT
(b) Surveillance, via the Automatic Dependent Surveillance--Broadcast
(ADS-B) SAPT
(2) Allow operators to request authorization, via ADS-B Deviation
Authorization Preflight Tool (ADAPT), from ATC to operate aircraft that
do not fully meet ADS-B Out equipage or performance requirements, in
airspace that requires ADS-B Out.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by December 30, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on
the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be
addressed to the attention of the Desk Officer, Department of
Transportation/FAA and sent via email to [email protected],
or faxed to (202) 395-6974, or mailed to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Docket Library,
Room 10102, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further questions concerning this
action, contact Mr. David Gray, Deputy Director (Acting), Surveillance
Directorate, AJM-4, Air Traffic Organization, Federal Aviation
Administration, by email at: [email protected] or +1-202-267-0513.
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-XXXX.
Title: Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT).
Form Numbers: Information is collected via a website specific to
SAPT at https://sapt.faa.gov.
Type of Review: New information collection.
Background: The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the following collection of information
was published on August 22, 2019. 84 FR 43861. Service Availability
Prediction Tool (SAPT) was developed by the United States (U.S.)
Department of Transportation (DOT), John A. Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) for the Surveillance and
Broadcast Services (SBS) organization within the FAA.
The SAPT is intended for pilots, dispatchers, and commercial
operators to check their predicted navigation and surveillance
availability before a flight. The SAPT has three main components:
Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) SAPT, Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) SAPT, and ADS-B Deviation
Authorization Pre-Flight Tool (ADAPT).
RAIM SAPT use is voluntary and intended for pilots, dispatchers,
and commercial service providers using Technical Standard Order (TSO)-
C129 equipment to check the availability of Global Positioning System
(GPS) RAIM for a proposed route of flight, satisfying the area
navigation (RNAV) guidance as outlined in AC 90-100A Change 2,
Paragraph 10(5). RAIM SAPT users can view RAIM outage predictions on
RAIM Summary Displays to graphically view RAIM outage predictions for
specific equipment configurations. RAIM SAPT predictions are only
available through an XML-based web service. RAIM SAPT users can use the
XML-based web service, most commonly used by flight planning software,
to enter specific route of flight information by the operator checking
RAIM outage predictions. RAIM SAPT does not collect personally
identifiable information details about the operator(s).
The ADS-B SAPT is provided to help operators comply with 14 CFR
91.225 and 91.227 by predicting whether operators will meet regulatory
requirements and to advise holders of FAA Exemption No. 12555 whether
back-up surveillance will be available where installed aircraft
avionics are not predicted to meet the requirements of 14 CFR
91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii). For operators of aircraft equipped with TSO-
C129 (Selective Availability (SA)-On) GPS receivers, the operator may
run a preflight prediction using ADS-B SAPT as one option to help meet
their requirements. Information collected via ADS-B SAPT is comparable
to that already provided in flight plans, with the addition of some
information about the aircraft position source's TSO and related
capabilities. Operators using the ADS-B SAPT must enter aircraft
identification. The ADS-B SAPT does not collect other personally
identifiable information details about the operator. When an operator
performs a preflight availability prediction using the FAA's SAPT, the
SAPT retains a record of each transaction enabling the FAA to confirm
that an operator took preflight action. The FAA recommends that
operators using an alternate tool retain documentation that verifies
the completion of the satisfactory preflight availability prediction
for each intended route of flight. 84 FR 31713 (July 3, 2019).
ADAPT is provided to make limited accommodations for those
operators desiring to fly without meeting the ADS-B equipage or
performance requirements, in certain circumstances. ADAPT allows
operators to create an air traffic authorization request to operate, as
allowed in 14 CFR 91.225(g). As a requirement for using ADAPT,
operators must first complete the ADS-B SAPT
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``Flight Information Entry'' form to determine if there is sufficient
backup surveillance coverage throughout their planned flight. Operators
must enter their personal contact information to enable the FAA to
reply with either an approval, rejection, or pending decision. ADAPT
does collect personal identifying information to include name,
telephone number, and email. RAIM SAPT website offers a Grid Display
Tool and Summary Displays which can be used to graphically view RAIM
outage predictions for specific equipment configurations. It also
supports an XML-based web service for automated checking of RAIM
compliance (relative to the AC 90-100A rule) by flight planning
software. The following information is required:
(1) Aircraft Identification (as filed on the Flight Plan; optional)
(2) Route of Flight, including:
(a) Waypoint Name (optional)
(b) Lat/Long
(c) Estimated time over (ETO)
(d) Requested Horizontal Alert Limit (HAL) (optional; default =
555.6(NPA))
(3) Request Identifier (user-defined ID string; optional)
(4) Mask Angle (optional; default 5.0)
(5) Baro Aiding (true/false; optional; default = false)
ADS-B SAPT predictions may be made using XML or using the SAPT
``Flight Information Entry'' form, which has been modeled after a
standard FAA Flight Plan form for ease of use. All the active fields of
the ``Flight Information Entry'' form require an operator to enter
relevant data. Operators may save and load active field information as
well as cut and paste from an International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) Flight Plan. The following information is required:
(1) Aircraft Identification (or ``Call Sign'')
(2) Aircraft Type
(3) ADS-B Position Source TSO (or unequipped)
(4) ADS-B link TSO (or unequipped)
(5) Proposed Departure Time (UTC)
(6) Planned Altitude
(7) Departure Airport
(8) Destination Airport
(9) Route of Flight
If the operator desires to fly an aircraft that is not equipped
with ADS-B or that is predicted to not meet the required position
performance, the operator may request an authorization from ATC to
deviate from the equipage or performance requirements of 14 CFR 91.225
or 91.227, under certain circumstances. To relieve the potential burden
on ATC facilities, the FAA developed the ADAPT to manage aircraft
operator requests for an ATC authorization. In addition to the
information required for ADS-B SAPT, the following information is
required for ADAPT:
(1) Pilot in Command (PIC)
(2) PIC Telephone Number
(3) PIC Email Address
(4) U.S. Civil Aircraft Registry Number or ICAO Address (hex, octal or
decimal)
(5) ADS-B Equipment Status (unequipped, inoperative, insufficient)
(6) Working Transponder with Altitude Reporting? Yes/No
(7) Affected en route ATC facilities
(8) Flight Classification: Part 91, 121, 129, or 135
(9) Reason for Request
(10) Certification of Truthfulness
The SAPT or ADAPT ``Flight Information Entry'' form (the form is
the same and either can be selected) is used by the aircraft operator
to enter the specific flight details. SAPT will analyze the flight, and
if the aircraft is not predicted to the position accuracy requirements
of 14 CFR 91.227, the operator may submit a request to the FAA for an
ATC authorization using ADAPT. A non-equipped aircraft will
automatically fail the ADS-B performance requirements but the operator
is still required to first use ADS-B SAPT, because the SAPT analysis
provides alternate surveillance information that is necessary for
evaluating an ATC authorization request.
Although forms used on the SAPT/ADAPT web pages are similar to
forms used for VFR/IFR flight plan filing, SAPT/ADAPT web forms are for
gathering operator information needed for prediction and application
process purposes only. Operator information submitted via SAPT/ADAPT
will not generate, nor should they be considered, formal IFR/VFR flight
plan submissions.
For more information on the SAPT, see SAPT User Guide at: https://www.sapt.faa.gov/default.php.
The FAA published a Federal Register Notice on SAPT on August 22,
2019. 84 FR 43861. The FAA received one response within the comment
period. The commenter expressed concern with regard to the requirement
to conduct subsequent predictions using SAPT when there are changes in
satellite constellation. The commenter is concerned that an ongoing
duty to execute an updated SAPT would be economically burdensome and
disruptive to operations. The commenter recommended that a change to
the satellite constellation not trigger an updated SAPT prediction
after a flight plan has been filed with ATC.
After an operator receives a satisfactory preflight availability
prediction for an intended operation, there may be certain conditions
that warrant a subsequent prediction. There is no requirement to
continuously monitor Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs); rather, the
requirement to execute an updated SAPT is triggered only if the
operator becomes aware of the condition. A change in the GPS satellite
constellation, as indicated by a NOTAM, may have an effect on the
predicted GPS performance for the intended operation. If an operator
becomes aware of a change that could result in degraded GPS performance
for the intended route prior to receiving an initial ATC clearance, the
operator should conduct a subsequent preflight availability prediction
consistent with 14 CFR 91.103. The duty to conduct a subsequent
preflight availability prediction for an intended route of flight
ceases once an operator receives an ATC route clearance for the
intended operation.
The FAA is seeking comments from the public regarding the
information that is collected for SAPT and its three main components:
RAIM SAPT, ADS-B SAPT, and ADAPT. The information provided in this
notice is solely to identify and collect information from the public on
the potential burden to an individual that may result from this
program.
Respondents: These prediction tools are primarily intended for
pilots and dispatchers; anyone who is planning a flight which passes
through U.S. sovereign airspace using an aircraft whose GPS receiver(s)
is/are not guaranteed to meet certain performance requirements or whose
aircraft is not equipped to meet requirements of 14 CFR 91.225.
Frequency: On occasion as part of flight planning and as required
by FAA policy.
RAIM SAPT--3 minutes or less.
ADS-B SAPT--3 minutes or less.
(It is anticipated that RAIM SAPT and ADS-B SAPT requests will be
automated into the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) that operators may
use to plan flights, eliminating manual data-entry)
ADAPT--7 minutes or less (includes up to 2 minutes for FAA email
response).
Estimated Total Annual Burden: Total estimate of burden hours:
RAIM SAPT--estimating 224,475 annual responses (Part 121/129
[[Page 65891]]
Operators) is approximately 11,224 hours.
ADS-B SAPT--estimating 271,099 annual responses (Part 121/129 and
General Aviation (GA) Operators) is approximately 13,555 hours.
ADAPT--estimating 203,822.5 annual responses (General Aviation (GA)
Operators) is approximately 23,847 hours.
Issued in Washington, DC.
David E. Gray,
Acting Deputy Director, Surveillance Services (AJM-4), Program
Management Organization, Air Traffic Organization, Federal Aviation
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-25923 Filed 11-27-19; 8:45 am]
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