[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3290-3292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00774]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0003; Airspace Docket No. 19-ACE-11]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-12, V-74, and V-516 
in the Vicinity of Anthony, KS

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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[[Page 3291]]

SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend three VHF Omnidirectional Range 
(VOR) Federal airways, V-12, V-74, and V-516, in the vicinity of 
Anthony, KS. The modifications are necessary due to the planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Anthony, KS, VOR/Tactical Air 
Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aid (NAVAID), which provides navigation 
guidance for portions of the affected air traffic service (ATS) routes. 
The Anthony VOR is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR 
Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 6, 2020.

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-2020-0003; Airspace Docket No. 19-ACE-11 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and 
subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. For further information, you can contact the 
Rules and Regulations 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, Rules and Regulations 
Group, Office of Policy, 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-2020-0003; Airspace Docket No. 19-ACE-11) 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 https://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-2020-0003; Airspace Docket No. 19-ACE-11.'' 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 https://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at https://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 Anthony, KS, VORTAC in July, 2020. The Anthony VOR is 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 Anthony, KS, VORTAC NAVAID is 
planned for decommissioning, the co-located DME is being retained. The 
ATS routes affected by the planned Anthony VOR decommissioning are VOR 
Federal airways V-12, V-74, and V-516.
    With the planned decommissioning of the Anthony VOR, the remaining 
ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the 
continuity of the affected ATS routes. As such, proposed modifications 
to the affected VOR Federal airways would result in gaps in the 
airways. To overcome the airway gaps, instrument flight rules (IFR) 
traffic could use adjacent ATS route segments, including V-73, V-77, V-
256, and V-532, to circumnavigate the affected area. IFR traffic could 
also file point to point through the affected area using the existing 
airway fixes that will remain in place, as well as adjacent NAVAIDs, or

[[Page 3292]]

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.
    Additionally, the Amarillo, TX, VOR NAVAID listed in the V-12 
description was actually decommissioned in 1999. The FAA published a 
rule in the Federal Register (64 FR 3210, January 21, 1999) for 
airspace docket 98-ASW-30 that replaced the decommissioned Amarillo, 
TX, VOR with the newly commissioned Panhandle, TX, VORTAC. Subsequent 
to that rule, the FAA published another rule in the Federal Register 
(64 FR 43069, August 9, 1999) for airspace docket 99-ACE-14 that 
erroneously published V-12 with the Amarillo, TX, VOR included instead 
of the correct Panhandle, TX, VORTAC. As such, the ``Amarillo, TX,'' 
NAVAID listed in the V-12 description should reflect the ``Panhandle, 
TX,'' NAVAID. This editorial correction to the V-12 description is also 
included in this proposed action.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 by modifying VOR Federal Airways V-12, V-
74, and V-516. The planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the 
Anthony, KS, VORTAC NAVAID has made this action necessary. The proposed 
VOR Federal airway changes are outlined below.
    V-12: V-12 currently extends between the Gaviota, CA, VORTAC and 
the Shelbyville, IN, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME); and 
between the Allegheny, PA, VOR/DME and the Pottstown, PA, VORTAC. The 
FAA proposes to remove the airway segment between the Mitbee, OK, 
VORTAC and the Wichita, KS, VORTAC. Additionally, the Amarillo, TX, VOR 
listed in the airway description would be corrected to reflect the 
Panhandle, TX, VORTAC. The unaffected portions of the existing airway 
would remain as charted.
    V-74: V-74 currently extends between the Garden City, KS, VORTAC 
and the Magnolia, MS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Dodge City, KS, VORTAC and the Pioneer, OK, VORTAC. 
The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-516: V-516 currently extends between the Liberal, KS, VORTAC and 
the Oswego, KS, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
between the Liberal, KS, VORTAC and the Pioneer, OK, VORTAC. The 
unaffected portion of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    All radials listed in the route descriptions below are unchanged 
and stated in True degrees.
    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 airways 
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-12 [Amended]

    From Gaviota, CA; San Marcus, CA; Palmdale, CA; 38 miles, 6 
miles wide, Hector, CA; 12 miles, 38 miles, 85 MSL, 14 miles, 75 
MSL, Needles, CA; 45 miles, 34 miles, 95 MSL, Drake, AZ; Winslow, 
AZ; 30 miles, 85 MSL, Zuni, NM; Albuquerque, NM; Otto, NM; Anton 
Chico, NM; Tucumcari, NM; Panhandle, TX; to Mitbee, OK. From 
Wichita, KS; Emporia, KS; INT Emporia 063[deg] and Napoleon, MO, 
243[deg] radials; Napoleon; INT Napoleon 095[deg] and Columbia, MO, 
292[deg] radials; Columbia; Foristell, MO; Troy, IL; Bible Grove, 
IL; to Shelbyville, IN. From Allegheny, PA; Johnstown, PA; 
Harrisburg, PA; INT Harrisburg 092[deg] and Pottstown, PA, 278[deg] 
radials; to Pottstown.
* * * * *

V-74 [Amended]

    From Garden City, KS; to Dodge City, KS. From Pioneer, OK; 
Tulsa, OK; Fort Smith, AR; 6 miles, 7 miles wide (4 miles north and 
3 miles south of centerline) Little Rock, AR; Pine Bluff, AR; 
Greenville, MS; to Magnolia, MS.
* * * * *

V-516 [Amended]

    From Pioneer, OK; to Oswego, KS.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2020.
Rodger A. Dean Jr.,
Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-00774 Filed 1-17-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P