[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 62 (Tuesday, March 31, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17792-17794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06642]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0306; Airspace Docket No. 20-ASO-13]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airway V-52 in the Vicinity of 
Bowling Green, KY

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 
Federal airway V-52 due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR 
portion of the Bowling Green, KY, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) 
navigation aid (NAVAID). The Bowling Green VOR is being decommissioned 
in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (VOR MON) 
program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 15, 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: 
1(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2020-0306; Airspace Docket No. 20-ASO-13 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:

[[Page 17793]]

[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 National Airspace System as necessary 
to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.

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-2020-0306; Airspace Docket No. 20-ASO-13) 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-2020-0306; Airspace Docket No. 20-ASO-13.'' 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 to decommission the VOR portion of the Bowling 
Green, KY (BWG), VORTAC in September 2020. The Bowling Green VOR was 
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 
Bowling Green VORTAC is planned for decommissioning, the DME portion is 
being retained with the ``BWG'' identifier. The air traffic service 
(ATS) routes affected by the Bowling Green VOR decommissioning are jet 
route J-6; VOR Federal airways V-5, V-49, V-52, and V-243; and RNAV 
route T-325. A separate NPRM was published in the Federal Register (85 
FR 16585; March 24, 2020) for Docket No. FAA-2020-0188 to amend ATS 
routes J-6, V-5, V-49, V-243, and T-325. This NPRM proposes to amend V-
52 due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Bowling 
Green VORTAC.
    With the planned decommissioning of the Bowling Green VOR, the 
remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to 
enable the continuity of V-52 within the affected area. As such, the 
proposed modification to V-52 would result in the airway segment south 
of the Central City, KY, VORTAC being removed.
    To overcome the removal of the V-52 airway segment, the FAA plans 
to retain the current fix located along the affected airway segment to 
assist pilots and air traffic controllers already familiar with it, for 
navigation purposes. Additionally, the Bowling Green, KY, DME facility 
is planned to be retained and charted in its current location as a DME 
facility with the ``BWG'' identifier.
    Instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use existing adjacent 
ATS route segments (including V-4, V-11, V-47, V-51, V-140, V-513, and 
T-325), file point-to-point using the fixes that will remain in place, 
or receive air traffic control radar vectors to continue operating 
through the affected area. Visual flight rules (VFR) pilots who elect 
to navigate via the airways through the affected area could also take 
advantage of the air traffic services previously listed.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to modify VOR Federal airway V-52 due to 
the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Bowling Green, 
KY, VORTAC. The proposed VOR Federal airway action is described below.
    V-52: V-52 currently extends between the Des Moines, IA, VORTAC and 
the Livingston, TN, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment overlying the Bowling Green, KY, VORTAC between the Central 
City, KY, VORTAC and the Livingston, TN, VOR/DME. Additional changes to 
other portions of the airway have been proposed in a separate NPRM. The

[[Page 17794]]

unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    The NAVAID radials listed in the V-52 description 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 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-52 [Amended]

    From Des Moines, IA; Ottumwa, IA; Quincy, IL; St. Louis, MO; 
Troy, IL; INT Troy 099[deg] and Pocket City, IN, 311[deg] radials; 
Pocket City; to Central City, KY.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2020.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-06642 Filed 3-30-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P