[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 124 (Friday, June 26, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38343-38345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13657]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0500; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-9]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of V-221 and V-305 in the Vicinity of 
Bloomington, IN

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 
Federal airways V-221 and V-305 in the vicinity of Bloomington, IN. The 
amendments are due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of 
the Hoosier, IN, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aid 
(NAVAID) which provides navigation guidance for portions of the 
affected airways. The Hoosier VOR is being decommissioned as part of 
the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 10, 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-2020-0500; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-9 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 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

[[Page 38344]]

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-2020-0500; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-9) 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-2020-0500; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-9.'' 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 Hoosier, 
IN, VORTAC in December 2020. The Hoosier 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 Hoosier VORTAC NAVAID is planned for 
decommissioning, the DME portion of the NAVAID is being retained to 
support Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Performance 
Based Navigation (PBN) flight procedure requirements.
    The VOR Federal airway dependencies to the Hoosier VOR are V-221 
and V-305. With the planned decommissioning of the Hoosier VOR, the 
proposed modifications to the dependent airways would result in airway 
segments supported by the Hoosier VOR being removed; creating gaps in 
V-221 and V-305. To overcome the gaps created in V-221 and V-305, 
instrument flight rules (IFR) pilots could use adjacent VOR Federal 
airways, including V-11, V-12, V-53, and V-171, or could request air 
traffic control (ATC) radar vectors to fly through or circumnavigate 
the affected area. IFR pilots equipped with area navigation (RNAV) PBN 
could also navigate point to point using the existing fixes that will 
remain in place to support continued operations though 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 airways V-221 and V-
305 due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the 
Hoosier, IN, VORTAC. The proposed VOR Federal airway actions are 
described below.
    V-221: V-221 currently extends between the Bible Grove, IL, VORTAC 
and the intersection of the Fort Wayne, IN, VORTAC 016[deg] and Goshen, 
IN, VORTAC 092[deg] radials. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Bible Grove, IL, VORTAC and the Shelbyville, IN, 
VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME). The unaffected portions of 
the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-305: V-305 currently extends between the El Dorado, AR, VOR/DME 
and the Kokomo, IN, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Pocket City, IN, VORTAC and the Brickyard, IN, 
VORTAC. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as 
charted.
    The NAVAID radials contained in the VOR Federal airway 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 ATS routes 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

[[Page 38345]]

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-221 [Amended]

    From Shelbyville, IN; Muncie, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; to INT Fort 
Wayne 016[deg] and Goshen, IN, 092[deg] radials.
* * * * *

V-305 [Amended]

    From El Dorado, AR; Little Rock, AR; Walnut Ridge, AR; Malden, 
MO; Cunningham, KY; to Pocket City, IN. From Brickyard, IN; INT 
Brickyard 038[deg] and Kokomo, IN, 182[deg] radials; to Kokomo.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2020.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-13657 Filed 6-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P