[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 185 (Wednesday, September 23, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59700-59702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20892]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0810; Airspace Docket No. 19-ANM-101]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of Class D and E airspace; Helena, MT

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to modify Class D airspace at Helena 
Regional Airport. This action also proposes to modify Class E airspace, 
designated as a surface area. Additionally, this action proposes to 
establish Class E airspace, designated as an extension to a Class D or 
Class E surface area. Further, this action proposes to modify Class E 
airspace, extending upward from 700 feet above the surface. Also, this 
action proposes to modify the Class E airspace extending upward from 
1,200 feet above the surface. This action also proposes to remove the 
Helena VORTAC from the airspace legal descriptions. Lastly, this action 
proposes administrative corrections to the airspaces' legal 
descriptions. This action would ensure the safety and management of 
instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 9, 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-2020-0810; Airspace Docket No. 19-ANM-101, at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11E, 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 
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 7400.11E at NARA, email [email protected] 
or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Van Der Wal, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 
S. 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone (206) 231-3695.

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 
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 Class D and Class E airspace at Helena Regional 
Airport, Helena, MT, to support IFR operations at the airport.

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 and be submitted in 
triplicate to the address listed above. Persons wishing the FAA to 
acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must submit with 
those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the 
following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. FAA-2020-0810; 
Airspace Docket No. 19-ANM-101''. The postcard will be date/time 
stamped and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received before the specified closing date for 
comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed rule. 
The proposal contained in this notice may be changed in light of the 
comments received. 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 the ADDRESSES section for the 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 Northwest Mountain Regional Office of the Federal 
Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Western Service 
Center,

[[Page 59701]]

Operations Support Group, 2200 S. 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11E, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and effective 
September 15, 2020. FAA Order 7400.11E is publicly available as listed 
in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11E lists 
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations Part 71 by modifying the Class D airspace at Helena 
Regional Airport, Helena, MT. The proposal would modify the Class D 
airspace extensions east and west of the airport to properly contain 
IFR departures to 700 feet above the surface. The airspace area would 
be described as follows: That airspace extending upward from the 
surface to and including 6,400 feet within a 4.4-mile radius of the 
airport, and within 2 miles each side of the 091[deg] bearing from the 
airport, extending from the 4.4-mile radius to 5.2 miles east of the 
airport, and within 2 miles each side of 292[deg] bearing from the 
airport, extending from the 4.4-mile radius to 5.8 miles west of Helena 
Regional Airport. This Class D airspace area is effective during the 
specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. 
The effective date and time will thereafter be continuously published 
in the Chart Supplement.
    This action also proposes to modify Class E airspace, designated as 
a surface area, to be coincident with the new Class D dimensions. The 
airspace area would be described as follows: That airspace extending 
upward from the surface within a 4.4-mile radius of the airport, and 
within 2 miles each side of the 091[deg] bearing from the airport, 
extending from the 4.4-mile radius to 5.2 miles east of the airport, 
and within 2 miles each side of 292[deg] bearing from the airport, 
extending from the 4.4-mile radius to 5.8 miles west of Helena Regional 
Airport. This Class E airspace area is effective during the specific 
dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The 
effective date and time will thereafter be continuously published in 
the Chart Supplement.
    Additionally, this action proposes to establish Class E airspace, 
designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E surface area. The 
proposed area is designed to contain IFR aircraft descending below 
1,000 feet above the surface. This airspace area would be described as 
follows: That airspace extending upward from the surface within an area 
bounded by a line beginning at lat. 46[deg]34'18.57'' N, long. 
111[deg]51'30.319'' W, to lat. 46[deg]38'5.89'' N, long. 
111[deg]51'24.53'' W, to lat. 46[deg]37'12.53'' N, long. 
111[deg]45'24.67'' W, to lat. 46[deg]32'22.72'' N, long. 
111[deg]46'31.44'' W, to lat. 46[deg]33'24.13'' N, long. 
111[deg]54'20.01'' W, then counter-clockwise along the 4.4-mile radius 
of the airport to lat. 46[deg]34'20.01'' N, long. 111[deg]53'22.03'' W, 
then to the point of beginning, and within an area bounded by a line 
beginning at lat. 46[deg]38'39.95'' N, long. 112[deg]06'47.50'' W, to 
lat. 46[deg]36'47.49'' N, long. 112[deg]07'53.41'' W, to lat. 
46[deg]37'22.52'' N, long. 112[deg]11'37.80'' W, to lat. 
46[deg]39'19.40'' N, long. 112[deg]10'58.64'' W, then to the point of 
beginning west of Helena Regional Airport.
    Further, this action proposes to modify Class E airspace extending 
upward from 700 feet above the surface. The action proposes to properly 
size the airspace to contain IFR departures to 1,200 feet above the 
surface and IFR arrivals descending below 1,500 feet above the surface. 
This airspace area would be described as follows: That airspace 
extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within an 8.3-mile 
radius of the airport, and within 1 mile each side of the 103[deg] 
bearing from the airport, extending from the 8.3-mile radius to 10.7 
miles east of the airport, and within 1.8 miles each side of the 
281[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 8.3-mile radius 
to 18.1 miles west of Helena Regional Airport.
    This action also proposes to modify Class E airspace extending 
upward from 1,200 feet above the surface to properly contain IFR 
aircraft transitioning to/from the terminal and en route environments. 
This airspace area would be described as follows: That airspace 
extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface within a 36-mile 
radius of Helena Regional Airport.
    The action proposes to update the airport's geographic coordinates 
to match the FAA database. The coordinates should read lat. 
46[deg]36'24'' N, long. 111[deg]59'0.0'' W. This action also proposes 
to remove the Helena VORTAC and all references to the VORTAC from the 
Class D, E2, and E5 legal descriptions. The navigational aid is not 
needed to define the airspace. Removal of the navigational aid allows 
the airspace to be defined from a single reference point which 
simplifies how the airspace is described. Additionally, the term 
``Airport/Facility Directory'' in the last sentence of the Class D and 
Class E2 airspace legal descriptions is outdated and should be changed 
to ``Chart Supplement''.
    Class D, E2, E4, and E5 airspace designations are published in 
paragraphs 5000, 6002, 6004, and 6005, respectively, of FAA Order 
7400.11E, dated July 21, 2020, and effective September 15, 2020, which 
is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace 
designations listed in this document will be published subsequently 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 regulation only involves an 
established body of technical regulations for which frequent and 
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current, is 
non-controversial, and unlikely to result in adverse or negative 
comments. It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' 
under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under 
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 rule, when promulgated, would 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

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me, 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 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as 
follows:


[[Page 59702]]


    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 7400.11E, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and 
effective September 15, 2020, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

ANM MT D Helena, MT [Amended]

Helena Regional Airport, MT
    (Lat. 46[deg]36'24'' N, long. 111[deg]59'0.0'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
6,400 feet within a 4.4-mile radius of the airport, and within 2 
miles each side of the 091[deg] bearing from the airport, extending 
from the 4.4-mile radius to 5.2 miles east of the airport, and 
within 2 miles each side of 292[deg] bearing from the airport, 
extending from the 4.4-mile radius to 5.8 miles west of Helena 
Regional Airport. This Class D airspace area is effective during the 
specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to 
Airmen. The effective date and time will thereafter be continuously 
published in the Chart Supplement.
* * * * *

ANM MT E2 Helena, MT [Amended]

Helena Regional Airport, MT
    (Lat. 46[deg]36'24'' N, long. 111[deg]59'0.0'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface within a 4.4-
mile radius of the airport, and within 2 miles each side of the 
091[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 4.4-mile 
radius to 5.2 miles east of the airport, and within 2 miles each 
side of 292[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 4.4-
mile radius to 5.8 miles west of Helena Regional Airport. This Class 
E airspace area is effective during the specific dates and times 
established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The effective date and 
time will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart 
Supplement.

Paragraph 6004. Class E Airspace Areas Designated as an Extension 
to a Class D or Class E Surface Area

* * * * *

ANM MT E4 Helena, MT [New]

Helena Regional Airport, MT
    (Lat. 46[deg]36'24'' N, long. 111[deg]59'0.0'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface within an area 
bounded by a line beginning at lat. 46[deg]34'18.57'' N, long. 
111[deg]51'30.319'' W, to lat. 46[deg]38'5.89'' N, long. 
111[deg]51'24.53'' W, to lat. 46[deg]37'12.53'' N, long. 
111[deg]45'24.67'' W, to lat. 46[deg]32'22.72'' N, long. 
111[deg]46'31.44'' W, to lat. 46[deg]33'24.13'' N, long. 
111[deg]54'20.01'' W, then counter-clockwise along the 4.4-mile 
radius of the airport to lat. 46[deg]34'20.01'' N, long. 
111[deg]53'22.03'' W, then to the point of beginning, and within an 
area bounded by a line beginning at lat. 46[deg]38'39.95'' N, long. 
112[deg]06'47.50'' W, to lat. 46[deg]36'47.49'' N, long. 
112[deg]07'53.41'' W, to lat. 46[deg]37'22.52'' N, long. 
112[deg]11'37.80'' W, to lat. 46[deg]39'19.40'' N, long. 
112[deg]10'58.64'' W, then to the point of beginning west of Helena 
Regional Airport.

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 
Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth

* * * * *

ANM MT E5 Helena, MT [Amended]

Helena Regional Airport, MT
    (Lat. 46[deg]36'24'' N, long. 111[deg]59'0.0'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within an 8.3-mile radius of the airport, and within 1 mile each 
side of the 103[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 
8.3-mile radius to 10.7 miles east of the airport, and within 1.8 
miles each side of the 281[deg] bearing from the airport, extending 
from the 8.3-mile radius to 18.1 miles west of the airport; and that 
airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface within a 
36-mile radius of Helena Regional Airport.

    Issued in Seattle, Washington, on September 16, 2020.
B.G. Chew,
Acting Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2020-20892 Filed 9-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P