[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 230 (Monday, November 30, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 76497-76499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26214]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-1058; Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-39]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace and Revocation of Class E 
Airspace; Multiple Minnesota Towns

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace extending 
upward from 700 feet above the surface at multiple Minnesota Towns and 
to revoke the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the 
surface at Silver Bay Municipal Airport, Silver Bay, MN. The FAA is 
proposing this action as the result of airspace reviews caused by the 
decommissioning of multiple non-federal non-directional beacons (NDBs) 
within Minnesota. The names and geographic coordinates of various 
airports would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical 
database.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations,

[[Page 76498]]

West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-9826, or (800) 647-5527. You 
must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-2020-1058/Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-
39, at the beginning of your comments. You may also submit comments 
through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. You may review the 
public docket containing the proposal, any comments received, and any 
final disposition in person in the Dockets Office between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
    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: Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 
Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5711.

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 amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet 
above the surface at: Aitkin Municipal Airport-Steve Kurtz Field, 
Aitkin, MN; Appleton Municipal Airport, Appleton, MN; Benson Municipal 
Airport, Benson, MN; Cambridge Municipal Airport, Cambridge, MN; 
Cloquet Carlton County Airport, Cloquet, MN; Crookston Municipal 
Airport Kirkwood Field, Crookston, MN; Glencoe Municipal Airport, 
Glencoe, MN; and Mora Municipal Airport, Mora, MN, to support 
instrument flight rule operations at these airports; and to revoke the 
Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at 
Silver Bay Municipal Airport, Silver Bay, MN, as the airspace is no 
longer required.

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. Commenters 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-2020-1058/
Airspace Docket No. 20-AGL-39.'' 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 Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic 
Organization, Central Service Center, Operations Support Group, 10101 
Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177.

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 (14 CFR) part 71 by:
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface to within a 6.5-mile (increased from a 6.4-mile) radius of 
Aitkin Municipal Airport-Steve Kurtz Field, Aitkin, MN; removing the 
Aitkin NDB and associated extension from the airspace legal 
description; and updating the name (previously Aitkin Municipal 
Airport) and geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the 
FAA's aeronautical database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface at Appleton Municipal Airport, Appleton, MN, by removing 
the extension northwest of the airport as it is no longer required; and 
updating the geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the 
FAA's aeronautical database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 7-mile) radius of 
Benson Municipal Airport, Benson, MN; and updating the geographic 
coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical 
database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 7-mile) radius of 
Cambridge Municipal Airport, Cambridge, MN; and updating the geographic 
coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical 
database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 7-mile) radius of 
Cloquet Carlton County Airport, Cloquet, MN; and updating the

[[Page 76499]]

geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's 
aeronautical database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 7-mile) radius of 
Crookston Municipal Airport Kirkwood Field, Crookston, MN; and updating 
the name (previously Crookston Municipal Kirkwood Field) and geographic 
coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical 
database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface at Glencoe Municipal Airport, Glencoe, MN, by removing the 
Glencoe NDB and associated extension from the airspace legal 
description; and updating the geographic coordinates of the airport to 
coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database;
    Amending the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above 
the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 6.5-mile) radius of 
Mora Municipal Airport, Mora, MN; removing the Mora NDB and associated 
extension from the airspace legal description; and updating the 
geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's 
aeronautical database;
    And revoking the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet 
above the surface at Silver Bay Municipal Airport, Silver Bay, MN, as 
the instrument procedures at this airport have been cancelled and the 
airspace is no longer required.
    This action is the result of airspace reviews caused by the 
decommissioning of the Aitkin, Appleton, Benson, Cambridge, Cloquet, 
Crookston, Glencoe, Mora, and Silver Bay non-federal NDBs, which 
provided navigation information for the instrument procedures these 
airports.
    Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6005 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 D 
and 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; 
AIRTRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

0
1. The authority citation for 14 CFR 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 7400.11E, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and 
effective September 15, 2020, is amended as follows:

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

* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Aitkin, MN [Amended]

Aitkin Municipal Airport-Steve Kurtz Field, MN
    (Lat. 46[deg]32'54'' N, long. 93[deg]40'36'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.5-mile radius of the Aitkin Municipal Airport-Steve Kurtz 
Field.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Appleton, MN [Amended]

Appleton Municipal Airport, MN
    (Lat. 45[deg]13'39'' N, long. 96[deg]00'16'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.4-mile radius of the Appleton Municipal Airport.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Benson, MN [Amended]

    Benson Municipal Airport, MN
    (Lat. 45[deg]19'55'' N, long. 95[deg]39'02'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.4-mile radius of Benson Municipal Airport.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Cambridge, MN [Amended]

Cambridge Municipal Airport, MN
    (Lat. 45[deg]33'27'' N, long. 93[deg]15'51'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.4-mile radius of the Cambridge Municipal Airport.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Cloquet, MN [Amended]

Cloquet Carlton County Airport, MN
    (Lat. 46[deg]42'04'' N, long. 92[deg]30'13'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.4-mile radius of the Cloquet Carlton County Airport.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Crookston, MN [Amended]

Crookston Municipal Airport Kirkwood Field, MN
    (Lat. 47[deg]50'30'' N, long. 96[deg]37'17'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.4-mile radius of the Crookston Municipal Airport Kirkwood 
Field.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Glencoe, MN [Amended]

Glencoe Municipal Airport, MN
    (Lat. 44[deg]45'22'' N, long. 94[deg]04'53'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.3-mile radius of Glencoe Municipal Airport.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Mora, MN [Amended]

Mora Municipal Airport, MN
    (Lat. 45[deg]53'31'' N long. 93[deg]16'23'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.4-mile radius of the Mora Municipal Airport.
* * * * *

AGL MN E5 Silver Bay, MN [Remove]

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on November 23, 2020.

Steven T. Phillips,
Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2020-26214 Filed 11-27-20; 8:45 am]
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