[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 48 (Monday, March 15, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14293-14295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05153]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0086; Airspace Docket No. 21-AGL-4]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Revocation of V-271 and Amendment of V-285 in the 
Vicinity of Manistee, MI

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to revoke the Very High Frequency 
Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway V-271 and amend the VOR 
Federal airway V-285 in the vicinity of Manistee, MI. The airway 
amendments

[[Page 14294]]

are necessary due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of 
the Manistee, MI, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) that these 
airways utilize for navigation guidance. The Manistee VOR is being 
decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network 
(MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 29, 2021.

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-2021-0086; Airspace Docket No. 21-AGL-4 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 
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 7400.11E at NARA, email: 
[email protected] or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jesse Acevedo, 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 (NAS).

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-2021-0086; Airspace Docket No. 21-AGL-4) 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-2021-0086; Airspace Docket No. 21-AGL-4.'' 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 
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.

Background

    The FAA is planning to decommission the Manistee, MI, VOR. This 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. The Manistee VOR is scheduled to be 
decommissioned on December 2, 2021.
    Although the VOR portion of the Manistee VOR/DME is planned for 
decommissioning, the co-located DME portion of the navigational aid is 
being retained.
    The VOR Federal airway dependencies to the Manistee VOR are V-271 
and V-285. With the planned decommissioning of the Manistee VOR, there 
are no remaining navigational aids in the area that would support 
continuity of these airways. As such, the proposal would result in V-
271 being revoked and V-285 being shortened with a new end point. To 
overcome the loss of V-271 and portions of V-285, instrument flight 
rules (IFR) traffic could use adjacent Air Traffic Systems (ATS) 
routes, including VOR Federal airways V-26, V-193, V-420 or request air 
traffic control (ATC) radar vectors to fly through or navigate around 
the affected area. Additionally, IFR pilots equipped with RNAV PBN 
could use an existing RNAV route, T-265, or navigate point to point 
using the existing fixes that will remain in place to support continued 
operations through the affected area. Visual flight rules (VFR)

[[Page 14295]]

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.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to revoke VOR 
Federal airway V-271 and amend VOR Federal airways V-285 due to the 
planned decommissioning of the Manistee, MI, VOR, in the vicinity of 
Manistee, MI. The proposed VOR Federal airway amendments are described 
below.
    V-271: V-271 currently extends between the Manistee, MI, VOR/DME 
and the Escanaba, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to revoke the airway.
    V-285: V-285 currently extends between the Brickyard, IN, VOR/
Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Traverse City, MI, VOR/DME. 
The FAA proposes to delete a portion of the airway between the White 
Cloud, MI, VOR/DME and the Traverse City, MI, VOR/DME. The airway would 
then terminate at the White Cloud, MI, VOR/DME. The unaffected portions 
of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    All radials 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 
7400.11E, dated July 21, 2020, and effective September 15, 2020, which 
is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The airways listed in this 
document would be subsequently updated in the next edition of this 
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 7400.11E, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, and 
effective September 15, 2020, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a), Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-271 [Removed]

* * * * *

V-285 [Amended]

    From Brickyard, IN; Kokomo, IN; Goshen, IN; INT Goshen 038[deg] 
and Kalamazoo, MI, 191[deg] radials; Kalamazoo; INT Kalamazoo 
014[deg] and Victory, MI, 167[deg] radials; Victory; to White Cloud, 
MI.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 9, 2021.
George Gonzalez,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2021-05153 Filed 3-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P