[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 72426-72428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25526]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1399; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-22]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-126, V-156, V-233, 
and V-422, and Revocation of V-340 and V-371 in the Vicinity of Knox, 
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-126, V-156, V-233, and V-422, and revoke VOR Federal 
airways V-340 and V-371. The FAA is proposing this action due to the 
planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Knox, IN (OXI), VOR/
Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID). The 
Knox VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum 
Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 9, 2023.

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-2022-1399; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-22 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at 
www.regulations.gov.

[[Page 72427]]

    FAA Order JO 7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, 
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at 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.

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 ATS route structure as necessary to 
preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic within the National 
Airspace System.

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-2022-1399; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-22) 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 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-2022-1399; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-22.'' 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 www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at 
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 JO 7400.11G, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 19, 2022, and effective 
September 15, 2022. FAA Order JO 7400.11G is publicly available as 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11G 
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 Knox, IN, VOR in June 2023. 
The Knox 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 Knox, IN, VOR/DME is planned for 
decommissioning, the co-located DME portion of the NAVAID is being 
retained to support NextGen PBN flight procedure requirements.
    The VOR Federal airways effected by the Knox VOR decommissioning 
are VOR Federal airways V-126, V-156, V-233, V-340, V-371, and V-422. 
With the planned decommissioning of the Knox VOR, the remaining ground-
based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the 
continuity of the affected airways. As such, proposed modifications to 
the affected VOR Federal airways would result in creating gaps in three 
of the airways (V-156, V-233, and V-422), redefining an airway end 
point in one of the airways (V-126), and revoking two of the airways 
(V-340 and V-371).
    To overcome the proposed modifications to the affected airways, 
instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use portions of VOR Federal 
airways V-7, V-8, V-38, V-51, V-92, V-97, and V-285 for conventional 
navigation or RNAV routes T-215 and T-265 for GPS navigation by 
properly equipped aircraft. Additionally, pilots equipped with RNAV 
capabilities could also navigate point to point using the existing 
NAVAIDs and fixes that would remain in place to support continued 
operations though the affected area. IFR aircraft may also receive air 
traffic control (ATC) radar vectors to fly around or through the 
affected area, upon request. Visual flight rules (VFR) pilots who elect 
to navigate via the affected VOR Federal airways could also take 
advantage of the adjacent ATS routes or ATC services listed previously.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR 
Federal airways V-126, V-156, V-233, and V-422, and revoke VOR Federal 
airways V-340 and V-371 due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR 
portion of the Knox, IN, VOR/DME. The proposed VOR Federal airway 
actions are described below.
    V-126: V-126 currently extends between the intersection of the 
Peotone, IL, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) 053[deg] and Knox, 
IN, VOR/DME 297[deg] radials (BEARZ Fix) and the intersection of the 
Goshen, IN, VORTAC 092[deg] and Fort Wayne, IN, VORTAC 016[deg]

[[Page 72428]]

radials (ILTON Fix). The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
between the BEARZ Fix and the Goshen, IN, VORTAC. As amended, the 
airway would extend between Goshen VORTAC and the intersection of the 
Goshen VORTAC 092[deg] and the Fort Wayne VORTAC 016[deg] radials 
(ILTON Fix).
    V-156: V-156 currently extends between the Cedar Rapids, IA, VOR/
DME and the Kalamazoo, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the 
airway segment between the Peotone, IL, VORTAC and the Gipper, MI, 
VORTAC. Additional changes to other portions of the airway have been 
proposed in a separate NPRM. As amended, the airway would extend 
between the Cedar Rapids VOR/DME and the Peotone VORTAC, and between 
the Gipper VORTAC and the Kalamazoo VOR/DME.
    V-233: V-233 currently extends between the Spinner, IL, VORTAC and 
the Litchfield, MI, VOR/DME; and between the Mount Pleasant, MI, VOR/
DME and the Pellston, MI, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Roberts, IL, VOR/DME and the Goshen, IN, VORTAC. 
Additional changes to other portions of the airway have been proposed 
in a separate NPRM. As amended, the airway would extend between the 
Spinner VORTAC and the Roberts VOR/DME, between the Goshen VORTAC and 
the Litchfield VOR/DME, and between the Mount Pleasant VOR/DME and the 
Pellston VORTAC.
    V-340: V-340 currently extends between the intersection of the 
Peotone, IL, VORTAC 053[deg] and Knox, IN, VOR/DME 297[deg] radials 
(BEARZ Fix) and the Fort Wayne, IN, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove 
the airway in its entirety.
    V-371: V-371 currently extends between the Boiler, IN, VORTAC and 
the Knox, IN, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway in its 
entirety.
    V-422: V-422 currently extends between the intersection of the 
DuPage, IL, VOR/DME 101[deg] and Chicago Heights, IL, VORTAC 358[deg] 
radials (NILES Fix) and the Flag City, OH, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to 
remove the airway segment between the NILES Fix and the Webster Lake, 
IN, VOR. The proposed removal of the airway segment between the NILES 
Fix and the Chicago Heights VORTAC would be mitigated by VOR Federal 
airways V-7 and V-97 which overlap V-422; however, the proposed removal 
of the airway segment between the Chicago Heights VORTAC and Webster 
Lake VOR is due to the planned decommissioning of the Knox VOR. As 
amended, the airway would extend between the Webster Lake VOR and the 
Flag City VORTAC.
    The NAVAID radials listed 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 
JO 7400.11G, dated August 19, 2022, and effective September 15, 2022, 
which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The ATS routes 
listed in this document would be published subsequently in FAA Order JO 
7400.11.
    FAA Order JO 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 JO 
7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 19, 
2022, and effective September 15, 2022, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-126 [Amended]

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

V-156 [Amended]

    From Cedar Rapids, IA; Moline, IL; Bradford, IL; to Peotone, IL. 
From Gipper, MI; to Kalamazoo, MI.
* * * * *

V-233 [Amended]

    From Spinner, IL; INT Spinner 061[deg] and Roberts, IL, 233[deg] 
radials; to Roberts. From Goshen, IN; to Litchfield, MI. From Mount 
Pleasant, MI; INT Mount Pleasant 351[deg] and Gaylord, MI, 207[deg] 
radials; Gaylord; to Pellston, MI.
* * * * *

V-340 [Removed]

* * * * *

V-371 [Removed]

* * * * *

V-422 [Amended]

    From Webster Lake, IN; INT Webster Lake 097[deg] and Flag City, 
OH, 289[deg] radials; to Flag City.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 18, 2022.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2022-25526 Filed 11-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P