[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 88 (Monday, May 8, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29580-29582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08802]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2023-1014; Airspace Docket No. 23-ACE-2]
RIN 2120-AA66


Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-14 and V-67, and Area 
Navigation Route T-272; Vandalia, IL

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Very High Frequency (VHF) 
Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-14 and V-67, and United 
States Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-272. The FAA is proposing this 
action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the 
Vandalia, IL (VLA), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) 
navigational aid (NAVAID). The Vandalia VOR is being decommissioned in 
support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 22, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by FAA Docket No. FAA-2023-1014 and 
Airspace Docket No. 23-ACE-2 using any of the following methods:
    * Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
    * Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West 
Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    * Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in 
Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    * Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions for 
accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of 
the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    FAA Order JO 7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, 
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. You may also contact the Rules and 
Regulations Group, Office of Policy, 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 National Airspace System (NAS) as 
necessary to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this 
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. The most 
helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain 
the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. To 
ensure the docket does not contain duplicate comments, commenters 
should submit only one time if comments are filed

[[Page 29581]]

electronically, or commenters should send only one copy of written 
comments if comments are filed in writing.
    The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives, as well 
as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA 
personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this 
proposal, the FAA will consider all comments it receives on or before 
the closing date for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed 
after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without 
incurring expense or delay. The FAA may change this proposal in light 
of the comments it receives.
    Privacy: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 
from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts 
these comments, without edit, including any personal information the 
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.

Availability of Rulemaking Documents

    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 
Operations office (see ADDRESSES section for address, phone number, and 
hours of operations). 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.

Incorporation by Reference

    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) and United 
States Area Navigation Routes (T-routes) are published in paragraph 
6011 of FAA Order JO 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting 
Points, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 on an annual 
basis. This document proposes to amend the current version of that 
order, FAA Order JO 7400.11G, dated August 19, 2022, and effective 
September 15, 2022. These updates would be published in the next update 
to FAA Order JO 7400.11. That order 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 VOR portion of the 
Vandalia, IL, VOR/DME in January 2024. The Vandalia VOR is 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 on July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-
1082.
    Although the VOR portion of the Vandalia VOR/DME is planned for 
decommissioning, the co-located DME portion of the NAVAID is being 
retained to support current and future NextGen PBN flight procedure 
requirements.
    The Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes affected by the planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Vandalia VOR/DME are VOR 
Federal airways V-14 and V-67, and RNAV route T-272. With the planned 
decommissioning of the Vandalia VOR, the remaining ground-based NAVAID 
coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the continuity of the 
affected ATS routes. As such, proposed modifications to V-14 would 
result in an additional gap in the airway between St. Louis, MO, and 
Terre Haute, IN, and to V-67 would result in the airway being shortened 
to begin in the Springfield, IL, area. Additionally, proposed 
modification to T-272 would result in retaining the route by changing 
the Vandalia VOR/DME route point with the TYMME waypoint (WP).
    To address the affected ATS route proposed amendments, instrument 
flight rules (IFR) traffic could use portions of adjacent VOR Federal 
airways V-4, V-12, V-50, V-52, and V-69 for conventional navigation or 
RNAV routes T-272, T-301, and T-305 for GPS equipped aircraft. 
Additionally, pilots equipped with RNAV capabilities could also 
navigate point to point using the existing NAVAIDs, fixes, and WPs that 
would remain in place to support continued operations through 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 airways 
or ATC services listed previously.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR 
Federal airways V-14 and V-67, and RNAV route T-272 due to the planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Vandalia, IL, VOR/DME. The 
proposed airway actions are described below.
    V-14: V-14 currently extends between the Chisum, NM, VOR/Tactical 
Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Tulsa, OK, VORTAC; and between the 
Springfield, MO, VORTAC and the Flag City, OH, VORTAC. The FAA proposes 
to remove the airway segment between the St. Louis, MO, VORTAC and the 
Terre Haute, IN, VORTAC. As amended, the airway would be changed to 
extend between the Chisum VORTAC and the Tulsa VORTAC, between the 
Springfield VORTAC and the St. Louis VORTAC, and between the Terre 
Haute VORTAC and the Flag City VORTAC.
    V-67: V-67 currently extends between the intersection of the 
Centralia, IL, VORTAC 010[deg] and Vandalia, IL, VOR/DME 162[deg] 
radials (CORKI Fix) and the Rochester, MN, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to 
remove the airway segment between the intersection of the Centralia 
VORTAC 010[deg] and Vandalia VOR/DME 162[deg] radials (CORKI Fix) and 
the Spinner, IL, VORTAC. As amended, the airway would be changed to 
extend between the Spinner VORTAC and the Rochester VOR/DME.
    T-272: T-272 currently extends between the Hallsville, MO, VORTAC 
and the Vandalia, IL, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to change the Vandalia, 
IL (VLA), VOR/DME route point to the TYMME, IL, WP which is located 
approximately 60 feet northeast of the Vandalia VOR/DME. As amended, 
the route would be changed to extend between the Hallsville VORTAC and 
the TYMME WP. Additionally, the Hallsville, MO, ``HLV'' identifier 
would be added to the first line of the route description and the 
geographic coordinates of each route point would be updated to be 
expressed in degrees, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a second.
    The NAVAID radials listed in the V-14 description below are 
unchanged and stated in degrees True north.

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

[[Page 29582]]

keep them operationally current. 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 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 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 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-14 [Amended]

    From Chisum, NM; Lubbock, TX; Childress, TX; Hobart, OK; Will 
Rogers, OK; INT Will Rogers 052[deg] and Tulsa, OK, 246[deg] 
radials; to Tulsa. From Springfield, MO; Vichy, MO; INT Vichy 
067[deg] and St. Louis, MO, 225[deg] radials; to St. Louis. From 
Terre Haute, IN; Brickyard, IN; Muncie, IN; to Flag City, OH.
* * * * *

V-67 [Amended]

    From Spinner, IL; Burlington, IA; Iowa City, IA; Cedar Rapids, 
IA; Waterloo, IA; to Rochester, MN.
* * * * *

Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.

* * * * *

T-272 Hallsville, MO (HLV) to TYMME, IL [Amended]
 
Hallsville, MO (HLV)          VORTAC              (Lat. 39[deg]06'48.75'' N, long. 092[deg]07'41.64'' W)
TYMME, IL                     WP                  (Lat. 39[deg]05'38.35'' N, long. 089[deg]09'43.71'' W)
 

* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2023.
Brian Konie,
Acting Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2023-08802 Filed 5-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P