[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 50042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12859]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No.: FAA-2024-1586]


Draft Advisory Circular for the Type Certification of Powered-
Lift

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA invites public comment on the agency's draft advisory 
circular for the type, production, and airworthiness certification of 
powered-lift.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified with ``Type Certification--Powered-
lift'' and docket number FAA-2024-1586 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 (DOT), 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.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments received without change to 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information the commenter 
provides. DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement can be found in the 
Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as 
well as at DocketsInfo.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Blyn, Product Policy Management: 
Airplanes, GA, Emerging Aircraft, and Rotorcraft AIR-62B, Policy and 
Standards Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas 76177; 
telephone (817) 222-5762; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 21 
provides procedures for the type certification and airworthiness 
certification of special classes of aircraft. Special classes of 
aircraft include gliders and powered gliders, airships, powered-lift, 
and other kinds of aircraft, which would be eligible for a standard 
airworthiness certificate but for which no airworthiness standards have 
as yet been established as a separate part of 14 CFR chapter I, 
subchapter C. Airworthiness standards for these special classes of 
aircraft are the portions of the requirements in parts 23, 25, 27, 29, 
31, 33, and 35 found by the FAA to be appropriate and applicable to the 
specific type design and any other airworthiness criteria found by the 
FAA to provide an equivalent level of safety to the existing standards.
    Recent applications for the type certification of powered-lift have 
proposed passenger seating configurations of six or less, weighing 
12,500 pounds or less, and utilizing battery-powered electric engines 
for propulsion. For each of these projects, the FAA has published the 
proposed airworthiness criteria, along with an explanation of its 
equivalency determination, in the Federal Register for public notice 
and comment. The FAA used its experience with those recent powered-lift 
applications to develop the criteria in the draft advisory circular 
``Type Certification--Powered-lift.'' This draft advisory circular 
establishes a more efficient path in designating the type certification 
basis for certain powered-lift projects, as the FAA will not need to 
announce the criteria for each project in the Federal Register for 
notice and comment.

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites the public to submit comments on the draft advisory 
circular, as specified in the ADDRESSES section. Commenters should 
include the subject line ``Type Certification--Powered-lift'' and the 
docket number FAA 2024-1586 on all comments submitted to the FAA. The 
most helpful comments will reference a specific portion of the draft 
document, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include 
supporting data. The FAA will consider all comments received on or 
before the closing date before issuing the final advisory circular. The 
FAA will also consider late-filed comments if it is possible to do so 
without incurring expense or delay.
    You may examine the draft advisory circular on the agency's public 
website and in the docket as follows:
     At www.regulations.gov in Docket FAA-2024-1586.
     At www.faa.gov/aircraft/draft_docs/ docs/.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2024.
Daniel J. Elgas,
Director, Policy and Standards Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-12859 Filed 6-11-24; 8:45 am]
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