[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 21 (Monday, February 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4780-4781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02076]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. 2025-0780]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments;
Clearance of a Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Service
Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT)
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information
collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period
soliciting comments on the following collection of information was
published on November 28, 2025. The collection involves planned routes
of flight and aircraft avionics equipment. The information that is
collected will be used to predict whether an aircraft flying the
proposed route of flight will have sufficient position accuracy and
integrity for the following: (1) Navigation, via the Receiver
Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) SAPT; (2) Surveillance, via the
Automatic Dependent Surveillance--Broadcast (ADS-B) SAPT. In addition,
the website will allow operators to request authorization to operate in
ADS-B-Out rule airspace with aircraft that do not fully meet the ADS-B
Out requirements via: (3) ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-flight Tool
(ADAPT).
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by March 4, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Kenney by email at:
[email protected]; phone: (703) 624-3695.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the
accuracy of the
[[Page 4781]]
estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information collection; and (d) ways that the burden
could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected
information.
OMB Control Number: 2120-0780
Title: Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT)
Form Numbers: eXtensible markup language (XML) format, ADS-B SAPT
flight information entry form, and ADS-B authorization request at
https://sapt.faa.gov.
Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection
Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
Background: The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the following collection of information
was published on November 28, 2025 (FR Vol. 90, No. 227, page 54839).
Under 14 CFR 91.103, pilots must use all available information in
planning their flight. SAPT is a web-based tool to assist aircraft
operators in achieving compliance with the requirements of 14 CFR
91.103, 91.225. and 91.227, and/or AC 90-100A Change 2, Paragraph 10a.
(5). To ensure that they will meet the performance requirements for the
duration of the flight, pilots may use the FAA-provided pre-flight
Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT) to determine predicted
navigation or surveillance availability before a flight. The SAPT has
three main components: the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring
(RAIM) SAPT, the ADS-B SAPT, and the ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-
Flight Tool (ADAPT). The SAPT models the GPS constellation in order to
assess the predicted accuracy and integrity of GPS position information
used in navigation and surveillance for a few GPS receiver Technical
Standard Orders (TSOs).
The RAIM SAPT is intended mainly for pilots, dispatchers, and
commercial operators using TSO-C129 equipment to check their predicted
navigation horizontal protection level (HPL). It incorporates TSO-C129
GPS RAIM predictions to check the availability of GPS RAIM satisfying
the RNAV requirements of AC 90-100A Change 2, Paragraph 10(5)).
The ADS-B SAPT is provided to help operators comply with 14 CFR
91.225 and 91.227 by predicting whether operators will meet regulatory
requirements, and to advise holders of FAA Exemption 12555 whether
back-up surveillance will be available for any waypoints where
installed aircraft avionics are not predicted to meet the requirements
of 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii).
Information collected via ADS-B SAPT is comparable to that provided
by pilots when they file flight plans, with some additional information
about aircraft position source TSO and related capabilities. The ADS-B
SAPT prediction is based on the ability of the aircraft's position
source (i.e., GPS receiver) to meet performance requirements specified
in FAA TSOs C129, C129a, C145c/C146c, and C196, as well as the
predicted status of the GPS constellation.
The ADS-B SAPT predicts whether GPS position information will be
sufficient throughout the flight to meet the performance requirements
of 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii). If a waypoint is in rule airspace
and the aircraft's position source is not predicted to meet the
performance requirements of 14 CFR 91.227, the ADS-B SAPT checks for
the availability of back-up surveillance at that waypoint. Operators of
aircraft equipped with TSO-C129 (SA-On) GPS receivers must run a pre-
flight prediction. The operator may use their own prediction tool.
ADAPT is mandatory for operators desiring to apply for an ATC
authorization, per 14 CFR 91.225(g), to fly in ADS-B Out rule airspace
using aircraft with avionics that do not meet the ADS-B equipage
requirements. ADAPT allows operators to create an air traffic
authorization request to operate in ADS-B Out rule airspace when either
(1) the aircraft is without ADS-B equipment; (2) that equipment is
inoperative; or (3) their avionics are not expected to meet the ADS-B
performance requirements as identified in 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and
(iii). Operators who wish to submit an ADAPT request must complete the
ADS-B SAPT analysis using information entered into the flight
information entry form before filing the ADAPT request.
Information Collected
Information collected by SAPT is comparable to that provided in FAA
flight plans, with some additional information about the position
source. The ADS-B SAPT flight information entry form requires the
aircraft call-sign but does not collect other personal identification
information about the operator. ADAPT does collect personal information
to include name, telephone number, email address. The information is
necessary to enable the FAA ATC Authorization Authority (AAA) to reply
with either an approval, rejection, or pending decision. It also
collects additional information about the flight, including US Civil
Aircraft Registry Number or ICAO Address.
Respondents
These prediction tools are primarily intended for pilots and
dispatchers; and for anyone who is planning a flight which passes
through U.S. sovereign airspace, using an aircraft whose GPS
receiver(s) is/are not guaranteed to meet certain performance
requirements or whose aircraft is not equipped to meet the requirements
of 14 CFR 91.225.
Frequency
As part of the flight planning process, as required by FAA policy.
For some users, this could be every flight. For others it will depend
on the specific conditions and performance requirements.
Estimated Average Burden per Response
RAIM SAPT and ADS-B SAPT can be automated as part of the dispatch
process by operators or flight service providers, thus eliminating
manual data-entry.
RAIM SAPT--Insignificant, as all transactions are automated in
flight planning systems.
ADS-B SAPT--5 minutes or less for transactions input via the flight
plan form.
ADAPT--7 minutes or less (includes up to 2 minutes to check FAA
email response).
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Cumulative total burden for 2025:
RAIM SAPT--Insignificant additional burden
ADS-B SAPT--Approximately 1,160 hours (reporting) and 290 hours
(record-keeping).
ADAPT--Approximately 344 hours (reporting) and 137 hours (record-
keeping).
Jamal Wilson,
SAPT Project Lead, In-Service Performance and Sustainment (AJM-4220)
Federal Aviation Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-02076 Filed 1-30-26; 8:45 am]
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