Proposed Rule2022-08890
Proposed Amendment and Establishment of Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; South Central United States
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Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 27, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558; amend Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-256; and establish RNAV route T-466. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Eagle Lake, TX (ELA), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Eagle Lake VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 27, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 24905-24908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08890]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1]
RIN 2120-AA66
Proposed Amendment and Establishment of Air Traffic Service (ATS)
Routes; South Central United States
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-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558; amend Area Navigation
(RNAV) route T-256; and establish RNAV route T-466. The FAA is
proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR
portion of the Eagle Lake, TX (ELA), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment
(VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Eagle Lake 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 13, 2022.
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-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1 at the beginning of your
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points,
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at <a href="https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/">https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/</a>. 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
[[Page 24906]]
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
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-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1) 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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
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-2022-0436; Airspace Docket No. 22-ASW-1.'' 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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Recently published rulemaking
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at <a href="https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/">https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/</a>.
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 7400.11F, Airspace
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10, 2021, and effective
September 15, 2021. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is publicly available as
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11F
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 Eagle Lake, TX, VOR in
December 2022. The Eagle Lake 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 Eagle Lake 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 ATS routes effected by the Eagle Lake VOR decommissioning are
VOR Federal airways V-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558, and RNAV route T-
256. The V-198, V-556, V-558, and T-256 ATS routes are affected
directly with the Eagle Lake VOR being included in the route
descriptions. Whereas, V-212 is affected based on the navigational
guidance the Eagle Lake VOR provides to a segment of the airway between
the extended service volume limit of the San Antonio, TX, VOR/Tactical
Air Navigation (VORTAC) NAVAID (SEEDS fix) and the intersection of the
San Antonio VORTAC and the Industry, TX, VORTAC radials (WEMAR fix).
Except for T-256, the planned decommissioning of the Eagle Lake VOR
results in the remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area being
insufficient to enable the continuity of the affected ATS routes. As
such, modifications to V-198 and V-556 would result in creating or
extending gaps in the airways and modifications to V-212 and V-558
would result in the airways being shortened. And, modifications to T-
256 would include the Eagle Lake VOR/DME route point being removed from
the route description.
To overcome the affected ATS route gaps or removed segments,
instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use portions of adjacent
VOR Federal airways V-68 and V-222 to circumnavigate the affected area,
or receive air traffic control (ATC) radar vectors to fly through the
affected area. Additionally, IFR pilots equipped with RNAV capabilities
could use T-200, T-220, and T-256, and the new T-466 proposed in this
action, or navigate point to point using the existing fixes that would
remain in place to support continued operations though the affected
area. Visual flight rules (VFR) pilots who elect to navigate via the
affected ATS routes could also take advantage of the adjacent ATS
routes or ATC services listed previously.
Further, the FAA proposes to establish RNAV route T-466 between the
San Angelo, TX, VORTAC and Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The proposed T-
route would overlay the existing V-556 and, in part, mitigate the
proposed removal of the V-556 segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC
and the Scholes, TX, VOR/DME. The new T-route would provide airspace
users equipped with RNAV capabilities an enroute structure between the
San Angelo, TX, area southeastward to the Galveston, TX, area and then
northeastward to the Beaumont, TX, area, by transiting north of the San
Antonio, TX, and New Braunfels, TX, areas and south of the Houston, TX,
area. Lastly, the new T-route would support the FAA's NextGen efforts
to modernize the NAS navigation system from a ground-based system to a
satellite-based system.
The Proposal
The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR
Federal airways V-198, V-212, V-556, and V-558; amend RNAV route T-256;
and establish RNAV route T-466 due to the planned decommissioning of
the
[[Page 24907]]
Eagle Lake, TX, VOR. The proposed ATS route actions are described
below.
V-198: V-198 currently extends between the San Simon, AZ, VORTAC
and the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR/DME; and between the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/
DME and the Craig, FL, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the route
segment between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC and the Eagle Lake, TX,
VOR/DME. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as
charted.
V-212: V-212 currently extends between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC
and the Mc Comb, MS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway
segment between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC and the Industry, TX,
VORTAC. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as
charted.
V-556: V-556 currently extends between the San Angelo, TX, VORTAC
and the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway
segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC and the Scholes, TX, VOR/DME.
The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
V-558: V-558 currently extends between the Llano, TX, VORTAC and
the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway
segment between the Industry, TX, VORTAC and the Eagle Lake, TX, VOR/
DME. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as
charted.
T-256: T-256 currently extends between the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC
and the Sabine, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the Eagle Lake,
TX, VOR/DME route point from the description as it is on a straight
segment of the route and does not change the route structure between
the San Antonio, TX, VORTAC and the MOLLR, TX, waypoint (WP).
Additionally, the FAA proposes to add a RNAV route segment overlaying
V-194 between the Sabine, TX, VOR/DME and the DAFLY, LA, WP being
established near the Lafayette, LA, VORTAC. The full route legal
description is listed in ``The Proposed Amendment'' section, below.
T-466: T-466 is a proposed new RNAV route that would extend between
the San Angelo, TX, VORTAC and the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The T-
route would overlay the current V-556 and, in part, mitigate the
proposed removal of the V-556 segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC
and the Scholes, TX, VOR/DME. The new route would provide RNAV routing
between the San Angelo, TX, area southeastward to the Galveston, TX,
area and then northeastward to the Beaumont, TX, area. The full route
legal description is listed in ``The Proposed Amendment'' section,
below.
All 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), and RNAV T-
routes are published in paragraph 6011 of FAA Order JO 7400.11F, dated
August 10, 2021, and effective September 15, 2021, 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 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
7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10,
2021, and effective September 15, 2021, is amended as follows:
Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.
* * * * *
V-198 [Amended]
From San Simon, AZ; Columbus, NM; El Paso, TX; 6 miles wide INT
El Paso 109[deg] and Hudspeth, TX, 287[deg] radials; 6 miles wide
Hudspeth; 29 miles, 38 miles 82 MSL INT Hudspeth 109[deg] and Fort
Stockton, TX, 284[deg] radials; 18 miles 82 MSL Fort Stockton; 20
miles, 116 miles 55 MSL Junction, TX; to San Antonio, TX. From
Sabine Pass, TX; White Lake, LA; Tibby, LA; Harvey, LA; 69 miles, 33
miles 25 MSL Brookley, AL; INT Brookley 056[deg] and Crestview, FL,
266[deg] radials; Crestview; Marianna, FL; Seminole, FL; Greenville,
FL; Taylor, FL; INT Taylor 093[deg] and Craig, FL, 287[deg] radials;
to Craig.
* * * * *
V-212 [Amended]
From Industry, TX; Navasota, TX; INT Navasota 019[deg] and
Lufkin, TX, 250[deg] radials; Lufkin; Alexandria, LA; to Mc Comb,
MS.
* * * * *
V-556 [Amended]
From San Angelo, TX; INT San Angelo 181[deg] and Junction, TX,
310[deg] radials; Junction; to Stonewall, TX. From Scholes, TX; to
Sabine Pass, TX.
* * * * *
V-558 [Amended]
From Llano, TX; INT Llano 088[deg] and Centex, TX, 306[deg]
radials; Centex; to Industry, TX.
* * * * *
Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.
* * * * *
T-256 San Antonio, TX (SAT) to DAFLY, LA [Amended]
San Antonio, TX (SAT) VORTAC (Lat. 29[deg]38'38.51'' N, long. 098[deg]27'40.74'' W)
MOLLR, TX WP (Lat. 29[deg]39'20.23'' N, long. 095[deg]16'35.83'' W)
Sabine Pass, TX (SBI) VOR/DME (Lat. 29[deg]41'12.19'' N, long. 094[deg]02'16.72'' W)
[[Page 24908]]
DAFLY, LA WP (Lat. 30[deg]11'37.70'' N, long. 091[deg]59'33.94'' W)
* * * * *
T-466 San Angelo, TX (SJT) to Sabine Pass, TX (SBI) [New]
San Angelo, TX (SJT) VORTAC (Lat. 31[deg]22'29.84'' N, long. 100[deg]27'17.53'' W)
CHILD, TX WP (Lat. 31[deg]03'41.17'' N, long. 100[deg]27'40.62'' W)
Junction, TX (JCT) VORTAC (Lat. 30[deg]35'52.88'' N, long. 099[deg]49'02.93'' W)
BETTI, TX FIX (Lat. 29[deg]57'54.97'' N, long. 098[deg]03'23.98'' W)
MARCS, TX FIX (Lat. 29[deg]53'52.04'' N, long. 097[deg]51'40.70'' W)
SEEDS, TX FIX (Lat. 29[deg]39'31.94'' N, long. 097[deg]14'58.66'' W)
LDRET, TX WP (Lat. 29[deg]39'44.93'' N, long. 096[deg]19'00.96'' W)
KEEDS, TX WP (Lat. 29[deg]21'59.49'' N, long. 095[deg]36'48.98'' W)
Scholes, TX (VUH) VOR/DME (Lat. 29[deg]16'09.60'' N, long. 094[deg]52'03.81'' W)
Sabine Pass, TX (SBI) VOR/DME (Lat. 29[deg]41'12.19'' N, long. 094[deg]02'16.72'' W)
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 21, 2022.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2022-08890 Filed 4-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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