Notice2022-16626
Use of Wing-in-Ground Craft in Logistical Support of Offshore Platform Operations
Primary source
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
August 3, 2022
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The U.S. Coast Guard seeks input from the public on wing-in- ground (WIG) craft. This information will support the Coast Guard's compliance with Section 8431 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. In addition, public input will help in assessing the current state of WIG craft development and the technology to provide transportation support to offshore energy facilities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Finally, public input will aid in developing a plan to demonstrate WIG craft capability to conduct such operations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 148 (Wednesday, August 3, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47437-47439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-16626]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2021-0827]
Use of Wing-in-Ground Craft in Logistical Support of Offshore
Platform Operations
AGENCY: Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard seeks input from the public on wing-in-
ground (WIG) craft. This information will support the Coast Guard's
compliance with Section 8431 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. In addition,
public input will help in assessing the current state of WIG craft
development and the technology to provide transportation support to
offshore energy facilities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Finally, public input will aid in developing a plan to demonstrate WIG
craft capability to conduct such operations.
DATES: Comments must be received by the Coast Guard on or before
November 1, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments using the Federal Decision Making
Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. See the ``Public Participation
and Request for Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section for
[[Page 47438]]
further instructions on submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document,
call or email Lieutenant Commander Dimitri Wiener, U.S. Coast Guard;
telephone 202-372-1414, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80e4e9ede9f4f2e9eff3aeeeaef7e9e5eee5f2c0f5f3e3e7aeede9ec"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5d39343034292f34322e7333732a343833382f1d282e3e3a73303431">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Public Participation and Comments
The Coast Guard views public participation as essential to
understanding the current state of wing-in-ground (WIG) craft
development and technology, their potential ability to operate on
coastwise and offshore routes, and the Coast Guard's role with regard
to such technologies. The Coast Guard will consider all information,
comments, and material received during the comment period. If you
submit a comment, please include the docket number for this notice,
indicate the specific section of this document to which each comment
applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation.
Methods for submitting comments. We encourage you to submit
comments through the Federal Decision Making Portal at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. To do so, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, type USCG-
2021-0827 in the search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for this
document in the Search Results column, and click on it. Then click on
the Comment option. If your material cannot be submitted using
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, contact the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this document for alternate instructions. Public
comments will be in our online docket at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and can be
viewed by following that website's instructions, provided on its
Frequently Asked Questions page. We review all comments received, but
we will only post comments that address the topic of this request for
information. We may choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate, or
duplicate comments that we receive.
The Coast Guard will not issue a separate response to the comments
received. We will carefully consider all comments and may use them to
form recommendations to Congress. The Coast Guard is not currently
contemplating regulatory changes on this topic; if the Coast Guard were
to undertake any regulatory changes as a result of comments received,
that change would be separately announced in the Federal Register.
Personal information. We accept anonymous comments. Comments we
post to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> will include any personal information you
have provided. For more about privacy and submissions to the docket in
response to this document, see the Department of Homeland Security's
(DHS) eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226, March 11,
2020).
II. Abbreviations
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FR Federal Register
NDAA William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act
OCS U.S. Outer Continental Shelf
RFI Request for information
U.S.C. United States Code
WIG Wing-in-ground
III. Purpose
The Coast Guard is issuing this request for information (RFI) in
response to Section 8431 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, Public Law 116-
283. In that section, Congress required the Coast Guard, in
coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to develop
plans for a demonstration program that will determine whether a WIG
craft, carrying at least one individual, is capable of the following:
(1) Providing transportation in areas in which energy exploration,
development, or production activity takes place on the Outer
Continental Shelf; and
(2) Safely reaching helidecks or platforms located on offshore
energy facilities under the WIG craft's own power.
Congress directed that Coast Guard and the FAA report on, among
other things, any regulatory changes with regard to inspections or
manning that would be necessary to allow for craft operation between
onshore and offshore facilities, any regulatory changes with regard to
airspace and other aircraft operations necessary to allow for safe
operations on or near helidecks and platforms on offshore energy
facilities, and any other statutory or regulatory changes related to
FAA authority over craft operation.
The Coast Guard will use the public comments received in response
to this RFI as the first step in developing a WIG craft demonstration
program, and to better understand the state of WIG craft development.
IV. Background--Wing-in-Ground (WIG) Craft
As statutorily defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101(54), a WIG craft is ``a
vessel that is capable of operating completely above the surface of the
water on a dynamic air cushion created by aerodynamic lift, due to the
ground effect between the vessel and the water's surface.'' As defined
in 46 U.S.C. 2101(45), WIG craft that can carry one or more passengers
for hire are ``small passenger vessels,'' and are regulated as such by
the Coast Guard.
A WIG craft relies on ground effect, an aerodynamic effect that
creates an air cushion between the craft's wings and the surface. When
a WIG craft is operating very close to the surface and under the
influence of ground effect, there is a reduction in the upwash,
downwash, and wingtip vortices generated by its wing that results in a
condition of improved performance. As a result of the reduced wingtip
vortices, there is a reduction in induced drag. Operating within ground
effect significantly improves a craft's performance when its wing is at
a height of about one-half its wingspan or less above the surface.
Accordingly, a WIG craft cannot fly very far above the surface before
it loses the advantage of ground effect. It may also not be able to
maintain sustained flight at higher altitudes.
When operating within ground effect, the reduced drag allows WIG
craft to carry a payload with less propulsion energy than would be
required by an aircraft operating out of ground effect. Operating
within ground effect and not in contact with the surface also permits a
WIG craft to operate at higher speeds than conventional watercraft.
This makes WIG craft particularly attractive for passenger service on
waterway routes.
Because WIG craft can operate very close to the surface, and
because waterways provide an effective operational route for WIG craft,
Congress has made the legislative choice to designate WIG craft as
vessels when operating in the maritime domain. Accordingly, the Coast
Guard has statutory responsibility for the certification and regulation
of WIG craft that operate on U.S. waters. This authority, however, is
not exclusive, and does not restrict the ability of any other agency,
such as the FAA, from regulating these craft when their operation falls
within its statutory jurisdiction.
V. Request for Information
The Coast Guard requests relevant comments and information from the
public, and particularly from offshore facility operators, including
gas and oil facility operators, wind farm operators, the WIG craft
community (designers, manufacturers, and operators), and persons
conducting operations in airspace that may be affected by the operation
of WIG craft.
[[Page 47439]]
When considering your comments and suggestions, we ask that you
keep in mind the Coast Guard's mission to ensure a safe, secure, and
resilient marine transportation system that facilitates commerce and
protects national security interests. Commenters should feel free to
answer as many questions as they would like, but also provide
specificity, detail, and the logic behind any finding or numerical
estimates.
The following information is requested; please provide as much
detail as possible:
(1) From offshore facility operators:
(a) What interest is there in participating in a WIG craft
demonstration?
(b) What are the potential advantages, drawbacks, and concerns,
cost-related or otherwise, with respect to using WIG craft for
transportation support?
(c) What is the feasibility of a WIG craft to safely land and take
off from a helideck (airborne mode), or to taxi up to an offshore
platform (afloat mode)?
(d) What modifications to offshore platforms would be required in
order to enable such operations?
(2) From the WIG craft community:
(a) What is the current state of WIG craft development, both
domestic and foreign?
(b) What WIG craft are currently available, or will be available
within 1 year, for an operational demonstration to an offshore
platform?
(c) What are the capabilities of existing WIG craft to reach
helidecks or platforms located on offshore energy facilities, and how
many existing WIG craft are operational for any route, or working
prototypes under test and evaluation, or designs in progress?
(d) What are the dimensions and operational characteristics of WIG
craft; for example, speed, range, ground effect altitude, and passenger
and cargo capacity?
(e) What are the weather and other factors that might limit WIG
craft operations on exposed offshore routes?
(f) What are the costs and time estimates to manufacture WIG craft,
and what resources are needed to manufacture them; for example,
personnel, equipment, and raw material?
(3) In general, from both offshore facility operators and the WIG
craft communities:
(a) What are the resources needed to plan and conduct a
demonstration of offshore WIG craft operations?
(b) What would be the milestones and timeframe to conduct such a
demonstration?
(4) Should current aircraft, airman, air carrier, and commercial
operator requirements, as set forth in 49 U.S.C. and Title 14 of the
Code of Federal Regulations apply to the certification and operation of
WIG craft? (Note: 49 U.S.C. 40102(a)(6) defines an ``aircraft'' as
``any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in,
the air.'') If current requirements should be revised, please indicate
what changes would be considered necessary.
(5) Are any additional regulatory, guidance, or policy changes
needed to facilitate development of a domestic WIG industry? Where
appropriate, please include why the changes are necessary.
(6) What is the predicted growth and scope of the WIG craft
technology in terms of its domestic deployment in industry?
(7) Regarding credentialing:
(a) Should WIG operators be required to hold a Merchant Mariner
Credential with the appropriate route and tonnage limitations for the
vessel?
(b) Should current airman certification requirements apply to the
operation of WIG craft? If current requirements should be revised,
please indicate what changes would be considered necessary (e.g.
category and class ratings, aeronautical knowledge, flight proficiency,
aeronautical experience).
(c) Should WIG credentials be one endorsement that covers both the
maritime and aviation aspects, or should there be individual
certificates or endorsements for each aspect?
(d) Should aviation or maritime simulation training be required to
obtain certification or an endorsement to conduct WIG operations?
(f) Should aeronautical experience be credited toward any service
requirements to qualify for a WIG endorsement?
(g) If credit for aeronautical experience is to be given, what is
the appropriate conversion of flight time to maritime service time?
(8) Finally, the Coast Guard seeks public comments on WIG craft
development and technology and their potential ability to operate on
coastwise and offshore routes that may not be covered in the questions
above.
Dated: July 29, 2022.
W.R. Arguin,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Prevention
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2022-16626 Filed 8-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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