[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52049-52051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21194]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2019-0688; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-25]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-11 and V-275 in the 
Vicinity of Bryan, OH, and Defiance, OH, Respectively

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-11 by redefining the EDGEE fix in the vicinity of 
Bryan, OH, and V-275 by redefining the KLOEE fix in the vicinity of 
Defiance, OH. These modifications are necessary due to the planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Waterville, OH (VWV), VOR/
Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation aid (NAVAID), which 
provides navigation guidance for portions of the affected air traffic 
service (ATS) routes. The Waterville VOR is being decommissioned as 
part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 15, 2019.

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-2019-0688; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-25 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at http://www.regulations.gov. FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and 
Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at 
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. For further information, 
you can contact the Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; 
telephone: (202) 267-8783. The Order is also available for inspection 
at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For 
information on the availability of FAA Order 7400.11D at NARA, email: 
fedreg.legal@nara.gov or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Airspace Policy Group, 
Office of Airspace Services, 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 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-2019-0688; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-25) and be submitted in 
triplicate to the Docket Management Facility (see

[[Page 52050]]

ADDRESSES section for address and phone number). You may also submit 
comments through the internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
    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-2019-0688; Airspace Docket No. 18-AGL-25.'' 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 http://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at http://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 
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 Blvd., 
Fort Worth, TX 76177.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and effective 
September 15, 2019. FAA Order 7400.11D is publicly available as listed 
in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11D lists 
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

Background

    The FAA is planning decommissioning activities for the VOR portion 
of the Waterville, OH (VWV), VOR/DME in May 2020, as 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 Waterville, OH, VOR/DME NAVAID is 
planned for decommissioning, the DME portion is being retained. The 
only ATS route dependencies to the Waterville VOR are VOR Federal 
airways V-11 and V-275.
    With the planned decommissioning of the Waterville VOR, the FAA has 
determined it prudent to retain V-11 and V-275, and to simply redefine 
the component NAVAID radials that make up the EDGEE fix on V-11 and the 
KLOEE fix on V-275. By redefining the intersecting NAVAID radials that 
make up the fixes, instrument flight rules traffic and visual flight 
rules pilots who elect to navigate via the airways will be able to 
continue to use V-11 and V-275 as charted.
    Additionally, the Cincinnati VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) 
NAVAID listed in the V-275 description is actually located in 
Covington, Kentucky. As such, the state abbreviation for the NAVAID 
listed in the description should reflect the abbreviation ``KY'' 
instead of ``OH''. This editorial correction to the V-275 description 
is also included in this proposed action.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to modify VOR Federal airways V-11 and V-
275. The planned decommissioning of the Waterville, OH, VOR has made 
this action necessary. The proposed VOR Federal airway changes are 
outlined below.
    V-11: V-11 currently extends between the Brookley, AL, VORTAC and 
the intersection of the Fort Wayne, IN, VORTAC 038[deg] and Waterville, 
OH, VOR/DME 273[deg] radials (EDGEE fix). The FAA proposes to amend the 
EDGEE fix in the airway description to describe it as the intersection 
of the existing Fort Wayne VORTAC 038[deg] radial and the Flag City, 
OH, VORTAC 308[deg](T)/310[deg](M) radial. The unaffected portions of 
the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-275: V-275 currently extends between the Cincinnati, KY, VORTAC 
and the intersection of the Dayton, OH, VOR/DME 007[deg] and the 
Waterville, OH, VOR/DME 246[deg] radials (KLOEE fix). The FAA proposes 
to amend the KLOEE fix in the airway description to describe it as the 
intersection of the existing Dayton, OH, VOR/DME 007[deg] radial and 
the Flag City, OH, VORTAC 313[deg](T)/315[deg](M) radial. Additionally, 
an editorial correction is included to change the state abbreviation 
for the Cincinnati VORTAC listed in the description from ``OH'' to 
``KY''. The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as 
charted.
    All radials in the route descriptions below that are unchanged are 
stated in True degrees. Radials that are stated in True (T) and 
Magnetic (M) degrees are new computations based on available NAVAIDS.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) of FAA Order 
7400.11D dated August 8, 2019, and effective September 15, 2019, which 
is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The VOR Federal airways 
listed in this document would be subsequently published in the Order.
    FAA Order 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

[[Page 52051]]

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 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 7400.11D, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019 and 
effective September 15, 2019, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-11 [Amended]

    From Brookley, AL; Greene County, MS; INT Greene County 315[deg] 
and Magnolia, MS, 133[deg] radials; Magnolia; Sidon, MS; Holly 
Springs, MS; Dyersburg, TN; Cunningham, KY; Pocket City, IN; 
Brickyard, IN; Marion, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; to INT Fort Wayne 
038[deg] and Flag City, OH, 308[deg](T)/310[deg](M) radials.
* * * * *

V-275 [Amended]

    From Cincinnati, KY; INT Cincinnati 006[deg] and Dayton, OH, 
207[deg] radials; Dayton; to INT Dayton 007[deg] and Flag City, OH, 
313[deg](T)/315[deg](M) radials.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 25, 2019.
Rodger A. Dean Jr.,
Manager, Airspace Policy Group.
[FR Doc. 2019-21194 Filed 9-30-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


