[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 124 (Friday, June 26, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38340-38342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13658]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0505; Airspace Docket No. 20-ASW-1]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of V-63 in the Vicinity of Texoma, OK

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 airway V-63 due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR 
portion of the Texoma, OK, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) 
navigation aid (NAVAID). The Texoma VOR provides navigation guidance 
for a portion of V-63 and is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's 
VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 10, 2020.

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-2020-0505; Airspace Docket No. 20-ASW-1 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and 
subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. 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. 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, 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 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-2020-0505; Airspace Docket No. 20-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 https://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-2020-0505; Airspace Docket No. 20-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

[[Page 38341]]

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 https://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at https://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 to decommission the VOR portion of the Texoma, 
OK, VOR/DME in December 2020. The Texoma 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 Texoma VOR/DME NAVAID is planned for 
decommissioning, the DME portion of the NAVAID is being retained to 
support Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Performance 
Based Navigation (PBN) flight procedure requirements. The only Air 
Traffic Service (ATS) route dependency to the Texoma VOR is VOR Federal 
airway V-63.
    With the planned decommissioning of the Texoma VOR, the remaining 
ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the 
continuity of V-63. As such, the proposed amendment to the airway would 
result in the airway segment supported by the Texoma VOR being removed 
and the airway beginning at the Razorback, AR, VOR/Tactical Air 
Navigation (VORTAC) NAVAID. To overcome the loss of the affected airway 
segment, instrument flight rules (IFR) pilots could use adjacent VOR 
Federal airways, including V15, V-16, V-114, V-124, V-278, and V-583, 
or could request air traffic control radar vectors to fly through or 
circumnavigate the affected area. IFR pilots equipped with area 
navigation (RNAV) PBN could also navigate point to point using the 
existing fixes that will remain in place to support continued 
operations though the affected area. Visual flight rules (VFR) pilots 
who elect to navigate via the airways through the affected area could 
also take advantage of the air traffic services previously listed.
    Prior to this NPRM, the FAA published a rule for Docket No. FAA-
2020-0010 in the Federal Register (85 FR 27114; May 7, 2020), amending 
VOR Federal airway V-63 by removing the airway segment between the 
Texoma, OK, VOR/DME and the Razorback, AR, VORTAC. The airway 
amendment, effective July 16, 2020, is included in this NPRM.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to amend VOR Federal airway V-63 due to 
the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Texoma, OK, VOR/
DME. The proposed VOR Federal airway action is described below.
    V-63: V-63 currently extends between the Bowie, TX, VORTAC and the 
Texoma, OK, VOR/DME; between the Razorback, AR, VORTAC and the Oshkosh, 
WI, VORTAC; and between the Wausau, WI, VORTAC and the Houghton, MI, 
VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment between the 
Bowie, TX, VORTAC and the Texoma, OK, VOR/DME. The unaffected portions 
of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    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 airway 
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 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:

[[Page 38342]]

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.

* * * * *

V-63 [Amended]

    From Razorback, AR; Springfield, MO; Hallsville, MO; Quincy, IL; 
Burlington, IA; Moline, IL; Davenport, IA; Rockford, IL; Janesville, 
WI; Badger, WI; to Oshkosh, WI. From Wausau, WI; Rhinelander, WI; to 
Houghton, MI. Excluding that airspace at and above 10,000 feet MSL 
from 5 NM north to 46 NM north of Quincy, IL, when the Howard West 
MOA is active.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2020.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-13658 Filed 6-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


