[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55926-55927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19471]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 176 / Tuesday, September 13, 2022 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 55926]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1107; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-1]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal Airway V-156 and V-285 in the 
Vicinity of Kalamazoo, MI

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 
Federal airways V-156 and V-285. The FAA is proposing this action due 
to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Kalamazoo, MI 
(AZO), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigational aid 
(NAVAID). The Kalamazoo VOR is being decommissioned in support of the 
FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 28, 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: 
(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2022-1107; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-1 at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at 
www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, 
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at 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.

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 (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-2022-1107; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-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 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-2022-1107; Airspace Docket No. 22-AGL-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 NPRM

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the 
internet at www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at 
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 
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 Kalamazoo, MI, VOR in April 
2023. The Kalamazoo VOR was one of the candidate VORs identified for 
discontinuance by the FAA's VOR MON program and listed in the Final 
policy

[[Page 55927]]

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 Kalamazoo 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 affected by the Kalamazoo VOR decommissioning are 
VOR Federal airways V-156 and V-285. With the planned decommissioning 
of the Kalamazoo VOR, the remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the 
area is insufficient to enable the continuity of the airways. As such, 
modifications to the airways would result in V-156 and V-285 being 
shortened. Further, concurrent changes to V-285 have been proposed in a 
separate NPRM.
    To overcome the loss of a portion of V-156 and V-285 by this 
action, instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use portions of 
adjacent VOR Federal airways V-55, V-274, and V-277 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 file and navigate point to point using the 
existing fixes and waypoints that would remain in place, or could use 
area navigation (RNAV) route T-217 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.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend VOR 
Federal airways V-156 and V-285 due to the planned decommissioning of 
the VOR portion of the Kalamazoo, MI (AZO), VOR/DME. The proposed 
airway actions are described below.
    V-156: V-156 currently extends between the Cedar Rapids, IA, VOR/
DME and the Kalamazoo, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the 
airway segment overlying the Kalamazoo VOR/DME between the Gipper, MI, 
VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Kalamazoo, MI, VOR/DME. 
The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-285: V-285 currently extends between the Brickyard, IN, VORTAC 
and the Victory, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment overlying the Kalamazoo VOR/DME between the Goshen, IN, VORTAC 
and the Victory, MI, VOR/DME. Concurrent changes to other portions of 
the airway have been proposed in a separate NPRM. The unaffected 
portions of the existing route would remain as charted.
    The NAVAID radials listed in the VOR Federal airway V-156 
description below are unchanged and stated in True degrees.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) 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-156 [Amended]

    From Cedar Rapids, IA; Moline, IL; Bradford, IL; Peotone, IL; 
INT Peotone 098[deg] and Knox, IN, 238[deg] radials; Knox; to 
Gipper, MI.
* * * * *

V-285 [Amended]

    From Brickyard, IN; Kokomo, IN; to Goshen, IN.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 1, 2022.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2022-19471 Filed 9-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


