[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 185 (Monday, September 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58428-58429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20661]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1259]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of Approval for Renewed Information Collection: Service 
Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 
invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information 
collection. The collection involves planned routes of flight and 
aircraft avionics equipment. The information that is collected will be 
used to predict whether an aircraft flying the proposed route of flight 
will have sufficient position accuracy and integrity for the following: 
(1) Navigation, via the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) 
SAPT; (2) Surveillance, via the Automatic Dependent Surveillance--
Broadcast (ADS-B) SAPT. In addition, the website will allow operators 
to request authorization to operate in ADS-B-Out rule airspace with 
aircraft that do not fully meet the ADS-B Out requirements via: (3) 
ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-flight Tool (ADAPT)

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by November 25, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments:
    By Electronic Docket: www.regulations.gov (Enter docket number into 
search field)
    By mail: Send comments to FAA at the following address: Mr. Evan 
Setzer, Program Manager, Surveillance and Broadcast Services, AJM-42, 
Program Management Organization, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 
Independence Ave. SW, Wilbur Wright Building, Washington, DC 20597.
    By fax: 202-267-1277 (Attention: Mr. Evan Setzer, Program Manager, 
Surveillance and Broadcast Services, AJM-42, Program Management 
Organization, Federal Aviation Administration).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions concerning 
this action, contact Mr. Paul Von Hoene, Aviation Safety, Aviation 
Safety Inspector (AC/OPS) at [email protected] or at (202) 267-
8916.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for FAA's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to enhance the 
quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include 
your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0780.
    Title: Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT).
    Form Numbers: eXtensible markup language (XML) format, ADS-B SAPT 
flight information entry form, and ADS-B authorization request at 
https://sapt.faa.gov.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background:
    Under 14 CFR 91.103, pilots must use all available information in 
planning their flight. SAPT is a web-based tool to assist aircraft 
operators in achieving compliance with the requirements of 14 CFR 
91.103, 91.225. and 91.227, and/or AC 90-100A Change 2, Paragraph 10a. 
(5). To ensure that they will meet the performance requirements for the 
duration of the flight, pilots may use the FAA-provided pre-flight 
Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT) to determine predicted 
navigation or surveillance availability before a flight. The SAPT has 
three main components: the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring 
(RAIM) SAPT, the ADS-B SAPT, and the ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-
Flight Tool (ADAPT). The SAPT models the GPS constellation in order to 
assess the predicted accuracy and integrity of GPS position information 
used in navigation and surveillance for a few GPS receiver Technical 
Standard Orders (TSOs).
    The RAIM SAPT is intended mainly for pilots, dispatchers, and 
commercial operators using TSO-C129 equipment to check their predicted 
navigation horizontal protection level (HPL). It incorporates TSO-C129 
GPS RAIM predictions to check the availability of GPS RAIM satisfying 
the RNAV requirements of AC 90-100A Change 2, Paragraph 10(5)).
    The ADS-B SAPT is provided to help operators comply with 14 CFR 
91.225 and 91.227 by predicting whether operators will meet regulatory 
requirements, and to advise holders of FAA Exemption 12555 whether 
back-up surveillance will be available for any waypoints where 
installed aircraft avionics are not predicted to meet the requirements 
of 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii).
    Information collected via ADS-B SAPT is comparable to that provided 
by pilots when they file flight plans, with some additional information 
about aircraft position source TSO and related capabilities. The ADS-B 
SAPT prediction is based on the ability of the aircraft's position 
source (i.e., GPS receiver) to meet performance requirements specified 
in FAA TSOs C129, C129a, C145c/C146c, and C196, as well as the 
predicted status of the GPS constellation.
    The ADS-B SAPT predicts whether GPS position information will be 
sufficient throughout the flight to meet the performance requirements 
of 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii). If a waypoint is in rule airspace 
and the aircraft's position source is not predicted to meet the 
performance requirements of 14 CFR 91.227, the ADS-B SAPT checks for 
the availability of back-up surveillance at that waypoint.
    Operators of aircraft equipped with TSO-C129 (SA-On) GPS receivers 
must run a pre-flight prediction. The operator may use their own 
prediction tool. Although Exemption 12555 does not require operators 
with SA-On to use the ADS-B SAPT for pre-flight availability 
prediction, if the operator does use their

[[Page 58429]]

own tool and receives an indication that performance will fall below 
rule requirements, the operator cannot obtain back-up surveillance 
information from that tool and must either replan the flight or use 
ADS-B SAPT to determine whether back-up surveillance is available along 
the planned route of flight per Exemption 12555.
    ADAPT is mandatory for operators desiring to apply for an ATC 
authorization, per 14 CFR 91.225(g), to fly in ADS-B Out rule airspace 
using aircraft with avionics that do not meet the ADS-B equipage 
requirements. ADAPT allows operators to create an air traffic 
authorization request to operate in ADS-B Out rule airspace when either 
(1) the aircraft is without ADS-B equipment; (2) that equipment is 
inoperative; or (3) their avionics are not expected to meet the ADS-B 
performance requirements as identified in 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and 
(iii). Operators who wish to submit an ADAPT request must complete the 
ADS-B SAPT analysis using information entered into the flight 
information entry form before filing the ADAPT request.
    Information Collected: Information collected by SAPT is comparable 
to that provided in FAA flight plans, with some additional information 
about the position source. The ADS-B SAPT flight information entry form 
requires the aircraft call-sign but does not collect other personal 
identification information about the operator. ADAPT does collect 
personal information to include name, telephone number, email address. 
The information is necessary to enable the FAA ATC Authorization 
Authority (AAA) to reply with either an approval, rejection, or pending 
decision. It also collects additional information about the flight, 
including US Civil Aircraft Registry Number or ICAO Address.
    Respondents: These prediction tools are primarily intended for 
pilots and dispatchers; and for anyone who is planning a flight which 
passes through U.S. sovereign airspace, using an aircraft whose GPS 
receiver(s) is/are not guaranteed to meet certain performance 
requirements or whose aircraft is not equipped to meet the requirements 
of 14 CFR 91.225.
    Frequency: As part of the flight planning process, as required by 
FAA policy. For some users, this could be every flight. For others it 
will depend on the specific conditions and performance requirements.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response:
    RAIM SAPT and ADS-B SAPT can be automated as part of the dispatch 
process by operators or flight service providers, thus eliminating 
manual data-entry.
    RAIM SAPT--Insignificant, as all transactions are automated in 
flight planning systems.
    ADS-B SAPT--5 minutes or less for transactions input via the flight 
plan form.
    ADAPT--7 minutes or less (includes up to 2 minutes to check FAA 
email response).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden:
    200 hours for software maintenance for automated responses.
    RAIM SAPT--Insignificant additional burden
    ADS-B SAPT--Approximately 163,500 minutes.
    ADAPT--Approximately 54,720 minutes.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 20, 2022.
Jamal Wilson,
SAPT Project Lead, In-Service Performance and Sustainment (AJM-4220), 
Federal Aviation Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-20661 Filed 9-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


