Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 3781 

§ 71.1 [Amended] 

■ 2. The incorporation by reference in 

14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11E, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated July 21, 2020, and 

effective September 15, 2020, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas 

Extending Upward from 700 feet or More 

Above the Surface of the Earth. 

* * * * * 

ACE KS E5 Elkhart, KS [Amended] 

Elkhart-Morton County Airport, KS 

(Lat. 37°00′03′′ N, long. 101°52′48′′W) 

That airspace extending upward from 700 

feet above the surface within a 6.5-mile 

radius of Elkhart-Morton County Airport. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 4, 

2021. 

Martin A. Skinner, 

Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, 

ATO Central Service Center. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00020 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

[Docket No. FAA–2020–0872; Airspace 

Docket No. 20–AGL–33] 

RIN 2120–AA66 

Amendment of Class E Airspace; 

Prairie Du Chien, WI 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This action amends the Class 

E airspace extending upward from 700 

feet above the surface at Prairie Du 

Chien Municipal Airport, Prairie Du 

Chien, WI. This action is the result of an 

airspace review caused by the 

decommissioning of the Waukon VHF 

omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation 

aid as part of the VOR Minimum 

Operational Network (MON) Program. 

The geographic coordinates of the 

airport are also being updated to 

coincide with the FAA’s aeronautical 

database. 

DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, April 22, 

2021. The Director of the Federal 

Register approves this incorporation by 

reference action under Title 1 Code of 

Federal Regulations part 51, subject to 

the annual revision of FAA Order 

7400.11 and publication of conforming 

amendments. 

ADDRESSES: FAA Order 7400.11E, 

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 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 7400.11E at NARA, email 

fedreg.legal@nara.gov or go to https://

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ 

ibr-locations.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation 

Administration, Operations Support 

Group, Central Service Center, 10101 

Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 

76177; telephone (817) 222–5711. 

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 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 amends the 

Class E airspace extending upward from 

700 feet above the surface at Prairie Du 

Chien Municipal Airport, Prairie Du 

Chien, WI, to support instrument flight 

rule operations at this airport. 

History 

The FAA published a notice of 

proposed rulemaking in the Federal 

Register (85 FR 67315; October 22, 

2020) for Docket No. FAA–2020–0872 to 

amend the Class E airspace extending 

upward from 700 feet above the surface 

at Prairie Du Chien Municipal Airport, 

Prairie Du Chien, WI. Interested parties 

were invited to participate in this 

rulemaking effort by submitting written 

comments on the proposal to the FAA. 

No comments were received. 

Class E airspace designations are 

published in paragraph 6005 of FAA 

Order 7400.11E, dated July 21, 2020, 

and effective September 15, 2020, which 

is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 

71.1. The Class E airspace designations 

listed in this document will be 

published subsequently in the Order. 

Availability and Summary of 

Documents for Incorporation by 

Reference 

This document amends FAA Order 

7400.11E, Airspace Designations and 

Reporting Points, dated July 21, 2020, 

and effective September 15, 2020. FAA 

Order 7400.11E is publicly available as 

listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

document. FAA Order 7400.11E lists 

Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, 

air traffic service routes, and reporting 

points. 

The Rule 

This amendment to Title 14 Code of 

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 

amends the Class E airspace extending 

upward from 700 feet above the surface 

to within a 6.6-mile (decreased from a 

9.3-mile) radius of Prairie Du Chien 

Municipal Airport, Prairie Du Chien, 

WI; removes the Waukon VORTAC and 

associated extension; adds an extension 

1 mile each side of the 110° bearing 

from the airport extending from the 6.6- 

mile radius to 6.8 miles east of the 

airport; adds an extension 1 mile each 

side of the 140° bearing from the airport 

extending from the 6.6-mile radius to 

10.4 miles southeast of the airport; adds 

an extension 1 mile each side of the 

320° bearing from the airport extending 

from the 6.6-mile radius to 10.6 miles 

northwest of the airport; and updates 

the geographic coordinates of the airport 

to coincide with the FAA’s aeronautical 

database. 

This action is the result of an airspace 

review caused by the decommissioning 

of the Waukon VOR, which provided 

navigation information for the 

instrument procedures this airport, as 

part of the VOR MON Program. 

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 

regulation only involves an established 

body of technical regulations for which 

frequent and routine amendments are 

necessary to keep them operationally 

current, is non-controversial and 

unlikely to result in adverse or negative 

comments. It, therefore: (1) Is not a 

‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under 

Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a 

‘‘significant rule’’ under 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 only affects air traffic 

procedures and air navigation, it is 

3782 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

certified that this rule, when 

promulgated, does not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities under the 

criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. 

Environmental Review 

The FAA has determined that this 

action qualifies for categorical exclusion 

under the National Environmental 

Policy Act in accordance with FAA 

Order 1050.1F, ‘‘Environmental 

Impacts: Policies and Procedures,’’ 

paragraph 5–6.5.a. This airspace action 

is not expected to cause any potentially 

significant environmental impacts, and 

no extraordinary circumstances exist 

that warrant preparation of an 

environmental assessment. 

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71 

Airspace, Incorporation by reference, 

Navigation (air). 

Adoption of the Amendment 

In consideration of the foregoing, the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

amends 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 

■ 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. 

§ 71.1 [Amended] 

■ 2. The incorporation by reference in 

14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11E, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated July 21, 2020, and 

effective September 15, 2020, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas 

Extending Upward from 700 feet or More 

Above the Surface of the Earth. 

* * * * * 

AGL WI E5 Prairie Du Chien, WI 

[Amended] 

Prairie Du Chien Municipal Airport, WI 

(Lat. 43°01′09′′ N, long. 91°07′25′′ W) 

That airspace extending upward from 700 

feet above the surface within a 6.6-mile 

radius of Prairie Du Chien Municipal Airport, 

and within 1 mile each side of the 110° 

bearing from the airport extending from the 

6.6-mile radius to 6.8 miles east of the 

airport, and within 1 mile each side of the 

140° bearing from the airport extending from 

the 6.6-mile radius to 10.4 miles southeast of 

the airport, and within 1 mile each side of 

the 320° bearing from the airport extending 

from the 6.6-mile radius to 10.6 miles 

northwest of the airport. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 4, 

2021. 

Martin A. Skinner, 

Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, 

ATO Central Service Center. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00022 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 91 

[Docket No.: FAA–2019–0451; Amdt. No. 

91–362] 

RIN 2120–AL30 

Special Flight Authorizations for 

Supersonic Aircraft 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: In consideration of the 

continuing development of a new 

generation of supersonic aircraft, FAA is 

modernizing the procedure for 

requesting a special flight authorization 

to operate in excess of Mach 1 over land 

in the United States. The renewed 

interest in development of supersonic 

airplanes caused FAA to review its 

application procedures that allow for 

flight tests of these aircraft. This final 

rule modifies the criteria for applying 

for these authorizations and moves the 

material from an appendix to a 

regulation to make it easier to find and 

understand. Outside the context of 

special flight authorizations under this 

final rule, the FAA continues generally 

to prohibit civil supersonic flight over 

land in the United States. 

DATES: Effective February 16, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: For information on where to 

obtain copies of rulemaking documents 

and other information related to this 

final rule, see ‘‘How To Obtain 

Additional Information’’ in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

questions concerning this action, 

contact: Sandy Liu, Office of 

Environment and Energy, AEE–100, 

Federal Aviation Administration, 800 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20591; telephone (240) 267–4748; 

email sandy.liu@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

FAA’s authority to issue rules on 

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 III, Section 

44715 Controlling aircraft noise and 

sonic boom. Under that section, FAA is 

charged with prescribing regulations to 

measure and abate aircraft noise. This 

regulation is within the scope of that 

authority since it provides for certain 

operations of new supersonic aircraft in 

approved areas where the 

environmental impact of the operations 

has been assessed. 

I. Overview of Final Rule 

This rulemaking amends the 

administrative requirements for a 

special flight authorization originally 

published as appendix B to part 91, 

Authorizations to exceed Mach 1 

(§ 91.817), of title 14 of the Code of 

Federal Regulations (14 CFR). This 

rulemaking is intended to streamline the 

application procedure for these special 

flight authorizations by clarifying the 

information that is needed for 

submission and specifying the program 

office within FAA that processes the 

applications. This rule sets forth the 

application criteria in a more userfriendly format. FAA is adopting the 

rule largely as it was proposed, with 

some minor changes to the regulatory 

text, as discussed in Section IV and the 

accompanying preamble discussion. 

II. Background 

In a notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM) titled Special Flight 

Authorizations for Supersonic Aircraft 

(84 FR 30961, June 28, 2019), FAA 

proposed to modernize the procedures 

for requesting special flight 

authorizations that are needed to 

accomplish testing and development of 

new supersonic aircraft. The NPRM 

provided a brief history of FAA’s 

regulation of civil supersonic aircraft 

beginning in the 1970s with the 

introduction of the Concorde, including 

the history of the application procedure 

for special flight authorizations that is 

the subject of this rulemaking. 

FAA is clarifying the application 

procedure for requesting a special flight 

authorization to fly faster than Mach 1 

following increased interest by industry 

to develop such aircraft. The revisions 

adopted here do not change the general 

prohibition against overland supersonic 

flight in the United States that has been 

in place since 1973 (14 CFR 91.817). 

This rule replaces the procedure 

described in part 91, appendix B, with 

regulatory text that clearly describes the