4800 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 2014 / Notices 

include developing and standardizing 

regulations, national directives, policy, 

procedures, and advisory material for 

continued operational safety, type 

certification, design approval, and for 

authorization and oversight of 

Designated Representatives of the 

Administrator for civil aeronautical 

products. The current Production and 

Airworthiness Division responsibilities 

include developing and issuing 

regulations, national directives, policy, 

and procedures for continued 

operational safety, production and 

airworthiness certification and 

approvals, and certain Designated 

Representatives of the Administrator. 

Those combined responsibilities will 

remain intact in the newly established 

Design, Manufacturing, and 

Airworthiness Division. 

Policy Documents: All Aircraft 

Engineering Division and Production 

and Airworthiness Division previously 

issued Advisory Circulars, Orders, 

Notices, and guidance will remain in 

effect until revised, changed, or deleted. 

The documents will be reviewed and 

modified according to priority. 

Additional Information: Please 

contact the Engineering, Manufacturing, 

and Airworthiness Division (AIR–100) 

by phone on 202–285–6348 or by email 

at 9-AVS-AIR100@faa.gov. For a further 

breakdown of the Division and physical 

addresses view http://www.faa.gov/

about/office_org/headquarters_offices/

avs/offices/air/hq/. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 23, 

2014. 

Frank P. Paskiewicz, 

Deputy Director, Aircraft Certification 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–01718 Filed 1–28–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 

Committee (ARAC); New Task 

Assignment for the ARAC: 

Establishment of Airman Certification 

System Working Group 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The FAA assigned the ARAC 

a new task arising from 

recommendations of the ARAC Airman 

Testing Standards and Training 

Working Group (ATSTWG). The 

ATSTWG recommended ways to ensure 

that the FAA’s airman testing and 

training materials better support 

reduction of fatal general aviation 

accidents. The FAA and the Aviation 

Industry jointly seek to improve airman 

training and testing by establishing an 

integrated, holistic airman certification 

system that clearly aligns testing with 

certification standards, guidance, and 

reference materials, and maintains that 

alignment. The new task is to establish 

an Airman Certification System 

Working Group (ACSWG) that will 

provide expert assistance and industry 

views to the FAA’s Flight Standards 

Service (AFS) on the development, 

modification, and continued alignment 

of the major components of the airman 

certification system. 

This action item informs the public of 

the new ARAC’s task and solicits 

membership for the new ACSWG. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Van 

L. Kerns, Manager, Regulatory Support 

Division, FAA Flight Standards Service, 

AFS 600, FAA Mike Monroney 

Aeronautical Center, P.O. Box 25082, 

Oklahoma City, OK 73125; telephone 

(405) 954–4431, email van.l.kerns@

faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The FAA established ARAC to 

provide advice and recommendations to 

the FAA Administrator on the FAA’s 

rulemaking activities. ARAC’s objectives 

are to improve the development of the 

FAA’s regulations by providing 

information, advice, and 

recommendations related to aviation 

issues. 

On September 21, 2011, the FAA 

chartered the Airman Testing Standards 

and Training Aviation Rulemaking 

Committee (ARC) for the U.S. aviation 

community to develop 

recommendations for more effective 

training and testing in the areas of 

aeronautical knowledge and flight 

proficiency required for safer operation 

in today’s National Airspace System 

(NAS). The FAA’s charge to the ARC 

was to help ensure that FAA’s technical 

information related to existing standards 

for airman knowledge and skill tests, 

computer testing supplements, 

knowledge test guides, practical test 

standards and training handbooks 

incorporates the most current, relevant, 

and effective approaches to training and 

testing. The FAA specifically tasked the 

ARC with providing recommendations 

on a process for ongoing stakeholder 

participation in developing the content 

of these materials, and methodologies 

for developing better test item bank 

questions. 

On August 30, 2012, the ARAC 

accepted the FAA’s assignment of a new 

task in response to several of the ARC’s 

recommendations. ARAC established 

the ATSTWG to address the private 

pilot, flight instructor, and instrument 

rating training and testing materials by 

developing an integrated Airman 

Certification Standards (ACS) document 

for each one. The FAA also tasked the 

ATSTWG to develop a detailed proposal 

to realign and, as appropriate, 

streamline and consolidate existing 

FAA guidance material (e.g., 

handbooks) with each integrated ACS 

documents; and to propose 

methodologies to ensure that knowledge 

test item bank questions are consistent 

with both the ACS documents and the 

test question development principles set 

forth in the ARC’s recommendations. 

On September 30, 2013, the ARAC 

submitted to the FAA the ATSTWG’s 

final report and recommendations to 

improve airman training and testing by 

establishing an integrated, holistic 

airman certification system that clearly 

aligns testing with certification 

standards, guidance, and reference 

materials, and maintains that alignment. 

The ATSTWG recommended specific 

steps the FAA should take to adopt the 

proposed Airman Certification System 

approach, and steps for its ongoing 

management. One of these steps is for 

the FAA to establish an ACSWG to 

assist the agency in ensuring that the 

content of its ACS, guidance, and 

knowledge testing materials is relevant 

and current; and to ensure that all 

components of the airman certification 

system are maintained in alignment. 

The Task 

On December 2013, the ARAC 

discussed the proposed actions for this 

tasking. This notice advises the public 

that the FAA has assigned, and the 

ARAC has accepted, a new task to 

establish the ACSWG. The FAA has 

specifically tasked the ACSWG to 

support the FAA’s goal to enhance 

general aviation safety and reduce the 

fatal general aviation accident rate by 

providing a means for the aviation 

industry to provide expert assistance 

and industry views to the FAA’s Flight 

Standards Service (AFS) on the 

development, modification, and 

continued alignment of the major 

components of the airman certification 

system, which include: 

1. The ACS for airman certificates and 

ratings (i.e. 8081-series documents); 

2. Associated training guidance 

material (e.g., H-series handbooks); 

3. Test management (e.g., test 

question development, test question 

boarding, test composition/test 

‘‘mapping,’’ and CT–8080-series 

figures); and 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 2014 / Notices 4801 

4. Reference materials, to include AFS 

directives and Aviation Safety Inspector 

guidance; FAA Orders, Advisory 

Circulars (ACs), and other documents 

pertaining to the airman certification 

system. 

The ACSWG is expected to develop a 

report describing its work on each of the 

listed elements. Any disagreements 

should be documented, including the 

rationale for each position and the 

reasons for the disagreement. 

In developing this report, the ACSWG 

shall familiarize itself with: 

1. A report to the FAA from the 

Airman Testing Standards and Training 

Aviation Rulemaking Committee: 

Recommendations to Enhance Airman 

Knowledge Test Content and Its 

Processes and Methodologies for 

Training and Testing (www.faa.gov/

aircraft/draft_docs/arc); 

2. A report from the Airman Testing 

Standards and Training Working Group 

to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 

Committee; 

3. Aeronautical knowledge standards 

set forth in 14 CFR part 61, Certification: 

Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground 

Instructors; 

4. Flight proficiency standards set 

forth in 14 CFR part 61, Certification: 

Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground 

Instructors; 

5. FAA Airman Knowledge Test 

Guide (FAA–G–8082–17E); 

6. Current Practical Test Standards 

documents for Private Pilot Airplane 

(FAA–S–8081–14B); Flight Instructor 

Airplane (FAA–S–8081–6C); and 

Instrument Rating for Airplane, 

Helicopter, and Powered Lift (FAA–S– 

8081–4E); and 

7. Current FAA guidance materials, to 

include the Pilot’s Handbook of 

Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA–H– 

8083–25A); the Airplane Flying 

Handbook (FAA–H–8083–3A); the 

Aviation Instructor’s Handbook (FAA– 

H–8083–9A); the Instrument Flying 

Handbook (FAA–H–8083–15A); and the 

Instrument Procedures Handbook 

(FAA–H–8083–1A). 

Schedule 

The report must be forwarded to the 

ARAC for review and approval no later 

than December 31, 2015. 

ARAC Acceptance of New Task 

The ARAC has accepted the task and 

will assign it to the ARAC ACSWG. The 

ACSWG serves as staff to ARAC and 

assists in the analysis of the assigned 

new task. ARAC must review and 

approve the ACSWG’s report. If ARAC 

accepts the ACSWG’s written report, it 

will transmit it to the FAA. 

Working Group Activity 

The ACSWG must comply with the 

procedures adopted by ARAC. As part 

of the procedures, the ACSWG must: 

1. Recommend a work plan for 

completion of the task, including the 

rationale supporting such a plan, for 

consideration at the next ARAC meeting 

held following publication of this 

notice. 

2. Provide a status report at each 

meeting of the ARAC. 

3. Draft the report and required 

analyses and/or any other related 

materials or documents. 

4. Present the final report to the 

ARAC for review and approval. 

Participation in the ARAC Working 

Group 

The ACSWG will be comprised of 

aviation professionals with experience 

and expertise in airman training and 

testing, and technical experts having an 

interest in the assigned new task. The 

FAA would like a wide range of 

members, to include individuals with 

experience in the part 61, part 121, part 

135, part 141, and part 142 

communities, to ensure that all 

appropriate aspects of airman testing 

and training, including best practices, 

are considered in the development of its 

report. 

If you wish to become a member of 

the ACSWG, please write the person 

listed under the caption FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT expressing such 

desire. Describe your interest in the new 

task and state the expertise you would 

bring to the ACSWG. We must receive 

all requests by February 28, 2014. 

The ARAC and the FAA will review 

the requests and advise you whether 

your request is approved. 

If you are chosen for membership on 

the ACSWG, you must actively 

participate by attending all meetings 

and providing written comments when 

requested to do so. You must devote the 

resources necessary to support the 

ACSWG in meeting any assigned 

deadlines. You must keep your 

management chain, and those you may 

represent, advised of the ACSWG’s 

activities and decisions to ensure the 

proposed technical solutions do not 

conflict with your sponsoring 

organization’s position, when the 

subject is presented to ARAC for 

approval. Once the ACSWG has begun 

deliberations, members will not be 

added or substituted without the 

approval of the FAA and the ACSWG 

Chair. 

The Secretary of Transportation 

determined the formation and use of 

ARAC is necessary and in the public 

interest in connection with the 

performance of duties imposed on the 

FAA by law. ARAC meetings are open 

to the public. However, ARAC Working 

Group meetings are not open to the 

public, except to the extent individuals 

with an interest and expertise are 

selected to attend. The FAA will make 

no public announcement of the Working 

Group’s meetings. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 24, 

2014. 

Lirio Liu, 

Designated Federal Officer, Aviation 

Rulemaking Advisory Committee. 

[FR Doc. 2014–01673 Filed 1–28–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

[Summary Notice No. PE–2013–60] 

Petition for Exemption; Summary of 

Petition Received 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of petition for exemption 

received. 

SUMMARY: This notice contains a 

summary of a petition seeking relief 

from specified requirements of 14 CFR. 

The purpose of this notice is to improve 

the public’s awareness of, and 

participation in, this aspect of FAA’s 

regulatory activities. Neither publication 

of this notice nor the inclusion or 

omission of information in the summary 

is intended to affect the legal status of 

the petition or its final disposition. 

DATES: Comments on this petition must 

identify the petition docket number and 

must be received on or before February 

18, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 

identified by Docket Number FAA– 

2013–0885 using any of the following 

methods: 

• Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov 

and follow the instructions for sending 

your comments electronically. 

• Mail: Send comments to the Docket 

Management Facility; U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 

20590. 

• Fax: Fax comments to the Docket 

Management Facility at 202–493–2251. 

• Hand Delivery: Bring comments to 

the Docket Management Facility in 

Room W12–140 of the West Building 

Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES