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JUDICIAllY 

HOIJSE C:OMMIII c~ 

ON VE TC RIINS' fiFFAHlS 

llonorablc Michael lluerta 

ji)ow5c of i\cprczcntnti\.Jes 

t11ihi 11UIOII. ])(. 20515-2802 

April 27. 2012 

Administrator, fcdcral/\viatiun Administration 

U.S. Department or Transportation 

800 lndcpcndent:c ;\venue, S\V 

Washington, DC 2059 I 

Oc.'U· Administrator Huerta: 

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I am ''-'Titing to express my serious concern about the impact or gliders on !hc safely or air traffic 

operations into and out oflhc Reno-Tahoe International Airport (KNO). 

In Nevada, gliders, in great numbers, take ndvantagc oflhc un ique opportunity provided by the 

thermal and mountain terrain in the Sien-a Mountains cspcciaUy around the Minden and Carson 

City area. The initial approach to Runway 34L, H priruury rum-vay al RNO, intersects with this 

internationally famous soaring orca. Glider pilots choosing not to usc transponders and/or 

maintain radio contact wilh the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), because they arc not 

currently required to, put air t:arrkr and cmvoratc jet traffic ut risk. it is my understanding that 

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has emergency rulcrnaking authority, i r there is 

imminent danger. Thc Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority and my office consider this situation to 

pose such a great risk to the safe operations or RNO that we believe the F I\ A's emergency 

rulcmaking authority must be used to correct this problem. 

Gliders arc currently exempt from CFR 14 part 91 .2 15 which requires that Hirc:ran must be: 

equipped with an operable coded radar beacon transponder that allows ATCT operators to 

idcntil'y aircraft. Without the transponder information, /\TCT operators cnnnot determine the 

exact altitude or gliders even in those cases where the glider is visible on 1\ TCT rndnr. This 

safely issue is compounded by the fact that not ull glidc.:r pilots eleclto maintain radio contact 

with ATCT operators, preventing the timely wmning of m:arby aircraft and increasing the 

probability of :t mid-air collision. The delegation or a new national beacon code ("20 12'") for usc 

by transponder-equipped gliders is an important fir:-.t step to increasing SH(\;ty; however it is not 

cnougb. Glider pilots arc under no obligation c.:i ther to cquip their aircraft with transponders or 

cvc11 to lum their lmnspondcrs on if inslnlh.:d. 

We have already lwd two documented incidents in Reno-'J'ahoc airspace whkh im:ludc the 

collision of a glider nncl a llawkcr corporate jet aircrnn on August 26, 2006 and the ncar collision 

or a glider und a US Airways Airbus A320 on F~bruary 24, 2009. The probability or another 

PR rHfn n •; f-fC.YCI fl• i11Pf'1 

FAA-120509-007 
I 

midair collision involving air canier or corporal~ jet traflic and gliders in the vicinity ofRNO is 

still a risk as long ns the glider exemption stands. 

To avoid fu ture incidents, the FAA should immediately review the situation and consider 

expediting the process to remove the glider exemption li·01n CFR 14 parl91.215 in accordance 

with the April 2008 Nationa l Transportation Sntcty Board recommendation. 1 rcspeclftllly 

request thnt the FAA initiate the cmcrg~.: cy rulemnking procedures to ~xpcd it c the removal of 

this dangerous exempt ion li·01n CFR 14 part 91.215, if only in reference fo RNO airspace. 

I look forward to working with you on this critical safety issue and encourage you lo contact me 

nt (202) 225 6 155, if you have any lJU~tions or need any more information. However, f would 

like to call to your allen lion that I did meet with your starT several months ngo to discuss !his 

very issue. Apparently an in!Cmnal approved response is not forthcoming. /\cconlingly, !Ius 

lonnal request is initia!l.:d. Tha11k yuu fur your tirnc and {;Onsideralion. 

FAA-120509-007 

Sincerely, 

Mmk c. Amodci 

Member of Congress 
U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Aviation 

Administration 

May21, 2012 

The Honorable Mark E. Amodei 

House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 2051 5 

Dear Congressman Amodci: 

Olf1ce of the Administrator 800 Independence Ave .. S.W. 

Washington. D.C. 20591 

Thank you for your April 27 letter concerning glider operations and airspace safety at 

Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and your request to invoke emergency rulemaking action to 

remove the glider exemption from Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 91.2 15. 

As you know, tht; Ft;dtral Aviation Administration held a public meeting on April 4 where 

industry representatives presented their concerns. The primary purpose of the public meeting 

was to assess the recently developed Technical Standard Order (TSO-C 199) for Low-Power 

Surveillance Equipment. The TSO was developed to address current operational performance 

standards, to satisfy Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System interoperability, and to 

improve detection by air traffic control radar systems, by incorporating features of Automatic 

Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. The performance standards were developed to entice 

avionics equipment manufacturers to expand on and offer a lower-cost surveillance equipment 

solution to the glider community. The TSO performance standard should avert the cost of 

installing higher-priced transponders which use additional aircraft battery power. 

We also met with the Soaring Society of America in February, before the public meeting, to brief 

them on the performance standards ofTSO-C199. We encouraged the development of 

transponder equipment for gliders not equipped with an aircraft battery or other source of power. 

Fo11owing publication of the TSO, we will publish a Request for Information on or around 

September 30 to solicit cost estimates and availability of equipment that will meet the 

requirements of TSO-C 199. 

Finally, on March 7 we implemented a new national transponder code ( 1202) exclusively for 

assignment to gliders so as to distinguish gliders, on radar displays, from aircraft operating with 

1200 or 1201 codes. The new national transponder code for gliders will facilitate a unique radar 

recognition of a glider as a target, when the glider is equipped with a transponder and it is turned 

on. Additionally, radar automation will be updated to include the letter "G" in the data-block of 

air traffic controllers' radar displays to signify a glider. 
2 

For purposes of review, the draft TSO can be found nt: 

http://www .faa.gov/aircraft/draft _ docs/tso/ 

While we carefully considered an emergency rulemaking, we collaboratively agreed upon the 

development of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPIUvt), and this process is 

projected to start this month. The ability to craft the ANPRl\1 language during the public 

meeting, while protected under ex-parte, allows the rulemaking team to understand the industry's 

opinions regarding mandated equipage. 

If I can be of further assistance, please contact me or Roderick D. Hall, Assistant Administrator 

for Government and Industry Affairs, at (202) 267-3277. 

Sincerely,