67556 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

Corporation conduct a study of TCAS in

NAT RVSM airspace. (ARINC already

provides contract support to the FAA

TCAS Program Office as well as the

NATSPG). The purpose of this study is

to better understand the parameters that

can lead to multiple traffic alerts and

also to understand better the

performance of TCAS change 7 in the

RVSM environment. This study began

in September 1997.

In regards to wake turbulence

encounters, the FAA, in coordination

with the NAT ATS providers, has

published a contingency procedure that

gives a pilot encountering wake

turbulence the option of offsetting from

the track to avoid the turbulence. This

procedure has been coordinated with

the International Federation of Air Line

Pilots’ Association (IFALPA) and was

published by the NAT ATS providers in

September, 1997.

The second commenter, National Air

Transportation Association (NATA),

states concern that future expansion of

the RVSM operational altitudes would

not address the hundreds of business

aircraft currently operating over the

North Atlantic. NATA’s concern comes

from the apparent lack of concern from

‘‘aircraft manufacturers to provide

support for upgrading a previously

manufactured aircraft’s systems to meet

RVSM specifications.’’ NATA also

believes that a substantial financial

investment is required to meet RVSM

specifications, and that expenditure is

beyond the ability of many aircraft

operators.

The FAA will be working with the

user community to develop a position

on the expansion of RVSM flight levels

in the NAT. A U.S. position on this

issue will be needed for the December

1997 meeting of the NAT

Implementation Managers’ Group. To

accomplish this, the FAA held a

meeting of the RVSM Steering Group in

September 1997. At this meeting, the

user community, including NATA, was

given the opportunity to express their

views on RVSM expansion. There will

also be a follow-up meeting in

December, 1997. Also, the International

Business Aviation Council has been

given the opportunity to provide a

representative to the December meeting.

A major issue to be addressed is the

readiness of the business aircraft fleet to

operate within RVSM.

The third commenter, an individual

pilot, believes the implementation of

RVSM is too broad. The commenter

asked why the program was not

implemented in ‘The Tracks’ first. Then

asked, why is there an absence of a ‘Non

RVSM’ corridor similar to the VFR

corridor in Los Angeles.

In response, the final rule provided

for the phased implementation of RVSM

over the North Atlantic between FL 330

and FL 370 initially. Other non-RVSM

equipped aircraft are free to operate

above or below the RVSM altitudes. The

FAA has determined that the benefits of

the increased efficiency within the

RVSM airspace far outweigh the

inconvenience this rule may impose on

a small percentage of aircraft without

the needed equipment.

Conclusion

After consideration of the comments

submitted in response to the final rule,

the FAA has determined that no further

rulemaking action is necessary.

Amendment 91–254 remains in effect as

adopted.

Issued in Washington, DC on December 19,

1997.

Jane F. Garvey,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–33753 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 97

[Docket No. 29074; Amdt. No. 1840]

RIN 2120–AA65

Standard Instrument Approach

Procedures; Miscellaneous

Amendments

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment establishes,

amends, suspends, or revokes Standard

Instrument Approach Procedures

(SIAP’s) for operations at certain

airports. These regulatory actions are

needed because of the adoption of new

or revised criteria, or because of changes

occurring in the National Airspace

System, such as the commissioning of

new navigational facilities, addition of

new obstacles, or changes in air traffic

requirements. These changes are

designed to provide safe and efficient

use of the navigable airspace and to

promote safe flight operations under

instrument flight rules at the affected

airports.

DATES: An effective date for such SIAP

is specified in the amendatory

provisions.

Incorporation by reference-approved

by the Director of the Federal Register

on December 31, 1980, and reapproved

as of January 1, 1982.

ADDRESSES: Availability of matters

incorporated by reference in the

amendment is as follows:

For Examination

1. FAA Rules Docket, FAA

Headquarters Building, 800

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591;

2. The FAA Regional Office of the

region in which the affected airport is

located; or

3. The Flight Inspection Area Office

which originated the SIAP.

For Purchase

Individual SIAP copies may be

obtained from:

1. FAA Public Inquiry Center (APA–

200), FAA Headquarters Building, 800

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591; or

2. The FAA Regional Office of the

region in which the affected airport is

located.

By Subscription

Copies of all SIAP’s, mailed once

every 2 weeks, are for sale by the

Superintendent of Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office,

Washington, DC 20402.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

J. Best, Flight Procedures Standards

Branch (AFS–420), Technical Programs

Division, Flight Standards Service,

Federal Aviation Administration, 800

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591; Telephone (202)

267–8277.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

amendment to part 97 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 97)

establishes, amends, suspends, or

revokes SIAP’s. The complete regulatory

description of each SIAP is contained in

official FAA form documents which are

incorporated by reference in this

amendment under 5 U.S.C. 552(a), 1

CFR part 51, and § 14 CFR 97.20 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).

The applicable FAA Forms are

identified as FAA Form 8260–5.

Materials incorporated by reference are

available for examination or purchase as

stated above.

The large number of SIAP’s, their

complex nature, and the need for a

special format make their verbatim

publication in the Federal Register

expensive and impractical. Further,

airmen do not use the regulatory text of

the SIAP’s, but refer to their graphic

depiction on charts printed by

publishers of aeronautical materials.

Thus, the advantages of incorporation

by reference are realized and

publication of the complete description

of each SIAP contained in FAA form
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 248 / Monday, December 29, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 67557

documents is unnecessary. The

provisions of this amendment state the

affected CFR sections, with the types

and effective dates of the SIAPs. This

amendment also identifies the airport,

its location, the procedure identification

and the amendment number.

This amendment to part 97 is effective

upon publication of each separate SIAP

as contained in the transmittal. The

SIAP’s contained in this amendment are

based on the criteria contained in the

United States Standard for Terminal

Instrument Approach Procedures

(TERPS). In developing these SIAPs, the

TERPS criteria were applied to the

conditions existing or anticipated at the

affected airports.

The FAA has determined through

testing that current non-localizer type,

non-precision instrument approaches

developed using the TERPS criteria can

be flown by aircraft equipped with

Global Positioning System (GPS)

equipment. In consideration of the

above, the applicable SIAP’s will be

altered to include ‘‘or GPS’’ in the title

without otherwise reviewing or

modifying the procedure. (Once a stand

alone GPS procedure is developed, the

procedure title will be altered to remove

‘‘or GPS’’ from these non-localizer, nonprecision instrument approach

procedure titles.)

The FAA has determined through

extensive analysis that current SIAP’s

intended for use by Area Navigation

(RNAV) equipped aircraft can be flown

by aircraft utilizing various other types

of navigational equipment. In

consideration of the above, those SIAP’s

currently designated as ‘‘RNAV’’ will be

redesignated as ‘‘VOR/DME RNAV’’

without otherwise reviewing or

modifying the SIAP’s.

Because of the close and immediate

relationship between these SIAP’s and

safety in air commerce, I find that notice

and public procedure before adopting

these SIAPs are, impracticable and

contrary to the public interest and,

where applicable, that good cause exists

for making some SIAPs effective in less

than 30 days.

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. 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. For the same

reason, the FAA certifies that this

amendment will not have a significant

economic impact on a substantial

number of small entities under the

criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 97

Air traffic control, Airports,

Navigation (air).

Issued in Washington, DC on November 28,

1997.

Thomas E. Stuckey,

Acting Director, Flight Standards Service.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me, part 97 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

part 97) is amended as follows:

PART 97—STANDARD INSTRUMENT

APPROACH PROCEDURES

1. The authority citation for part 97

continues to read:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40106,

40113–40114, 40120, 44502, 44514, 44701,

44719, 44721–44722.

2. Amend 97.23, 97.27, 97.33 and

97.35, as appropriate, by adding,

revising, or removing the following

SIAP’s, effective at 0901 UTC on the

dates specified:

* * * Effective Jan 1, 1998

Foley, AL, Foley Muni, NDB or GPS RWY 18,

Orig CANCELLED

Foley, AL, Foley Muni, NDB RWY 18, Orig

Audubon, IA, Audubon County, NDB or GPS

RWY 32, Amdt 4 CANCELLED

Rensselaer, IN, Jasper County, NDB or GPS

RWY 18, Amdt 3A CANCELLED

Rensselaer, IN, Jasper County, NDB RWY 18,

Amdt 3A

Greenville, MS, Greenville Muni, VOR/DME

or GPS RWY 18L, Amdt 12 CANCELLED

Greenville, MS Greenville Muni, VOR/DME

RWY 18L, Amdt 12

Greenville, MS, Greenville Muni, VOR or

GPS RWY 18R, Amdt 5A CANCELLED

Greenville, MS, Greenville Muni, VOR RWY

18R, Amdt 5A

Greenville, MS Greenville Muni, NDB or GPS

RWY 36L, Amdt 5A CANCELLED

Greenville, MS, Greenville Muni, NDB RWY

36L, Amdt 5A

Greenville, MS, Greenville Muni, NDB or

GPS RWY 36R, Amdt 8 CANCELLED

Greenville, MS, Greenville Muni, NDB RWY

36R, Amdt 8

Chapel Hill, NC, Horace Williams, VOR/DME

RNAV or GPS RWY 9, Orig CANCELLED

Chapel Hill, NC, Horace Williams, VOR/DME

RNAV RWY 9, Orig

Crete, NE, Crete Municipal, VOR/DME or

GPS RWY 35, Amdt 2A CANCELLED

Crete, NE, Crete Municipal, VOR/DME RWY

35, Amdt 2A

Lovington, NM, Lea County-Zip Franklin

Memorial, RNAV RWY 3, Orig

CANCELLED

Lovington, NM, Lea Country-Zip Franklin

Memorial, VOR/DME RNAV RWY 3, Orig

Syracuse, NY, Syracuse Hancock Intl, VOR/

DME or TACAN or GPS RWY 32, Amdt 1

CANCELLED

Syracuse, NY, Syracuse Hancock Intl, VOR/

DME or TACAN RWY 32, Amdt 1

Syracuse, NY, Syracuse Hancock Intl, VOR or

GPS RWY 14, Amdt 21A CANCELLED

Syracuse, NY, Hancock Intl, VOR RWY 14,

Amdt 21A

Syracuse, NY, Syracuse Hancock Intl, NDB or

GPS RWY 28, Amdt 27 CANCELLED

Syracuse, NY, Syracuse Hancock Intl, NDB

RWY 28, Amdt 27

Ashtabula, OH, Ashtabula County, VOR or

GPS RWY 8, Orig CANCELLED

Ashtabula, OH, Ashtabula County, VOR RWY

8, Orig

East Liverpoll, OH, Columbiana County, VOR

or GPS RWY 25, Amdt 3 CANCELLED

East Liverpoll, OH, Columbiana County, VOR

RWY 25, Amdt 3

Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Intl, NDB or

GPS RWY 27L, Amdt 5 CANCELLED

Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Intl, NDB

RWY 27L, Amdt 5

Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Intl, VOR/

DME RNAV or GPS RWY 35, Amdt 3A

CANCELLED

Philadelphia, PA, Philadelphia Intl, VOR/

DME RNAV RWY 35, Amdt 3A

York, PA, York, NDB or GPS RWY 16, Amdt

4 CANCELLED

York, PA, York, NDB RWY 17, Amdt 5

Tulsa, OK, Tulsa Intl, VOR or TACAN or GPS

RWY 26, Amdt 22A CANCELLED

Tulsa, OK, Tulsa Intl, VOR or TACAN RWY

26, Amdt 22A

Osceola, WI, L O Simenstad Muni, NDB or

GPS RWY 28, Amdt 9 CANCELLED

Osceola, WI, L O Simenstad Muni, NDB RWY

28, Amdt 9

[FR Doc. 97–33757 Filed 12–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 97

[Docket No. 29073; Amdt. No. 1839]

RIN 2120–AA65

Standard Instrument Approach

Procedures; Miscellaneous

Amendments

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment establishes,

amends, suspends, or revokes Standard

Instrument Approach Procedures

(SIAPs) for operations at certain

airports. These regulatory actions are

needed because of changes occurring in

the National Airspace System, such as

the commissioning of new navigational

facilities, addition of new obstacles, or

changes in air traffic requirements.

These changes are designed to provide