This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

41021 

Vol. 83, No. 160 

Friday, August 17, 2018 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

[Docket No. FAA–2018–0769; Airspace 

Docket No. 18–ASW–10] 

RIN 2120–AA66 

Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal 

Airways V–18, V–102, and V–278 in the 

Vicinity of Guthrie, TX 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: This action proposes to 

amend VHF Omnidirectional Range 

(VOR) Federal airways V–18, V–102, 

and V–278 in the vicinity of Guthrie, 

TX. The modifications are necessary 

due to the planned decommissioning of 

the Guthrie, TX, VOR/Tactical Air 

Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aid 

(NAVAID), which provides navigation 

guidance for portions of the affected air 

traffic service (ATS) routes. The Guthrie 

VORTAC is being decommissioned as 

part of the FAA’s VOR Minimum 

Operational Network (MON) program. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before October 1, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this 

proposal to the U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590; telephone: (800) 

647–5527, or (202) 366–9826. You must 

identify FAA Docket No. FAA–2018– 

0769; Airspace Docket No. 18–ASW–10 

at the beginning of your comments. You 

may also submit comments through the 

internet at http://www.regulations.gov. 

FAA Order 7400.11B, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, and 

subsequent amendments can be viewed 

online at http://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 7400.11B at NARA, call (202) 

741–6030, or go to https://

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

ibr-locations.html. 

FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, is 

published yearly and effective on 

September 15. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Colby Abbott, Airspace Policy Group, 

Office of Airspace Services, Federal 

Aviation Administration, 800 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267–8783. 

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 the 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 would 

modify the route structure as necessary 

to preserve the safe and efficient flow of 

air traffic within the National Airspace 

System. 

Comments Invited 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in this proposed rulemaking 

by submitting such written data, views, 

or arguments as they may desire. 

Comments that provide the factual basis 

supporting the views and suggestions 

presented are particularly helpful in 

developing reasoned regulatory 

decisions on the proposal. Comments 

are specifically invited on the overall 

regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 

environmental, and energy-related 

aspects of the proposal. 

Communications should identify both 

docket numbers (FAA Docket No. FAA– 

2018–0769; Airspace Docket No. 18– 

ASW–10) and be submitted in triplicate 

to the Docket Management Facility (see 

ADDRESSES section for address and 

phone number). You may also submit 

comments through the internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

Commenters wishing the FAA to 

acknowledge receipt of their comments 

on this action must submit with those 

comments a self-addressed, stamped 

postcard on which the following 

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to FAA 

Docket No. FAA–2018–0769; Airspace 

Docket No. 18–ASW–10.’’ The postcard 

will be date/time stamped and returned 

to the commenter. 

All communications received on or 

before the specified comment closing 

date will be considered before taking 

action on the proposed rule. The 

proposal contained in this action may 

be changed in light of comments 

received. All comments submitted will 

be available for examination in the 

public docket both before and after the 

comment closing date. A report 

summarizing each substantive public 

contact with FAA personnel concerned 

with this rulemaking will be filed in the 

docket. 

Availability of NPRMs 

An electronic copy of this document 

may be downloaded through the 

internet at http://www.regulations.gov. 

Recently published rulemaking 

documents can also be accessed through 

the FAA’s web page at http://

www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ 

airspace_amendments/. 

You may review the public docket 

containing the proposal, any comments 

received and any final disposition in 

person in the Dockets Office (see 

ADDRESSES section for address and 

phone number) between 9:00 a.m. and 

5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. An informal 

docket may also be examined during 

normal business hours at the office of 

the Operations Support Group, Central 

Service Center, Federal Aviation 

Administration, 10101 Hillwood Blvd., 

Fort Worth, TX 76177. 

Availability and Summary of 

Documents for Incorporation by 

Reference 

This document proposes to amend 

FAA Order 7400.11B, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, 

dated August 3, 2017, and effective 

September 15, 2017. FAA Order 


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41022 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Proposed Rules 

7400.11B is publicly available as listed 

in the ADDRESSES section of this 

document. FAA Order 7400.11B lists 

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

air traffic service routes, and reporting 

points. 

Background 

The FAA is planning 

decommissioning activities for the 

Guthrie, TX, VORTAC in 2019 as one of 

the candidate VORs identified for 

discontinuance by the FAA’s VOR MON 

program and listed in the final policy 

statement notice, ‘‘Provision of 

Navigation Services for the Next 

Generation Air Transportation System 

(NextGen) Transition to PerformanceBased Navigation (PBN) (Plan for 

Establishing a VOR Minimum 

Operational Network),’’ published in the 

Federal Register of July 26, 2016 (81 FR 

48694), Docket No. FAA–2011–1082. 

Although the VOR portion of the 

Guthrie, TX, VORTAC NAVAID is 

planned for decommissioning, the 

Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) 

portion is being retained. The ATS 

routes effected by the Guthrie VORTAC 

are VOR Federal airways V–18, V–102, 

and V–278. 

With the planned decommissioning of 

the Guthrie VORTAC, the remaining 

ground-based NAVAID coverage in the 

area is insufficient to enable the 

continuity of the affected airways. As 

such, proposed modifications to V–18, 

V–102, and V–278 would result in gaps 

in the route structures. To overcome the 

gaps, instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic 

could use adjacent VOR Federal airways 

V–14 and V–114 between the Lubbock, 

TX, VORTAC and Wichita Falls, TX, 

VORTAC; Federal airways V–14, V–114, 

and V–355 between the Lubbock, TX, 

VORTAC and Bowie, TX, VORTAC; or 

Federal airways V–62 and V–66 

between the Lubbock, TX, VORTAC and 

Millsap, TX, VORTAC to 

circumnavigate the affected area. 

Additionally, IFR traffic could file point 

to point through the affected area using 

fixes that will remain in place, or 

receive air traffic control (ATC) radar 

vectors through the area. Visual flight 

rules pilots who elect to navigate via the 

airways through the affected area could 

also take advantage of the adjacent VOR 

Federal airways or ATC services listed 

previously. 

The Proposal 

The FAA is proposing an amendment 

to Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations 

(14 CFR) part 71 by modifying VOR 

Federal airways V–18, V–102, and V– 

278. The planned decommissioning of 

the Guthrie, TX, VORTAC has made 

these actions necessary. The proposed 

VOR Federal airway changes are 

outlined below. 

V–18: V–18 currently extends 

between the Guthrie, TX, VORTAC and 

the Charleston, SC, VORTAC. The FAA 

proposes to remove the airway segment 

between the Guthrie, TX, VORTAC and 

the Millsap, TX, VORTAC. The 

unaffected portions of the existing 

airway would remain as charted. 

V–102: V–102 currently extends 

between the Salt Flat, TX, VORTAC and 

the Wichita Falls, TX, VORTAC. The 

FAA proposes to remove the airway 

segment between the Lubbock, TX, 

VORTAC and the Wichita Falls, TX, 

VORTAC. The unaffected portions of 

the existing airway would remain as 

charted. 

V–278: V–278 currently extends 

between the Texico, NM, VORTAC and 

the Vulcan, AL, VORTAC. The FAA 

proposes to remove the airway segment 

between the Plainview, TX, VOR/DME 

and the Bowie, TX, VORTAC. The 

unaffected portions of the existing 

airway would remain as charted. 

VOR Federal airways are published in 

paragraph 6010(a) of FAA Order 

7400.11B dated August 3, 2017, and 

effective September 15, 2017, which is 

incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 

71.1. The VOR Federal airways listed in 

this document would be subsequently 

published in the Order. 

Regulatory Notices and Analyses 

The FAA has determined that this 

proposed 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 Department of 

Transportation (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 will only affect air traffic 

procedures and air navigation, it is 

certified that this proposed rule, when 

promulgated, will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities under the 

criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. 

Environmental Review 

This proposal will be subject to an 

environmental analysis in accordance 

with FAA Order 1050.1F, 

‘‘Environmental Impacts: Policies and 

Procedures’’ prior to any FAA final 

regulatory action. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71 

Airspace, Incorporation by reference, 

Navigation (air). 

The Proposed Amendment 

In consideration of the foregoing, the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

proposes to amend 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 7400.11B, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated August 3, 2017 and 

effective September 15, 2017, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal 

Airways. 

* * * * * 

V–18 [Amended] 

From Millsap, TX; Glen Rose, TX; Cedar 

Creek, TX; Quitman, TX; Belcher, LA; 

Monroe, LA; Magnolia, MS; Meridian, MS; 

Crimson, AL; Vulcan, AL; Talladega, AL; 

Atlanta, GA; Colliers, SC; to Charleston, SC. 

* * * * * 

V–102 [Amended] 

From Salt Flat, TX; Carlsbad, NM; Hobbs, 

NM; to Lubbock, TX. 

* * * * * 

V–278 [Amended] 

From Texico, NM; to Plainview, TX. From 

Bowie, TX; Bonham, TX; Paris, TX; 

Texarkana, AR; Monticello, AR; Greenville, 

MS; Sidon, MS; Bigbee, MS; to Vulcan, AL. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 13, 

2018. 

Rodger A. Dean Jr., 

Manager, Airspace Policy Group. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17767 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


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