From: Airport Staff

EXHIBIT

To: Airport Commission i ::rild1 ITEM 3(c)

Subject: Information Item -Interrelationships Between the Federal Aviation Administration

and the City of Santa Monica Regarding the Operation of the

Santa Monica Airport

Date: February 25, 2002

Introduction

This report details the interrelationships between the various divisions within the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) and the City of Santa Monica in regards to the operation of the Santa Monica Airport.

This report was first presented two years ago and is included in this agenda as an information item for the

benefit of the Airport Commission and the public.

Discussion

On many occasions, staff has referred to the "FAA" in various staff reports and in discussions regarding

airport and aircraft operations. This broad-brush reference to the FAA fails to fully explain the framework of

the FAA's organization or their role in the operation of the Santa Monica Airport and the National Air

Transportation System. In general, the FAA's operation can be broken down into distinct operations; FAA

Headquarters in Washington D.C., Nine National Regions and associated Regional Offices, A Technical

Center located in Atlantic City, and a Training Center located in Oklahoma City. The Santa Monica Airport

is located within the Western-Pacific Region of the FAA.

The City of Santa Monica owns, operates and maintains the 227 acres of property that constitute the

Airport. However, the operation of the Airport is also regulated and supervised by many different divisions

and organizations within the FAA. Each one of these divisions serves a distinct function and is responsible

for specific aspects of aircraft and airport operations.
In general, the City is required to maintain, operate and develop the Airport in accordance with applicable

Federal, State and local laws, rules and regulations. The provisions of 1984 Settlement Agreement with

the FAA provides additional guidance and/or restriction of the Airport's operation. The FAA is responsible

for, but not limited to, the establishment and enforcement of Federal Air Regulations (FARs) covering all

aspects of air space and aircraft operations within the continental United States and its protectorates, the

operation of the National Air Transportation System, the controlling of air traffic, pilot certification, aircraft

certification, accident investigation, maintenance of ground-based navigational aides (both visual and

electronic) and FAA facilities, airport compliance inspections and the administering ofthe Federally funded

Airport Improvement Project grant program. Simply put, the Federal Government owns and regulates the

airspace within the continental United States and its protectorates and preempts all local and state rules

and regulations for the control and use of that air space.

Listed below is a brief synopsis of these various divisions of the FAA that staff deals with in the operation

of the Airport:

FAA Airports Division

The Airports Division staff at the Western-Pacific Regional offices work closely with Airport staff to ensure

that the Santa Monica Airport is being planned, maintained, and operated in accordance with national

standards and applicable Federal Regulations. The primary mission of the Airports Division is to provide

FAA leadership in planning and development of a safe and efficient national airport system with due

consideration for economics, environmental compatibility, local proprietary rights, and safeguarding the

public investment. Within the Airports Division there are two separate organizations: the Office of Airport

Planning and Programming and the Office of Airport Safety and Standards.

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The FAA Office of Airport Planning and Programming serves as the principal organization of FAA

responsible for all of the Airports Division program matters pertaining to national airport planning,

environmental and social requirements, airport grants, property transfers, passenger facility charges, and

ensuring adequacy of the substantive aspects of FAA rulemaking actions relating to these programs the

office is also responsible for:

(1) Administering Airports grant programs, passenger facility charges and conveyance or lease of

Federal land and surplus property for airport purposes.

(2) Developing eligibility criteria governing airport grants, passenger facility charges, and entry criteria

for the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).

(3) Providing guidance and central control over national planning of integrated airport systems, h:1..1:tg

development and issuance of the NPIAS.

(4) Developing guidelines for coordination and implementation of intermodal and multimodal

transportation planning relating to the Airports program.

(5) Provides for airport planning and planning support, including development of guidance for master

and system planning.

(6) Administers the program for environmental review and approval of airport development, airport

noise compatibility planning under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 150, airport noise and access

restrictions under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 161, and other Airports Program activities

relating to environmental issues. Administers the program for environmental review and

documentation of airport projects, the airport noise compatibility planning program under Federal

Aviation Regulations Part 150 and Part 161, and other Airports program activities relating to

environmental issues.

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(7) Establishes and maintains liaison with Federal agencies and other organizations to ensure effective

coordination of airport planning and development.

(8) The formulation of regulations, policies, criteria, and procedures for implementing equal

employment opportunity and other civil rights programs as they apply to airport development

programs.

(9) The processing and coordination of environmental impact statements, noise exposure maps, and

noise compatibility programs, and in the implementation of environmental provisions contained in

the Airport and Airway Improvement Act, the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act, the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the DOT Act and guided by policy guidance development by the

Office of Environment and Energy and approved by the Administrator.

With respect to Part 150 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, the Director of Airport Planning and

Programming is delegated authority to issue headquarters objections to specific Part 150 determinations

proposed by the regions if deemed necessary by the Office of Airport Planning and Programming.

The Office of Airport Planning and Programming administers the program for review of airport noise and

access restrictions under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 161 under a team concept, involving the

participation of the Office of Aviation Policy, Plans, and Management Analysis, the Office of Environment

and Energy, the Office of the Chief Counsel, and the Office of Airport Safety and Standards. The Office of

Airport Planning and Programming chair's the Part 161 team.

The FAA Office of Airport Safety and Standards serves as the principal organization of the FAA and is

responsible for all airport program matters pertaining to standards for airport design, construction,

maintenance, operations, safety, and data, including ensuring adequacy of the substantive aspects of FAA
rulemaking actions relating to the certification of airports. The office of Airport Safety and Standards

develops FAA standards and criteria for:

(1) Airport design, construction, maintenance, safety, and data.

(2) FAA-wide programs for continuous safe operation of airports and for airport safety certification.

(3) Compliance with Federal airport assistance agreements, conveyance or lease of Federal land and

surplus property for airport purposes, and airport certification requirements.

(4) Administers the Airport Safety and Certification Program.

(5) Manages the program for collecting and maintaining airport facilities data on the Nation's airports.

(6) Provides guidance to regions for promoting emergency operations, vulnerability reduction, and

damage control at civil airports; develops plans for emergency management and restoration of civil

airports after attack or natural disaster, including determining fle need for equipment, materials,

and supplies.

(7) Identifies and monitors research and development elements of the FAA on airport design-related

research.

(8) Establishes and maintains liaison with other Federal agencies and other organizations to ensure

effective coordination of airport design, construction, maintenance, operational, and safety matters

within the purview of this office.

FAA Air Traffic Services Division

The primary mission of the Air Traffic Services Division (ATS) is to ensure the safe and efficient operation,

maintenance, and use of the air transportation system, maximization and utility of the airspace resources,

and increased system safety, capacity, and productivity. Air Traffic Services is made up of Air Traffic,

Airway Facilities, Air Traffic System Requirements, System Capacity, Independent Operational Test and

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Evaluation, and theNAS Configuration Management Evaluation staff and Runway Safety Program staff

offices. ATS integrates all core elements of the air traffic

control system. ATS employees are Air Traffic controllers, engineers and technicians, pilots and flight

inspection personnel, business managers, and support staff. Following are some of the responsibilities of

the approximately 36,500 ATS employees:

control 200,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings per day

provide 24 hours of air traffic control daily

manage the NAS infrastructure by operating and maintaining 32,500 facilities and systems

maintain 8,200 terminal instrument flight procedures and 9,000 airway segments

conduct over 11,000 flight inspections nationally and internationally each year to preserve the

safety, quality, and reliability of the airspace system

assign and protect more than 40,000 aeronautical radio frequencies used in Air Traffic control;

and

direct the modernization of the National Air Space infrastructure (Free Flight).

The FAA Air Traffic Division of ATS is responsible for directing, coordinating, controlling, and ensuring the

safe and efficient utilization of the National Airspace System and is directly responsible for air traffic control

at the Santa Monica Airport. Air Traffic is comprised of the following offices: Tactical Operations, Planning

and Procedures, Airspace Management, and Resource Management. Air Traffic facilities consist of: The

Air Traffic Control System Command Center, 61 Automated Flight Service Stations and 15 Flight Service

Stations nation-wide, 14 Alaskan Flight Service Stations, 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, 352 Airport

Traffic Control Towers, 185 Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities, 2 Radar Approach Control

facilities, and 3 Combined Center/Radar Approach Control facilities.

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FAA Airway Facilities Services

The FAA Airway Facility Services (AFS) is responsible for managing, modernizing, and operating the

nation-wide airspace system infrastructure which includes radar, communication, ground-based navigation

aids, automation, and radios used to facilitate communication between air traffic controllers and pilots. On

a local level, AFS personnel maintain all FAA navigational aids (both electronic and Visual), radio

equipment, radar displays and the air traffic control tower located at the Airport at no cost to the City.

FAA Airway Facilities Service (AF) promotes the safe and efficient use of the National Airspace System

through transition, integration, and maintenance engineering; instrument flight procedures development;

flight inspection; and field support. Approximately 11,512 employees work to manage, maintain, design,

and install more than 44,000 pieces of equipment and systems at over 6,000 facilities. AF pilots and other

personnel flight check air traffic control systems worldwide, engineer and protect over 50,000 radio

frequencies, and manage over 30 million lines of automated system computer code.

FAA Aviation Flight Standards Service

Aviation Flight Standards Service (AFSS) -locally known as the Flight Standards District Office or FSDOis primarily responsible enforcement of the Federal Air Regulations related to the operation and

certification of aircraft and the certification of pilots and aircraft operators. AFSS is also responsible for

advocating aviation safety (both general & commercial aviation) and ensuring the

safe operation of National Air Space System. Flight Standards Inspectors routinely hold pilot safety

seminars, spot check aircraft repair stations, ramp check pilots, inspect air charter operators, conduct

airport surveillance to ensure that pilots and operators are adhering to the FARs.

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FAA Flight Standards is responsible for a wide array of programs that involve aircraft and pilot certification

and include:

General Aviation

Certification of Pilots and Instructors (Flight and Ground)

Guide for Deaf Pilots and their Instructors

FAA Position on the Use of Autogas

Aviation Safety Programs (regular meetings are held at Santa Monica Airport)

Publishing FAA Aviation News

Disseminating Airworthiness Alerts & Directives

National Airshow Coordination

Amateur-Built Aircraft Safety Program

Aircraft Maintenance Program

Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Division

Airworthiness Programs

Establishing Technical Standards Orders

Developing Type Certificate Data Sheets

Air Transportation (Airlines, etc.)

Cabin Safety

Air Carrier Training

Advanced Qualification Program

National Simulator Program

Air Carrier Operations

Developing Aircraft Operations Specifications and Minimum Equipment Lists

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Flight Technologies and Procedures

Flight Operations Branch

Flight Procedure Standards

FAA Human Factors Report: The Interfaces Between Flightcrews and Modern Flight Deck

Systems

FAA Headquarters

From time-to-time, staff must interact with FAA Headquarters staff when complex issues such as resolving

compliance issues or when FAR Part 16 complaints are filed or other noise and environmental issues of a

national are contempleated. FAA Headquarters houses the key management personnel that direct the

operation and management of the FAA and include the following offices:

Office of the Administrator

Office of Chief Counsel

Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA)

Office of Government and Industry Affairs

Assistant Administrator for Financial Services (ABA)

Office of Aviation Policy and Plans

Office of Environment and Energy (AEE)

Office of Civil Rights (ACR)

Office of Public Affairs (APA)

Office of System Safety (ASY)

This report has been provided as an informational item for the Airport Commission and the general public

for discussion purposes. Staff recommends that any questions or concerns regarding the relationship

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between the City of Santa Monica and the FAA be shared with Airport staff at the May 2000 Airport

Commission meeting.

Prepared by: Bob Trimborn

Jason Morgan

Ted Walters

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