17038 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2022 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

[Docket No. FAA–2022–0248; Airspace 

Docket No. 22–AGL–4] 

RIN 2120–AA66 

Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal 

Airways V–24, V–78, V–181, and V–398; 

and Establishment of Area Navigation 

(RNAV) Route T–462; in the Vicinity of 

Watertown, SD 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to amend 

four VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 

Federal airways and establish a new 

RNAV T-route in the vicinity of 

Watertown, South Dakota. This action is 

necessary due to the planned 

decommissioning of the VOR portion of 

the Watertown, SD, VOR/Tactical Air 

Navigation (VORTAC), which provides 

navigational guidance to portions of the 

affected VOR Federal airways. The 

Watertown VOR is being 

decommissioned as part of the FAA’s 

VOR Minimum Operational Network 

(VOR MON) program. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before May 9, 2022. 

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–2022– 

0248; Airspace Docket No. 22–AGL–4 at 

the beginning of your comments. You 

may also submit comments through the 

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

FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, and 

subsequent amendments can be viewed 

online at https://www.faa.gov/air_

traffic/publications/. For further 

information, you can contact the Rules 

and Regulations Group, Federal 

Aviation Administration, 800 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267–8783. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Colby Abbott, Rules and Regulations 

Group, Office of Policy, 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– 

2022–0248; Airspace Docket No. 22– 

AGL–4) 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 

https://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–2022–0248; Airspace 

Docket No. 22–AGL–4.’’ 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 https://www.regulations.gov. 

Recently published rulemaking 

documents can also be accessed through 

the FAA’s web page at https://

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 

Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177. 

Availability and Summary of 

Documents for Incorporation by 

Reference 

This document proposes to amend 

FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, 

dated August 10, 2021 and effective 

September 15, 2021. FAA Order JO 

7400.11F is publicly available as listed 

in the ADDRESSES section of this 

document. FAA Order JO 7400.11F 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 VOR 

portion of the Watertown, SD, VORTAC 

in December 2022. The Watertown VOR 

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

Establishing a VOR MON),’’ published 

in the Federal Register of July 26, 2016 

(81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA–2011– 

1082. Although the VOR portion of the 

Watertown VORTAC is planned for 

decommissioning, the co-located DME 

portion of the navigational aid is being 

retained in support of current and future 

RNAV procedures. 

The VOR Federal airways affected by 

the Watertown VOR are V–24, V–78, V– 

181, and V–398. With the planned 

decommissioning of the Watertown 

VOR, the remaining ground-based 

navigational aid coverage in the area is 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2022 / Proposed Rules 17039 

insufficient to enable the continuity of 

these affected airways. As such, the 

proposed modifications would result in 

the removal of airway segments. 

To overcome the impacts from the 

loss of portions of the airways, 

instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic 

could use adjacent airways, including 

V–2, V–148, V–170, V–175, and V–344, 

or receive air traffic control radar 

vectors to fly through or around the 

affected areas. Aircraft equipped with 

RNAV capabilities could also file point 

to point through the affected area using 

the fixes that will remain in place, use 

alternate RNAV routes, including T– 

322, T–405, and T–407, or use the new 

RNAV route, T–462, proposed in this 

action. Visual flight rules (VFR) pilots 

who elect to navigate via the affected 

ATS routes could also take advantage of 

the adjacent ATS routes or ATC services 

listed previously. 

Further, the FAA proposes to 

establish RNAV T-route, T–462, to 

mitigate the proposed removal of the 

airway segments for V–24 between the 

Aberdeen, SD, VOR/DME and the 

Watertown, SD, VORTAC and for V–78 

between the Watertown, SD, VORTAC 

and the Darwin, MN, VORTAC. The 

new route would provide navigational 

options in areas of limited or no radar 

coverage to pilots whose aircraft are 

RNAV equipped, as well as, support the 

FAA’s efforts to transition the National 

Airspace System from ground-based to 

satellite-based navigation. 

The Proposal 

The FAA is proposing an amendment 

to 14 CFR part 71 to amend four VOR 

Federal airways and establish one 

RNAV T-route. The proposed Air Traffic 

Service (ATS) route actions are 

described below. 

V–24: V–24 currently extends 

between the Aberdeen, SD, VOR/DME 

and the Rochester, MN, VOR/DME; 

between the Janesville, WI, VOR/DME 

and the Northbrook, IL, VOR/DME; and 

between the Peotone, IL, VORTAC and 

the Brickyard, IN, VORTAC. The FAA 

proposes to remove the airway segment 

between the Aberdeen, SD, VOR/DME 

and the Redwood Falls, MN, VOR/DME. 

This would result in the first segment of 

the airway extending between the 

Redwood Falls, MN, VOR/DME and the 

Rochester, MN, VOR/DME. The second 

and third segments of the airway would 

remain unchanged. 

V–78: V–78 currently extends 

between the Watertown, SD, VORTAC 

and the Escanaba, MI, VOR/DME; and 

between the Pellston, MI, VORTAC and 

the Saginaw, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA 

proposes to remove the airway segment 

between the Watertown, SD, VORTAC 

and the Darwin, MN, VORTAC. This 

would result in the first segment of the 

airway extending between the Darwin, 

MN, VORTAC and the Escanaba, MI, 

VOR/DME. The second segment of the 

airway would remain unchanged. 

V–181: V–181 currently extends 

between the Kirksville, MO, VORTAC 

and the Grand Forks, ND, VOR/DME. 

The FAA proposes to remove the airway 

segment between the Sioux Falls, SD, 

VORTAC and the Fargo, ND, VOR/DME. 

This would result in the airway 

extending between the Kirksville, MO, 

VORTAC and the Sioux Falls, SD, 

VORTAC; and between the Fargo, ND, 

VOR/DME and the Grand Forks, ND, 

VOR/DME. 

V–398: V–398 currently extends 

between the Aberdeen, SD, VOR/DME 

and the Rochester, MN, VOR/DME. The 

FAA proposes to remove the airway 

segment between Aberdeen, SD, VOR/ 

DME and the Redwood Falls, MN, VOR/ 

DME. This would result in the airway 

extending between the Redwood Falls, 

MN, VOR/DME and the Rochester, MN, 

VOR/DME. 

T–462: T–462 would be a new RNAV 

route that extends between the 

Bismarck, ND, VOR/DME and the 

GENEO, MN, waypoint (WP) located 

near the Darwin, MN, VOR. 

All navigational aid radials listed in 

the VOR Federal airway descriptions 

below are unchanged and stated in True 

degrees. 

VOR Federal airways are published in 

paragraph 6010(a), and RNAV T-routes 

are published in paragraph 6011 of FAA 

Order JO 7400.11F, dated August 10, 

2021, and effective September 15, 2021, 

which are incorporated by reference in 

14 CFR 71.1. The VOR Federal airways 

listed in this document would be 

published subsequently in FAA JO 

7400.11. 

FAA Order JO 7400.11, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, is 

published yearly and effective on 

September 15. 

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 14 CFR 

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 JO 7400.11F, 

Airspace Designations and Reporting 

Points, dated August 10, 2021, and 

effective September 15, 2021, is 

amended as follows: 

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal 

Airways. 

* * * * * 

V–24 [Amended] 

From Redwood Falls, MN; to Rochester, 

MN. From Janesville, WI; INT Janesville 112° 

and Northbrook, IL, 291° radials; to 

Northbrook. From Peotone, IL; INT Peotone 

152° and Brickyard, IN, 312° radials; to 

Brickyard. 

* * * * * 

V–78 [Amended] 

From Darwin, MN; Gopher, MN; INT 

Gopher 091° and Eau Claire, WI, 290° radials; 

Eau Claire; Rhinelander, WI; Iron Mountain, 

MI; to Escanaba, MI. From Pellston, MI; 

Alpena, MI; INT Alpena 232° and Saginaw, 

MI, 353° radials; to Saginaw. 

* * * * * 

V–181 [Amended] 

From Kirksville, MO; Lamoni, IA; Omaha, 

IA; Norfolk, NE; Yankton, SD; to Sioux Falls, 

SD. From Fargo, ND; to Grand Forks, ND. 

* * * * * 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
17040 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2022 / Proposed Rules 

V–398 [Amended] 

From Redwood Falls, MN; to Rochester, 

MN. 

* * * * * 

Paragraph 6011 United States Area 

Navigation Routes. 

* * * * * 

T–462 Bismarck, ND (BIS) to GENEO, MN [New] 

Bismarck, ND (BIS) VOR/DME (Lat. 46°45′42.34′′ N, long. 100°39′55.47′′ W) 

Aberdeen, SD (ABR) VOR/DME (Lat. 45°25′02.48′′ N, long. 098°22′07.39′′ W) 

FFORT, SD WP (Lat. 44°58′47.45′′ N, long. 097°08′30.36′′ W) 

GENEO, MN WP (Lat. 45°05′15.37′′ N, long. 094°27′14.30′′ W) 

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 21, 

2022. 

Scott M. Rosenbloom, 

Manager, Airspace Rules and Regulations. 

[FR Doc. 2022–06311 Filed 3–24–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

[Docket No. FAA–2022–0243; Airspace 

Docket No. 22–AGL–5] 

RIN 2120–AA66 

Proposed Amendment of VOR Federal 

Airways V–26 and V–63; Establishment 

of Area Navigation (RNAV) Route 

T–464; and Revocation of the Wausau, 

WI, Low Altitude Reporting Point; in 

the Vicinity of Wausau, WI 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to amend 

two VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) 

Federal airways, establish one RNAV 

T-route, and revoke one Low Altitude 

Reporting Point in the vicinity of 

Wausau, Wisconsin. This action is 

necessary due to the planned 

decommissioning of the VOR portion of 

the Wausau, WI, VOR/Distance 

Measuring Equipment (DME) which 

provides navigational guidance to 

portions of the affected Air Traffic 

Service (ATS) routes. The Wausau VOR 

is being decommissioned as part of the 

FAA’s VOR Minimum Operational 

Network (VOR MON) program. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before May 9, 2022. 

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–2022– 

0243; Airspace Docket No. 22–AGL–5 at 

the beginning of your comments. You 

may also submit comments through the 

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

FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace 

Designations and Reporting Points, and 

subsequent amendments can be viewed 

online at https://www.faa.gov/air_

traffic/publications/. For further 

information, you can contact the Rules 

and Regulations Group, Federal 

Aviation Administration, 800 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267–8783. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Colby Abbott, Rules and Regulations 

Group, Office of Policy, 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– 

2022–0243; Airspace Docket No. 22– 

AGL–5) 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 

https://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–2022–0243; Airspace 

Docket No. 22–AGL–5.’’ 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 https://www.regulations.gov. 

Recently published rulemaking 

documents can also be accessed through 

the FAA’s web page at https://

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 

Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1