Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 17, 2001 / Notices 4055

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Notice of Intent To Rule on Application

To Impose and Use the Revenue From

a Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) at

Manchester Airport, Manchester, NH

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to rule on

application.

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to rule and

invites public comment on the

application to impose and use the

revenue from a PFC at Manchester

Airport under the provisions of the

Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion

Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus

Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990)

(Public Law 101–508) and part 158 of

the Federal Aviation Regulations (14

CFR part 158).

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before February 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this

application may be mailed or delivered

in triplicate to the FAA at the following

address:

Priscilla Scott, PFC Program Manager,

Federal Aviation Administration,

Airports Division, 12 New England

Executive Park, Burlington,

Massachusetts 01803.

In addition, one copy of any

comments submitted to the FAA must

be mailed or delivered to Mr. Kevin

Dillon, Airport Director for Manchester

Airport at the following address:

Manchester Airport, One Airport Road,

Suite 300, Manchester, New Hampshire

03103.

Air carriers and foreign air carriers

may submit copies of written comments

previously provided to the City of

Manchester under section 158.23 of part

158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Priscilla A. Scott, PFC Program

Manager, Federal Aviation

Administration, Airports Division, 12

New England Executive Park,

Burlington, Massachusetts 01803 (781)

238–7614. The application may be

reviewed in person at 16 New England

Executive Park, Burlington,

Massachusetts.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA

proposes to rule and invites public

comment on the application to impose

and use the revenue from a PFC at

Manchester Airport under the

provisions of the Aviation Safety and

Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title

IX of the Omnibus Budget

Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Public Law

101–508) and part 158 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158).

On December 28, 2000, the FAA

determined that the application to

impose and use the revenue from a PFC

submitted by the City of Manchester

was substantially complete within the

requirements of section 158.25 of part

158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

The FAA will approve or disapprove the

application, in whole or in part, no later

than April 6, 2001.

The following is a brief overview of

the impose and use application.

PFC Project #: 01–09–C–00–MHT.

Level of the proposed PFC: $3.00.

Proposed charge effective date: April

1, 2017.

Estimated charge expiration date:

June 1, 2017.

Estimated total net PFC revenue:

$700,000.

Brief description of project: Acquire

Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting

Vehicle.

Class or classes of air carriers which

the public agency has requested not be

required to collect PFCs: Air Taxi/

Commercial Operators (ATCO).

Any person may inspect the

application in person at the FAA office

listed above under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

In addition, any person may, upon

request, inspect the application, notice

and other documents germane to the

application in person at the Manchester

Airport, One Airport Road, Suite 300,

Manchester, New Hampshire 03103.

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts on

January 2, 2001.

Vincent A. Scarano,

Manager, Airports Division, New England

Region.

[FR Doc. 01–1283 Filed 1–16–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Policy Statement Number ACE–00–23.777–

01]

Proposed Issuance of Policy

Memorandum, Automatic Pilot (Control

Wheel Steering) Applications for Part

23/CAR 3 Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of policy statement;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: This document proposes to

adopt new policy for certification of

normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter

category turbine powered airplanes with

automatic pilot (autopilot) (control

wheel steering) applications.

DATES: Comments sent must be received

by February 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments on this

proposed policy statement to the

individual identified under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sending comments: Bill Marshall,

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),

Small Airplane Directorate, Regulations

and Policy Branch, ACE–111, 901

Locust, Room 301, Kansas City,

Missouri 64106; telephone (816) 329–

4116; fax (816) 329–4090; email:

<Bill.Marshall@faa.gov>.

Asking technical questions: Jon

Hannan, FAA, Small Airplane

Directorate, Regulations and Policy

Branch, ACE–111, 901 Locust, Room

301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106;

telephone (816) 329–4127; fax (816)

329–4090; email:

<Jon.Hannan@faa.gov>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

How do I comment on the proposed

policy? We invite your comments on

this proposed policy statement, ACE–

00–23.777–01. You may send whatever

written data, views, or arguments you

choose. We will consider all comments

received by the closing date. We may

change the proposals contained in this

notice because of the comments

received.

Please send comments using the

following Internet address:

Bill.Marshall@faa.gov. Comments sent

using the Internet must contain

‘‘Comments to Policy Statement ACE–

00–23.777–01’’ in the subject line.

Writers should format in Microsoft

Word 97 or ASCII any file attachments

that are sent using the Internet.

Send comments using the following

format:

• Organize comments issue-by-issue.

For example, discuss a comment about

the automatic pilot control panel and a

comment about primary flight controls

as two separate issues.

• For each issue, state what specific

change you are requesting to the

proposed policy memorandum.

• Include justification (for example,

reasons or data) for each request. If

sending your comments using the

Internet will cause you extreme

hardship, you may send comments

using the U.S. Mail, overnight delivery,

or facsimile machine. You should mark

your comments, ‘‘Comments to Policy

Statement ACE–00–23.777–01’’ and

send two copies to the above address in

the section ‘‘FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT: Sending comments.’’

What would be the general effect of

this proposed policy? The FAA is

4056 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 17, 2001 / Notices

presenting this information as a set of

guidelines suitable for use. However, we

do not intend for this proposed policy

to become a binding norm; it does not

form a new regulation, and the FAA

would not apply or rely on it as a

regulation.

The FAA Aircraft Certification Offices

(ACO’s) and Flight Standards District

Offices (FSDO’s) that certify changes in

type design and approve alterations in

normal, utility, and acrobatic category

airplanes should try to follow this

policy when appropriate. Also, as with

all advisory material, this statement of

policy identifies one means, but not the

only means, of compliance.

Because this proposed general

statement of policy only announces

what the FAA seeks to establish as

policy, the FAA considers it to be an

issue for which public comment is

appropriate. Therefore, the FAA

requests comments on the following

proposed general statement of policy

relevant to compliance with § 23.777 of

the Federal Aviation Regulations (14

CFR 23.777), and other related

regulations.

Background

How does part 23 address the

automatic pilot (autopilot) and control

wheel steering? The guidance on

autopilots used in part 23 airplanes does

not specifically address Control Wheel

Steering (CWS). Before 1996, CWS was

a term used by industry to describe a

momentary autopilot interrupt mode.

Holding the CWS switch depressed

temporarily disconnected the autopilot

pitch and roll servos so the airplane

could be maneuvered. When the CWS

switch was released, the autopilot

servos would reengage in the same

mode as previously selected.

One minor exception was where an

autopilot dropped the vertical axis from

the reengagement. But in no case was

there a change to a mode that had not

been selected.

What recent developments have led to

this proposed policy? More recently,

there have been some autopilots

certificated that could be engaged from

a CWS mode switch on the primary

flight controls. Additionally, some

autopilots were certificated that

changed modes from what had been

previously selected by depressing the

CWS switch.

In some cases, these two installations

could lead to inadvertent autopilot

engagement or mode changes during

critical phases of flight such as liftoff,

approach, and landing flare. Inadvertent

operation could then lead to confusion

and a misperception of a flight control

problem or an unintended loss of

approach coupling.

Although not specifically pertinent to

autopilot controls, § 23.777 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

23.777) requires that each cockpit

control ‘‘be located . . . to provide

convenient operation and to prevent

confusion and inadvertent operation.’’

The Proposed Policy

In order to comply with the intent of

§ 23.777 of the Federal Aviation

Regulations (14 CFR 23.777) as

applicable to automatic pilots

(autopilots) installed in part 23

airplanes, autopilots should be

evaluated in accordance with the

following:

Note: These characteristics are not

applicable to ‘‘go around’’ mode switches

which are allowed on throttles.

• The automatic pilot (autopilot)

should not be engaged from a switch on

the primary flight controls, unless that

switch is protected so inadvertent

engagement is not possible. Guards

covering the switch, which can be

moved to provide access to the switch,

may be acceptable in some cases.

• Mode changes should not be made

by using a switch on the primary flight

controls unless some reliable means is

provided to prevent unsafe conditions

caused by inadvertent mode changes.

Refer to § 23.1329(h) of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

23.1329(h)).

• The autopilot disengage button

should be the color red and be of

different design from nearby switches so

it is distinguishable by touch.

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on January

2, 2001.

Marvin R. Nuss,

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 01–1276 Filed 1–16–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. MARAD–2001–8669]

Crowley Maritime Corporation; Notice

of Application for Written Permission

Under Section 805(a) of the Merchant

Marine Act, 1936, as Amended

AGENCY: Maritime Administration,

Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of Application.

SUMMARY: Crowley Maritime

Corporation (Crowley), by letter dated

January 4, 2001, requests written

permission under section 805(a) of the

Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended

(Act), to allow Marine Transport

Corporation’s (MTC) vessels CHEMICAL

EXPLORER and CHEMICAL TRADER to

continue to receive operatingdifferential subsidy (ODS) after MTC

becomes a subsidiary of Crowley. This

section 805(a) permission is necessary

for these vessels to continue to receive

ODS because Crowley, through its

subsidiaries, owns and operates vessels

engaged in the domestic inter-coastal or

coastwise service.

DATES: You should submit your

comments early enough to ensure that

Docket Management receives them not

later than close of business (5 p.m. est)

on January 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Your comments should

refer to docket number MARAD–2001–

8669. You may submit your comments

in writing to: Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT

Dockets, Room PL–401, 400 7th Street,

SW, Washington, DC 20590. You may

also submit them electronically

via the internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/

submit/. You may call Docket

Management at (202) 366–9324 and visit

the Docket Room from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

EST., Monday through Friday, except

Federal Holidays. An electronic version

of this document is available on the

World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You

may call Edmond J. Fitzgerald, Director,

Office of Insurance and Shipping

Analysis, (202) 366–2400. You may

send mail to Edmond J. Fitzgerald,

Director, Office of Insurance and

Shipping Analysis, Room 8117,

Maritime Administration, 400 Seventh

St., SW., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

How Do I Prepare and Submit

Comments?

Your comments must be written and

in English. To ensure that your

comments are correctly filed in the

Docket, please include the docket

number of this document in your

comments. We encourage you to write

your primary comments in a concise

fashion. However, you may attach

necessary additional documents to your

comments. There is no limit on the

length of the attachments. Please submit

two copies of your comments, including

the attachments, to Docket Management

at the address given above under

ADDRESSES.

If you wish Docket Management to

notify you upon its receipt of your

comments, enclose a self-addressed,

stamped postcard in the envelop

containing your comments. Docket