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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38307-38309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13611]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0569; Airspace Docket No. 21-ANM-65]
RIN 2120-AA66

Proposed Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace; Idaho Falls 
Regional Airport, ID

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: A biennial review of the Idaho Falls Regional Airport was 
conducted, and it was discovered several amendments to the airport's 
existing airspace are needed. This action proposes to modify the Class 
D and E surface areas, the Class E airspace area designated as an 
extension to a Class D or Class E surface area, the Class E airspace 
extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, and the Class E 
airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface at Idaho 
Falls Regional Airport, ID. Additionally, this action proposes several 
administrative amendments to update the airport's legal descriptions. 
These actions will ensure the safety and management of instrument 
flight rule (IFR) and visual flight rule (VFR) operations at the 
airport.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 12, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. DOT, Docket 
Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 1-800-647-5527, or (202) 366-
9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-2022-0569; Airspace Docket 
No. 21-ANM-65, 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

[[Page 38308]]

information, you can contact the Airspace Policy Group, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20591; telephone: (202) 267-8783.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathan A. Chaffman, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 
S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone (206) 231-3460.

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 (U.S.C.). 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 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 Class D and Class E airspace at Idaho 
Falls Regional Airport, ID, to support IFR and VFR operations at the 
airport.

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 and be submitted in 
triplicate to the address listed above. Persons wishing the FAA to 
acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must submit with 
those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the 
following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. FAA-2022-0569; 
Airspace Docket No. 21-ANM-65.'' The postcard will be date/time stamped 
and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received before the specified closing date for 
comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed rule. 
The proposal contained in this notice may be changed in light of the 
comments received. 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 the ADDRESSES section for the 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 Northwest Mountain Regional Office of the Federal 
Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Western Service 
Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 S. 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 
98198.

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.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 by modifying 
Class D and E surface areas, the Class E airspace area designated as an 
extension to a Class D or Class E surface area, the Class E airspace 
extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, and the Class E 
airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface at Idaho 
Falls Regional Airport, ID.
    Class D airspace is intended to contain the point at which an 
aircraft executing an instrument approach procedure (IAP) can be 
expected to descend to less than 1,000 feet above the surface. The 
1,000 foot point of the VOR RWY 3 IAP is currently outside of the 
lateral boundary of the airport's Class D surface area. The Class D 
should be extended to the southwest to contain this point. 
Additionally, the exclusionary language for the nearby Eastern Idaho 
Regional Medical Center Heliport needs to be reworded to simplify the 
Idaho Falls Regional Airport's Class D legal description.
    The Class E surface airspace should be amended to be coincident 
with the Class D airspace legal description.
    The Class E airspace area designated as an extension to a Class D 
or Class E surface area should be removed southwest of the airport. The 
RWY 3 VOR 1,000 foot point is proposed to be contained within the Class 
D surface area, and the airspace would not be needed. The Class E 
airspace area designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E 
surface area northeast of the airport is currently seven miles wide, 
but should have its width reduced. The extension is used to contain the 
VOR RWY 21 1,000 foot point, and only a 4.8 mile width is needed.
    The Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the 
surface should be removed southwest of the airport. Existing and 
proposed Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the 
surface contains all procedure turns for the VOR RWY 3 and LOC BC RWY 3 
approaches, and at least 1,500 feet exists between the highest terrain 
and the procedure turn altitudes. Additional Class E airspace extending 
upward from 700 feet above the surface is needed northeast of the 
airport to contain procedure turns for the ILS/LOC RWY 21 IAP, as 
terrain exists within 1,500 feet of the procedure turn altitude. The 
Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
immediately encircling the airport needs to be expanded. This area 
should be increased from a 7.5-mile radius to an 8-mile radius around 
the airport to more appropriately contain departures and circling 
approaches. The existing Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 
feet above the surface over the airport consistently overlaps with 
adjacent airspace, creating the potential for future airspace 
``traps.'' The FAA proposes to re-define the boundaries of this area to 
more appropriately align it with other airspace and simplify its legal 
description.
    Finally, the FAA proposes several administrative modifications to 
the airport's legal descriptions. The geographic coordinates should be 
updated to match the FAA's database. The Class D and Class E2 legal 
descriptions should also be updated to replace the outdated use of the 
phrase ``Notice to Airmen.'' This phrase should be amended to read 
``Notice to Air Missions'' to match the FAA's current definition of 
``NOTAM.'' The outdated phrase ``Airport/Facility Directory'' in the 
Class D and Class E2 legal

[[Page 38309]]

descriptions should be replaced with the phrase ``Chart Supplement'' to 
align with current FAA publication nomenclature. Lastly, all 
navigational aids (NAVAID) should be removed from the Class E4 and E5 
legal description text headers, as they're not required to describe the 
airspace areas, and the removal of the NAVAIDs simplifies the legal 
descriptions.
    Class D, E2, E4, and E5 airspace designations are published in 
paragraphs 5000, 6002, 6004, and 6005, respectively, of FAA Order JO 
7400.11F, dated August 10, 2021, and effective September 15, 2021, 
which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class D and 
Class E airspace designations listed in this document will be published 
subsequently in FAA Order 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 regulation only involves an 
established body of technical regulations for which frequent and 
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current, is 
non-controversial, and unlikely to result in adverse or negative 
comments. 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; Feb. 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 rule, when promulgated, would 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

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me, 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

0
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.

Sec.  71.1  [Amended]

0
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 5000 Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

ANM ID D Idaho Falls, ID [Amended]

Idaho Falls Regional Airport, ID
    (Lat. 43[deg]30'49'' N, long. 112[deg]04'15'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
7,200 feet MSL within a 5.4 mile radius of the airport, and within 
2.4 miles each side of the 223[deg] bearing from the airport 
extending from the 5.4 mile radius to 6.6 miles southwest of the 
airport, excluding that airspace below 5,300 feet MSL within 1 mile 
each side of the 126[deg] bearing from the airport beginning 3.4 
miles southeast of the airport extending to the 5.4 mile radius of 
the airport. This Class D airspace area is effective during the 
specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Air 
Missions. The effective date and time will thereafter be 
continuously published in the Chart Supplement.

Paragraph 6002 Class E Airspace Designated as Surface Areas.

* * * * *

ANM ID E2 Idaho Falls, ID [Amended]

Idaho Falls Regional Airport, ID
    (Lat. 43[deg]30'49'' N, long. 112[deg]04'15'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface within a 5.4 
mile radius of the airport, and within 2.4 miles each side of the 
223[deg] bearing from the airport extending from the 5.4 mile radius 
to 6.6 miles southwest of the airport, excluding that airspace below 
5,300 feet MSL within 1 mile each side of the 126[deg] bearing from 
the airport beginning 3.4 miles southeast of the airport extending 
to the 5.4 mile radius of the airport. This Class E airspace area is 
effective during the specific dates and times established in advance 
by a Notice to Air Missions. The effective date and time will 
thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.

Paragraph 6004 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as an Extension to 
a Class D or Class E Surface Area.

* * * * *

ANM ID E4 Idaho Falls, ID [Amended]

Idaho Falls Regional Airport, ID
    (Lat. 43[deg]30'49'' N., long. 112[deg]04'15'' W.)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface within 2.4 miles 
each side of the 028[deg] bearing from the airport extending from 
the Class D and Class E surface area 5.4 mile radius to 7.5 miles 
northeast of the airport.

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 
Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.

* * * * *

ANM ID E5 Idaho Falls, ID [Amended]

Idaho Falls Regional Airport, ID
    (Lat. 43[deg]30'49'' N, long. 112[deg]04'15'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within 8 miles of the Idaho Falls Regional Airport, and that 
airspace 8 miles east and 9 miles west of the 032[deg] bearing from 
the airport, extending from the 8 mile radius to 28 miles northeast 
of the airport; and that airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet 
above the surface within an area bounded by a line beginning at Lat. 
43[deg]34'55'' N, long. 112[deg]29'22'' W, to Lat. 44[deg]19'00'' N, 
long. 112[deg]04'36'' W, to Lat. 44[deg]12'35.47'' N, long. 
110[deg]48'27.66'' W to Lat. 43[deg]26'00'' N long. 110[deg]57'56'' 
W, to Lat. 42[deg]34'53'' N, long. 111[deg]59''59'' W, to Lat. 
42[deg]11'3.52'' N, long. 112[deg]00'00'' W to Lat. 42[deg]27'00'' N 
long 113[deg]22'00'' W, to Lat. 42[deg]57'33'' N long 
113[deg]32'27'' W, thence to the point of beginning.

    Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on June 15, 2022.
B.G. Chew,
Acting Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2022-13611 Filed 6-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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