Document ID: FAA-2018-0138-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Class D and E Airspace; Amendments; Class E Airspace; Establishments: Austin, TX; Georgetown and Austin, TX
Posted Date: 2018-06-05T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 5, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25971-25973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11859]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2018-0138; Airspace Docket No. 18-ASW-5]
RIN 2120-AA66

Proposed Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Austin, TX; and 
Establishment of Class E Airspace; Georgetown, TX, and Austin, TX

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class D airspace at San Marcos 
Regional Airport, Austin, TX; establish Class E airspace designated as 
a surface area at Georgetown Municipal Airport, Georgetown, TX, and San 
Marcos Regional Airport; and amend Class E airspace extending upward 
from 700 feet above the surface at San Marco Regional Airport and 
Lockhart Municipal Airport, Lockhart, TX. The FAA is proposing this 
action at the request of Austin Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT)/
Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) to establish part-time Class E 
airspace designated as a surface area at Georgetown Municipal Airport 
and San Marcos Regional Airport and to review the associated airspace 
for the safety and management of instrument flight rule (IFR) 
operations at these airports. The name of San Marcos Regional Airport 
would be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database, and 
the outdated term ``Airport/Facility Directory'' would be replaced with 
the term ``Chart Supplement''.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 20, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; telephone 
(202) 366-9826, or (800) 647-5527. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2018-0138; Airspace Docket No. 18-ASW-5, at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at http://www.regulations.gov. You may review the public docket containing the 
proposal, any comments received, and any final disposition in person in 
the Dockets Office between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    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 http://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: Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 
Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5711.

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

[[Page 25972]]

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 amend Class D airspace at San Marcos Regional 
Airport, Austin, TX; establish Class E airspace designated as a surface 
area at Georgetown Municipal Airport, Georgetown, TX, and San Marcos 
Regional Airport; and amend Class E airspace extending upward from 700 
feet above the surface at San Marco Regional Airport and Lockhart 
Municipal Airport, Lockhart, TX, to support IFR operations at these 
airports.

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. Commenters 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-2018-0138; 
Airspace Docket No. 18-ASW-5.'' 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 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 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 Federal Aviation Administration, Air Traffic 
Organization, Central Service Center, Operations Support Group, 10101 
Hillwood Parkway, 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 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.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 by:
    Amending the airspace designation location in the airspace legal 
description of the Class D airspace from San Marcos, TX, to Austin, TX, 
to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database; amending the radius 
to within a 4.3-mile radius (increased from a 4.2-mile radius) of San 
Marcos Regional Airport (formerly San Marcos Municipal Airport), 
Austin, TX; adding an extension 1.0 mile each side of the 306[deg] 
bearing from the San Marcos Regional: RWY 13-LOC extending from the 
4.3-mile radius to 4.6 miles northwest of the airport; updating the 
name of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database; 
and replacing the outdated term ``Airport/Facility Directory'' with 
``Chart Supplement'';
    Establishing Class E airspace designated as a surface area within a 
4.3-mile radius of San Marcos Regional Airport, Austin, TX, with an 
extension 1.0 mile each side of the 306[deg] bearing from the San 
Marcos Regional: RWY 13-LOC from the 4.3-mile radius to 4.6 miles 
northwest of the airport; and with an extension 1.0 mile each side of 
the 313[deg] bearing from the airport from the 4.3-mile radius to 5.0 
miles northwest of the airport; and with an extension 1.0 mile each 
side of the 268[deg] bearing from the airport from the 4.3-mile radius 
to 4.4 miles west of the airport; and with an extension 1.0 mile each 
side of the 358[deg] bearing from the airport from the 4.3-mile radius 
to 4.4 miles north of the airport;
    Establishing Class E airspace designated as a surface area within a 
4.1-mile radius of Georgetown Municipal Airport, Georgetown, TX; and
    Amending the airspace designation location in the airspace legal 
description of the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet 
above the surface from San Marcos, TX, to Austin, TX, to coincide with 
the FAA's aeronautical database; amending the radius to within a 6.8-
mile radius (increased from a 6.7-mile radius) of San Marcos Regional 
Airport (formerly San Marcos Municipal Airport), Austin, TX; amending 
the extension to the northwest of the airport to 12.0 miles (increased 
from 11.1 miles); amending the extension to the east of the airport to 
10.5 miles (increased from 10.4 miles); amending the extension to the 
southeast of the airport to 9.7 miles (increased from 9.6 miles); 
amending the extension to the south of the airport to 10.5 miles 
(increased from 10.4 miles); and amending the radius to within 6.4-
miles (increased from a 6.3-mile radius) of Lockhart Municipal Airport, 
Lockhart, TX, included in the Austin, TX, airspace legal description.
    This action is being proposed at the request of Austin ATCT/TRACON 
to establish part-time Class E airspace designated as an extension of 
Class D and E surface areas at Georgetown Municipal Airport and San 
Marcos Regional Airport and to review the associated airspace for the 
safety and management of IFR operations at these airports.
    Class D and E airspace designations are published in paragraph 
5000, 6002, and 6005, respectively, 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 Class D and E airspace designations 
listed in this document will be published subsequently in the Order.

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; February 26, 
1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a

[[Page 25973]]

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 7400.11B, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and 
effective September 15, 2017, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 5000. Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

ASW TX D Austin, TX [Amended]

San Marcos Regional Airport, TX
    (Lat. 29[deg]53'34'' N, long. 97[deg]51'47'' W)
San Marcos Regional: RWY 13-LOC
    (Lat. 29[deg]53'03'' N, long. 97[deg]51'15'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
3,100 feet MSL within a 4.3-mile radius of San Marcos Regional 
Airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of the San Marcos Regional: 
RWY13-LOC extending from the 4.3-mile radius to 4.6 miles northwest 
of the airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of the 313[deg] 
bearing from the airport extending from the 4.3-mile radius to 5.0 
miles northwest of the airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of the 
268[deg] bearing from the airport extending from the 4.3-mile radius 
to 4.4 miles west of the airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of 
the 358[deg] bearing from the airport extending from the 4.3-mile 
radius to 4.4 miles north of the airport. This Class D airspace area 
is effective during the specific dates and times established in 
advance by a Notice to Airmen. The effective dates and times will 
thereafter be continually published in the Chart Supplement.

Paragraph 6002. Class E Airspace Areas Designated as Surface Areas.

* * * * *

ASW TX E2 Austin, TX [New]

San Marcos Regional Airport, TX
    (Lat. 29[deg]53'34'' N, long. 97[deg]51'47'' W)
San Marcos Regional: RWY 13-LOC
    (Lat. 29[deg]53'03'' N, long. 97[deg]51'15'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
3,100 feet MSL within a 4.3-mile radius of San Marcos Regional 
Airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of the San Marcos Regional: 
RWY13-LOC extending from the 4.3-mile radius to 4.6 miles northwest 
of the airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of the 313[deg] 
bearing from the airport extending from the 4.3-mile radius to 5 
miles northwest of the airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of the 
268[deg] bearing from the airport extending from the 4.3-mile radius 
to 4.4 miles west of the airport, and within 1.0 mile each side of 
the 358[deg] bearing from the airport extending from the 4.3-mile 
radius to 4.4 miles north of the airport. This Class E airspace area 
is effective during the specific dates and times established in 
advance by a Notice to Airmen. The effective dates and times will 
thereafter be continually published in the Chart Supplement.
* * * * *

ASW TX E2 Georgetown, TX [New]

Georgetown Municipal Airport, TX
    (Lat. 30[deg]40'44'' N, long. 97[deg]40'46'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
3,300 feet MSL within a 4.1-mile radius of Georgetown Municipal 
Airport. This Class E airspace is effective during the specific 
dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The 
effective dates and times will thereafter be continuously published 
in the Chart Supplement.

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

* * * * *

ASW TX E5 Austin, TX [Amended]

San Marcos Regional Airport, TX
    (Lat. 29[deg]53'34'' N, long. 97[deg]51'47'' W)
Lockhart Municipal Airport, TX
    (Lat. 29[deg]51'01'' N, long. 97[deg]40'21'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.8-mile radius of San Marcos Regional Airport, and within 
2 miles each side of the 268[deg] bearing from the airport extending 
from the 6.8-mile radius to 13.1 miles west of the airport, and 
within 2 miles each side of the 313[deg] bearing from the airport 
extending from the 6.8-mile radius to 12.0 miles northwest of the 
airport, and within 2 miles each side of the 088[deg] bearing from 
the airport extending from the 6.8-mile radius to 10.5 miles east of 
the airport, and within 2 miles each side of the 133[deg] bearing 
from the airport extending from the 6.8-mile radius to 9.7 miles 
southeast of the airport, and within 2 miles each side of the 
178[deg] bearing from the airport extending from the 6.8-mile radius 
to 10.5 miles south of the airport, and within a 6.4-mile radius of 
Lockhart Municipal Airport.

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 24, 2018.
Christopher L. Southerland,
Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2018-11859 Filed 6-4-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P