Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/03/04/2010-4580/relief-for-us-military-and-civilian-personnel-who-are-assigned-outside-the-united-states-in-support
Timestamp: 2019-11-19 15:03:25
Document Index: 227571619

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 61', '§\u200965', '§\u200965', 'arts 61', 'arts 61', 'art 61']

This final rule is effective June 20, 2010.
75 FR 9763
9763-9767 (5 pages)
Docket No.: FAA-2009-0923
2010-4580
SFAR 100-1 [Removed]
SFAR No. 100-2—Relief for U.S. Military and Civilian Personnel Who are Assigned Outside the United States in Support of U.S. Armed Forces Operations
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2010-4580 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2010-4580
The FAA is replacing Special Federal Aviation Regulation 100-1 (SFAR 100-1), with SFAR 100-2 that continues to allow Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs) to accept expired flight instructor certificates and inspection authorizations for renewals from U.S. military and civilian personnel (U.S. personnel) who are assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations. SFAR 100-2 also continues to allow FSDOs to accept expired airman written test reports for certain practical tests from U.S. personnel who are assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations. This action is necessary to avoid penalizing U.S. personnel who are unable to meet the regulatory time limits of their flight instructor certificate, inspection authorization, or airman written test report because they are serving outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations. The effect of this action is to give U.S. personnel who are assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations extra time to meet certain eligibility requirements in the current rules.
You may send comments identified by Docket Number FAA-2009-0923 using any of the following methods:
End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information Start Printed Page 9764
Under 14 CFR 11.13 the FAA may issue a direct final rule with request for comments which is a rule issued in final (with an effective date) that invites public comment on the rule. The FAA is using the direct final rule procedure because this rule is not controversial, not expected to result in the receipt of an adverse comment, and a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is not necessary. SFAR 100-2 will continue to provide a limited amount of regulatory relief to certain U.S. personnel who are assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations. The FAA finds good cause for issuing this direct final rule as an exception to notice and comment rulemaking procedures. Unless a written adverse comment, or a written notice of intent to submit an adverse comment, is received within the comment period the regulation will become effective on June 20, 2010. In previous issuances of this SFAR, we have received no comments.
After the comment period closes, the FAA will publish a document in the Federal Register indicating that no adverse comments were received and confirming the date on which the SFAR will become effective. In the event that the FAA receives a timely adverse comment, or a written notice of intent to submit such a comment, the FAA will withdraw the direct final rule. An NPRM may be published with a new comment period.
Currently, the U.S. Armed Forces are engaged in activities that have resulted in overseas assignments for both military and civilian personnel. Because of the unexpected duration of these assignments, the FAA has determined that the flight instructor certificates, inspection authorizations, and airman written test reports held by some U.S. military and civilian personnel may expire before they return to the United States. If so, these individuals would have to reestablish their qualifications. We believe it is unfair to penalize these military and civilian personnel in this manner. Therefore, the FAA has determined that we should provide relief to these U.S. personnel who are unable to comply with some of the regulatory time constraints as a result of their assignment outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many U.S. military and civilian personnel were assigned outside the United States in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For this reason, we adopted SFAR 96 to provide relief to a narrow range of individuals in a narrow set of circumstances. (67 FR 30524, May 6, 2002). As a result of the continuing conflicts, the FAA superseded SFAR 96 with SFAR 100 (68 FR 36902, June 20, 2003) that applied to all military and civilian personnel assigned overseas in support of any and all U.S. Armed Forces operations. Additionally, the FAA further extended SFAR 100 with the issuance of SFAR 100-1 (70 FR 37946-37949, June 30, 2005) with an expiration date of June 20, 2010. Most of these U.S. military and civilian personnel are or will be located at military bases that are away from their normal training or work environment. There are no FAA aviation safety inspectors, designated examiners, or FAA facilities readily available in the areas where these U.S. military and civilian personnel are assigned.
SFAR 100-2 replaces SFAR 100-1. SFAR 100-2 is being issued without an expiration date and will remain in effect until further notice. This ensures these U.S. personnel assigned outside of the United States, who continue to preserve, protect and defend the American public, can obtain additional time for renewal of their flight instructor certificates, inspection authorizations, and airman written test reports.
Assignment. The person must have served in a civilian or military capacity outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations some time on or after September 11, 2001. The term “United States” is defined under 14 CFR 1.1 and means “the States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the possessions, including the territorial waters and the airspace of those areas.” “In support of U.S. Armed Forces operations” means an assignment that supports operations being conducted by our U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including their regular and reserve components. Members serving without component status are also covered. A person seeking relief under this SFAR must be able to show that he or she had an assignment as described above by providing appropriate documentation that is described below.
This SFAR changes the existing regulations for a certain class of individuals by allowing FAA Flight Standards District Offices to accept for a limited amount of time an expired flight instructor certificate for the purpose of renewing the certificate. Therefore, a person who can show the kind of evidence required by this SFAR (described below) can apply for renewal of a flight instructor certificate under 14 CFR 61.197. A person cannot exercise the privileges of a flight instructor certificate if it has expired, but the person can renew the flight instructor certificate under the limited circumstances described in this SFAR. Start Printed Page 9765
Generally, FAA regulations give airmen a limited amount of time to take a practical test after passing a knowledge test. For example, 14 CFR 61.39(a)(1) gives a person 24 calendar months. This SFAR permits an extension of the expiration date of the airman written test reports of parts 61, 63, and 65. The extension can be for up to six calendar months after returning to the United States or termination of SFAR 100-2, whichever date is earlier.
Under 14 CFR 65.92, an inspection authorization expires on March 31 of each year. Under 14 CFR 65.93, a person can renew an inspection authorization for an additional 12 calendar months by presenting certain evidence to the FAA during the month of March. This SFAR changes the existing regulations for individuals eligible under this SFAR by allowing FAA Flight Standards District Offices to accept for a limited amount of time an expired inspection authorization for the purpose of renewing the authorization. Therefore, a person who can show the kind of evidence required by this SFAR (described below) can apply for renewal of an inspection authorization under 14 CFR 65.93. If an inspection authorization expires, the person may not exercise the privileges of the authorization until that person renews the authorization. In this case, to meet the renewal requirements the person must attend a refresher course (see § 65.93(a)(4)) or submit to an oral test (See § 65.93(a)(5)) within 6 calendar months after returning to the United States from an assignment outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations.
1. An official U.S. Government notification of personnel action, or equivalent document, showing the person was a U.S. civilian on official duty for the U.S. Government and was assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations at some time between September 11, 2001 to termination of SFAR 100-2;
2. An official military order that shows the person was assigned to military duty outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations at some time after September 11, 2001 to termination of SFAR 100-2; or
3. A letter from the person's military commander or civilian supervisor providing the dates during which the person served outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations at some time between September 11, 2001 to termination of SFAR 100-2.
In keeping with U.S obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, it is FAA policy to comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices to the maximum extent practicable. The FAA has determined that there are no ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices that correspond to these regulations.
Changes to Federal regulations must undergo several economic analyses. First, Executive Order 12866 directs each Federal agency to propose or adopt a regulation only after a reasoned determination that the benefits of the intended regulation justify its costs. Second, the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 requires agencies to analyze the economic impact of regulatory changes on small entities. Third, the Trade Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 2531-2533) prohibits agencies from setting standards that create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. In developing U.S. standards, this Trade Act also requires agencies to consider international standards and, where appropriate, use them as the basis of U.S. standards. And fourth, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 requires agencies to prepare a written assessment of the costs, benefits and other effects of proposed or final rules that include a Federal mandate likely to result in the expenditure by State, local or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more annually (adjusted for inflation.)
The Department of Transportation Order DOT 2100.5 prescribes policies and procedures for simplification, analysis, and review of regulations. If the expected cost impact is so minimal that a proposal does not warrant a full evaluation, this order permits a statement to that effect and the basis for it to be included in the preamble and a full regulatory evaluation need not be prepared. Such a determination has been made for this rule. The reasoning for that determination follows.
The FAA has determined that the expected economic impact of this final rule is so minimal that it does not need a full regulatory evaluation. This action imposes no costs on operators subject to this rule; however, it does provide some unquantifiable benefits to some who would avoid the costs of having to reestablish expired credentials. The expected outcome will have a minimal impact with positive net benefits, and a regulatory evaluation was not prepared.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, directs the FAA to fit regulatory requirements to the scale of the business, organizations, and governmental jurisdictions subject to the regulation. We are required to determine whether a proposed or final action will have a “significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities” as defined in the Act. If we find that the action will have such impacts, we must do a “regulatory flexibility analysis.”
This SFAR replaces Special Federal Aviation Regulation 100-1 (SFAR 100-1), with SFAR 100-2 that continues to allow Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs) to accept expired flight instructor certificates and inspection authorizations for renewals from U.S. military and civilian personnel (U.S. personnel) who are assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations. SFAR 100-2 also continues to allow FSDOs to accept expired airman written test reports for certain practical tests from U.S. personnel who are assigned outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations. Its economic impact is minimal. Therefore, we certify that this action will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (Pub. L. 96-39), as amended by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (Pub. L. 103-465), prohibits Federal agencies from establishing standards or engaging in related activities that create Start Printed Page 9766unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. Pursuant to these Acts, the establishment of standards is not considered an unnecessary obstacle to the foreign commerce of the United States, so long as the standard has a legitimate domestic objective, such as protection of safety, and does not operate in a manner that excludes imports that meet this objective. The statute also requires consideration of international standards and, where appropriate, that they be the basis for U.S. standards. The FAA notes that this rule uses international standards as its basis and does not create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States.
Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4) requires each Federal agency to prepare a written statement assessing the effects of any Federal mandate in a proposed or final agency rule that may result in an expenditure of $100 million or more (in 1995 dollars) in any one year by State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector; such a mandate is deemed to be a “significant regulatory action”. The FAA currently uses an inflation-adjusted value of $136.1 million in lieu of $100 million.
The FAA has analyzed this SFAR under the principles and criteria of Executive Order 13132, Federalism. We determined that this action will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, or the relationship between the Federal Government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. Therefore, it does not have federalism implications.
2. Visiting the FAA's Regulations and Policies Web page at—http://www.faa.gov/​regulations_​policies.
3. Accessing the Government Printing Office's Web page at—http://www.gpoaccess.gov/​fr/​index.html.
The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) of 1996 requires FAA to comply with small entity requests for information or advice about compliance with statutes and regulations within its jurisdiction. Therefore, any small entity that has a question regarding this document may contact their local FAA official, or the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. You can find out more about SBREFA on the Internet at our site—
http://www.faa.gov/​regulations_​policies/​rulemaking/​sbre_​act.
2. Remove SFAR 100-1 from parts 61, 63 and 65.
3. Add Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 100-2 to parts 61, 63 and 65 to read as follows: [The full text of the SFAR will appear in part 61]
(a) The person served in a U.S. military or civilian capacity outside the Start Printed Page 9767United States in support of the U.S. Armed Forces' operation during some period of time from September 11, 2001, to termination of SFAR 100-2;
[FR Doc. 2010-4580 Filed 3-3-10; 8:45 am]