[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 241 (Thursday, December 15, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 77939-77942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31451]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Parts 91, 121, 125, 129, and 135
Proposed Provision of Navigation Services for the Next Generation
Air Transportation System (NextGen) Transition to Performance-Based
Navigation (PBN)
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed policy and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeks comments on a
proposed transition of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS)
navigation infrastructure to enable performance-based navigation (PBN)
as part of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The
FAA plans to transition from defining airways, routes and procedures
using VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR) and other legacy navigation aids
(NAVAIDs) \1\ towards a NAS based on Area Navigation (RNAV) everywhere
and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) where beneficial. Such
capabilities will be enabled largely by the Global Positioning System
(GPS) and the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The FAA plans to
retain an optimized network of Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)
stations and a minimum operational network (MON) of VOR stations to
ensure safety and continuous operations for high and low altitude en
route airspace over the conterminous US (CONUS) and terminal operations
at the Core 30 airports.\2\ The FAA is also conducting research on
Alternate Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT) solutions that
would enable further reduction of VORs below the MON.
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\1\ Includes Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) Azimuth, VOR/TACAN
(VORTAC), VOR/DME, Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) operated by the FAA.
\2\ Core 30 airports are those with significant activity serving
major metropolitan areas and also serve as hubs for airline
operations, found at http://aspmhelp.faa.gov/index.php/Core_30.
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In addition, the FAA plans to satisfy any new requirements for
Category I instrument operations with WAAS localizer performance with
vertical guidance (LPV) procedures. A network of existing Instrument
Landing Systems (ILS) would be sustained to provide alternative
approach and landing capabilities to continue recovery and dispatch of
aircraft during GPS outages.
This transition would be consistent with the FAA's NextGen
Implementation Plan (NGIP), NAS Enterprise Architecture (EA), and other
documentation. More information is available on the FAA's NextGen Web
site at http://www.faa.gov/nextgen and the EA Web site at https://nasea.faa.gov.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 7, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2011-1082 using
any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all
comments received into any FAA dockets, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478) as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Greg Joyner, AJW-911, Navigation
Services, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 493-5721.
[[Page 77940]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Proposal
Purpose
This notice announces the FAA's proposed strategy to meet
requirements for air navigation service in the United States. The FAA
is committed to maintaining the highest levels of safety, capacity, and
efficiency in the NAS while transitioning from the legacy station-
referenced system of airways, routes and procedures to a performance-
based system providing flexible point-to-point navigation enabled by
geospatial positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) infrastructure and
aircraft advanced navigation systems.
Transition to PBN for En Route, Terminal and Approach Operations in
CONUS
Many NextGen benefits depend on PBN, specifically RNAV and RNP
routes, arrivals, departures, instrument approaches and other
procedures to increase capacity and efficiency, and reduce aircraft
noise and emissions while enhancing safety. All of these operations are
enabled primarily by GPS and WAAS.
GPS provides a level of service that supports lateral navigation
for en route through non-precision instrument approaches. GPS is an
internationally accepted navigation system, standardized by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and has been approved
for use by many countries. Additional information concerning GPS can be
found at www.gps.gov and www.pnt.gov. The U.S. government has committed
to maintaining GPS services in accordance with the Standard Positioning
Service Performance Standard of September 2008. The U.S. is improving
GPS services by adding a second frequency which will make GPS more
resistant to unintentional radio frequency interference (RFI) sources.
WAAS is a GPS augmentation system for aviation use that has been
operational since 2003 and is used to improve the accuracy, integrity,
and availability of GPS. WAAS also improves the availability of GPS to
support PBN operations, even if several GPS satellites were to go out
of service. WAAS is a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS)
standardized by ICAO. Compatible systems are operational in Japan and
Europe, and other SBASs are in development in India and Russia.
Even though basic and augmented GPS services enable all of the PBN
capabilities for NextGen, the signals are vulnerable to scheduled and
unscheduled outages. For example, the U.S. government regularly
conducts scheduled testing in the NAS that impacts GPS use in selected
regions. Unscheduled GPS outages have been caused by interference from
intentional or unintentional sources of RFI. The FAA will ensure
sufficient infrastructure is provided to mitigate the effects of
scheduled GPS outages in designated areas and unscheduled outages which
could otherwise significantly disrupt air commerce.
The FAA also provides a network of distance measuring equipment
(DME) that enable aircraft with suitable RNAV avionics to fly RNAV
routes and terminal procedures where sufficient DME coverage exists.
(See FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 90-100A, U.S. Terminal and En Route
Area Navigation (RNAV) Operations.) In the near term, the FAA plans to
enhance DME facilities to provide unrestricted RNAV operations for DME/
DME and DME/DME/Inertial Reference Unit (IRU) equipped aircraft
operating in Class A airspace over the CONUS and in the vicinity of the
Core 30 airports. Over the longer term, the FAA is investigating other
APNT solutions to satisfy PNT requirements for all users in the event
of a loss of GPS.
Since VORs do not enable RNAV, RNP, or Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) operations, the FAA plans to reduce
costs by drawing down the number of FAA-provided VORs. Currently, over
80% of the 967 VORs in the NAS inventory are past their economic
service life and cost the FAA more than $110M per year to operate.
Likewise, replacement parts are becoming increasingly difficult to
obtain. The replacement of all of the VORs would cost over $1.0B.
Therefore, the FAA is planning a gradual discontinuance (removal from
service) of VOR facilities in CONUS to a minimum operational network
(MON). The MON would enable aircraft anywhere in the CONUS to proceed
safely to a destination with a GPS-independent approach within 100 nm.
MON coverage is planned to be provided at altitudes above 5,000 feet
above ground level (AGL). The FAA would also retain VORs to support
international arrival airways from the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean,
and at the Core 30 airports. The existing U.S. legacy navigation aids
outside CONUS will be retained until a longer-term solution can be
coordinated with users. The drawdown of VORs to a MON would be
completed no later than January 1, 2020.
In considering VORs for discontinuance, each facility will be
evaluated on its own merits. The FAA will convene a working group that
will develop a candidate list of VORs for discontinuance using relevant
operational, safety, cost, and economic criteria. As part of the
process, this working group will engage aviation industry stakeholders
and other members of the public for input.
Suitably equipped RNAV aircraft can continue to fly the existing
Victor Airways and Jet Routes, Standard Terminal Arrivals (STAR), and
Departure Procedures (DP) even if their associated VORs are not
operating, by the use of RNAV substitution as described in AC 90-108,
Use of Suitable Area Navigation (RNAV) Systems on Conventional Routes
and Procedures. Existing airways, routes, and procedures eventually
would be replaced by RNAV Q (high) and T (low) Routes, and RNAV STARs
and DPs. VORs are also used for the Hazardous In-flight Weather
Advisory Service (HIWAS) broadcast and voice communication with FAA
Flight Service Stations. These services are not planned to be impacted
by this proposal.
WAAS supports vertically-guided approach operations, called
Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV). These approaches
are equivalent to Category I ILS, but do not require any radio
navigation equipment at or near the airport. WAAS provides LPV coverage
throughout CONUS, Alaska, and most of Canada and Mexico. By 2016, the
FAA expects to provide instrument approach procedures with LPV or
localizer performance (LP) non-precision lines of minima to all
qualified instrument runways in CONUS and Alaska (see Advisory Circular
AC 150/5300-13, Airport Design, Appendix 16). In order to maximize
operational benefits and take advantage of the cost savings associated
with WAAS, the FAA no longer intends to establish new Category I ILSs
using Facilities and Equipment (F&E) funding.
ILSs that are funded by grants from the Airport Improvement Program
(AIP) will continue as an eligible project per the authorizing statute.
However, the FAA is considering programmatic changes under AIP that
would favor WAAS for new precision approaches at airports, rather than
ILS. The FAA Office of Airports will engage with airport stakeholders
and associations on these potential changes.
Existing ILSs would provide an alternative approach and landing
capability in support of recovery and dispatch of aircraft during GPS
outages. ILSs would provide the precision approach and landing segment
for APNT.
[[Page 77941]]
For all approach procedures, airports will continue to be required
to meet airfield design and infrastructure requirements appropriate for
the approach visibility levels set forth in AC 150/5300-13.
Future Plans
Unaugmented GPS is capable of providing the accuracy and integrity
required by the FAA's ADS-B Out regulations (14 CFR 91.225 and 91.227)
that were effective August 31, 2010 and have a compliance date of
January 1, 2020. However, at this time, WAAS augmentation is the only
service that provides the 99.9 percent availability (equivalent to
radar) needed for ADS-B. Operators that equip with other position
sources, such as Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) based
GPS, may experience periods of unavailability that limit their access
to the airspace. The FAA expects that positioning from GPS combined
with future positioning sources such as the L5 GPS signal and/or other
GNSS signals, and GPS tightly integrated with inertial navigation
systems, will also provide 99.9 percent availability.
The FAA is conducting research on APNT for service beyond 2020. The
FAA will consider, in consultation with the users, whether the MON may
be further reduced after an APNT solution is selected and available.
The FAA is also evaluating the use of the Ground-Based Augmentation
System (GBAS) in addition to ILS to provide Category II/III approach
services.
Review of Navigation Equipage Requirements
FAA regulations addressing the operational requirements to carry
navigation equipment in aircraft are set forth in 14 CFR parts 91, 121,
125, 129, and 135. Operators should be familiar with their specific
requirements. The following paragraphs provide an overview of those
requirements to assist in understanding the context for the
radionavigation services described in this Notice.
Suitable Equipage for the Route To Be Flown
The aircraft equipage rules are performance-based and the aircraft
must have equipment appropriate for the route to be flown, including en
route, departure, arrival, and instrument approach procedures.
Operators planning to fly a variety of different routes and procedures
must carry equipment suitable for the different routes and procedures.
FAA guidance describing the navigation equipment ``suitable'' to
the route to be flown is provided in the Aeronautical Information
Manual and in a series of advisory circulars (see AC Nos. 90-100, 90-
101, 90-105, and 90-107). Equipment is considered suitable if it has
been demonstrated to provide the accuracy, integrity and reliability
for the operation and the necessary radionavigation service is provided
for the planned route of flight. For conventional ground-based routes
and procedures, suitable equipment can be directly inferred from the
type of procedure (e.g., a VOR receiver would be suitable for operation
on a Jet Route). RNAV systems, enabled by GPS, WAAS, or DME/DME/IRU
(DDI), are suitable for a variety of operations including:
[cir] Operation on Victor Airways, Jet Routes, terminal arrivals,
departures, and approach procedures, including the initial and missed
approach portions of an ILS instrument approach (based on AC 90-108);
[cir] Operation on RNAV routes (Q routes and T routes);
[cir] Operation on RNAV arrivals and departures;
[cir] Operation on RNAV (GPS) approaches (excluding DDI);
[cir] Operation on RNAV (RNP) approaches (excluding DDI).
Operators must ensure that performance requirements can be met for
the intended operations during flight planning. Due to integrity
limitations of unaugmented GPS, aircraft using unaugmented GPS
navigation equipment under IFR must be equipped with an approved and
operational alternate means of navigation so that the aircraft can
proceed safely to a landing at a suitable airport. This limitation also
applies to required alternates: When a planned alternate is required,
that alternate cannot be predicated on GPS in any way (as the primary
approach aid, or as the means to accomplish the initial, intermediate
or missed approach of an ILS, RNAV, or VOR approach).
General aviation aircraft using WAAS equipment under IFR do not
require an alternate means of navigation, due to the improved
reliability of WAAS. However in non-normal conditions resulting in the
loss of WAAS services (for example catastrophic failure of the WAAS
satellites), the FAA will advise WAAS users that the GPS-only
restrictions should be applied until such time as WAAS service can be
restored. Aircraft equipped only with WAAS would be supported by air
traffic control in the event of a catastrophic failure of satellite
navigation.
The planned use of GPS or WAAS during periods when GPS may be
unavailable (e.g., test events identified through NOTAM as areas in
which GPS may be unavailable) is not appropriate. In those areas and
during the test, aircraft must be equipped with other equipment
suitable for the planned operation (route of flight, altitude, etc.).
However, pilots may use GPS or WAAS during flight if onboard equipment
indicates service is available.
RNAV systems using multiple DME signals are also suitable for many
of the same operations. DME has several limitations compared to GPS or
WAAS: the coverage of the service is not universal, so the operator
must verify that it is available over the planned route of flight; and
DME navigation is not currently capable of providing the more precise
accuracy that is needed for approach and departure operations.
Two Independent Systems
FAA regulations applicable to domestic operations for commerce or
for hire require a second system capable of reversion or contingency
operations during non-normal conditions, including regional- or system-
wide effects that could reasonably occur. The rules applicable to those
operations require two independent navigation systems appropriate to
the route to be flown, or one system that is suitable and a second,
independent backup capability that allows the operator to proceed
safely and land at a different airport, and the aircraft must have
sufficient fuel (reference 14 CFR 121.349, 125.203, 129.17, and
135.165). These rules ensure the safety of the operation by preventing
a single point of failure.
The requirements for a second system apply to the entire set of
equipment needed to achieve the navigation capability, not just the
individual components of the system such as the radionavigation
receiver. For example, in order to use two RNAV systems to comply with
the requirements, the aircraft must be equipped with two independent
radionavigation receivers and two independent navigation computers
(e.g., flight management systems). Alternatively, to comply with the
requirements using a single RNAV system with an installed and operable
VOR capability, the VOR capability must be independent of the FMS. The
MON described in this notice would continue to allow this equipage to
fulfill the above requirements for operating within U.S. airspace.
To satisfy the requirement for two independent navigation systems,
if the primary navigation system is GPS-based, the second system must
be independent of GPS (e.g., VOR or DDI). This allows continued
navigation in case of failure of the GPS or WAAS
[[Page 77942]]
services. Recognizing that GPS interference and test events resulting
in the loss of GPS services have become more common, the FAA requires
operators conducting IFR operations under 14 CFR 121.349, 125.203,
129.17 and 135.165 to retain a non-GPS navigation capability consisting
of either DME/DME, IRU or VOR for en route and terminal operations, and
VOR and/or ILS for final approach. Since this system is to be used as a
reversionary capability, single equipage is sufficient.
Instructions for Submission of Comments
Interested parties are invited to provide comments on the proposal.
Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the views and
suggestions presented would be particularly helpful in developing
reasoned decisions on the proposal.
Communications should identify docket numbers (FAA Docket No. FAA-
2011-1082 and be submitted in triplicate to the Docket Management
Facility (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number).
All communications received on or before the specified closing date
for comments will be considered before taking action on the proposal.
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 closing date
for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with
FAA personnel concerned with this proposal will be filed in the docket.
Availability of Proposal
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded 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 (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number) between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. An
informal docket may also be examined during normal business hours at
the office of Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, West
Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2011.
Phillip Leman,
Acting Manager, Navigation Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-31451 Filed 12-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P