[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59573-59575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23867]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2011-0621; Airspace Docket No. 11-ASO-28]
Proposed Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Tri-Cities, TN;
Revocation of Class E Airspace; Tri-City, TN
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking would rename
the city designator listed under the title in the preamble and
regulatory text for Tri-Cities Regional Airport, and establish Class E
airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hawkins
County Airport, Rogersville, TN, and Virginia Highlands Airport,
Abington, VA. The Tri-Cities Class D airspace description would be
amended to better describe the controlled airspace area. In an NPRM
published in the Federal Register on April 10, 2012, the FAA proposed
to amend existing controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet
above the surface at Tri-Cities Airport, Blountville, TN, that included
the airports mentioned above. The FAA has reassessed the proposal and
finds that separation of existing Class E airspace surrounding Virginia
Highlands Airport, Abingdon, VA, and Hawkins County Airport,
Rogersville, TN, from the Class E airspace area of Tri-Cities Regional
Airport, Tri-Cities, TN, is necessary to further the safety and
management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations in the Tri-
Cities, TN area.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 13, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Send comments on this rule to: U. S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001; Telephone: 1-
800-647-5527; Fax: 202-493-2251. You must identify the Docket Number
FAA-2011-0621; Airspace Docket No. 11-ASO-28, at the beginning of your
comments. You may also submit and review received comments through the
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Fornito, Operations Support
Group, Eastern Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, P.O.
Box 20636, Atlanta, Georgia 30320; telephone (404) 305-6364.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
History
On April 28, 2012, the FAA published a NPRM to amend Class D and
Class E airspace, Blountville, TN, and revoke Class E airspace at Tri-
City, TN, (77 FR, 21505). The comment period closed May 25, 2012. No
comments were received. Subsequent to publication, the FAA reassessed
the proposal to show the separation of Hawkins County Airport, and
Virginia Highlands Airport, from the Tri-Cities Regional Airport, by
establishing each airport with their own respective city designator.
The Tri-Cities Class D airspace description would be amended to better
describe the controlled airspace area. The city designator for Tri-
Cities Regional Airport was changed to Blountville, TN, in error, and
would be noted correctly as Tri-Cities, TN, in this action. The FAA
seeks comments on this SNPRM.
Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to comment on this rule 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 (FAA Docket No.
FAA-2011-0621; Airspace Docket No. 11-ASO-28) and be submitted in
triplicate to the Docket Management System (see ADDRESSES section for
address and phone number). You may also submit comments through the
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
Persons wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments on
this action must submit with those comments a self-addressed stamped
postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket
No. FAA-2011-0621; Airspace Docket No. 11-ASO-28.'' 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.
[[Page 59574]]
Availability of SNPRM
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from and
comments submitted through http://www.regulations.gov. Recently
published rulemaking documents can also be accessed through the FAA's
Web page at http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/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 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 the Eastern Service Center, Federal Aviation
Administration, room 210, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia
30337.
Persons interested in being placed on a mailing list for future
NPRM's should contact the FAA's Office of Rulemaking, (202) 267-9677,
to request a copy of Advisory circular No. 11-2A, Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking distribution System, which describes the application
procedure.
The Supplemental Proposal
The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) Part 71 by renaming the city designator listed in
the preamble under title, and regulatory text from Blountville, TN, to
Tri-Cities, TN. This action also would establish Class E airspace
extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hawkins County
Airport, Rogersville, TN, and Virginia Highlands Airport, Abingdon, VA,
and would amend existing Class E airspace and Class D airspace to
accommodate standard instrument approach procedures developed at Tri-
Cities Regional Airport (formerly Tri-City Regional Airport), Tri-
Cities, TN/VA. The Class E surface area airspace designated as an
extension would be removed. The Tri-Cities Class D airspace description
would be amended to better describe the controlled airspace area. The
geographic coordinates of the airport would be adjusted to be in
concert with the FAAs aeronautical database.
Class D and E airspace designations are published in Paragraph
5000, 6002, 6004, and 6005, respectively of FAA order 7400.9W, dated
August 8, 2012, and effective September 15, 2012, 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.
The FAA has determined that this proposed regulation only involves
an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current.
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 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 proposed 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.
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 proposed 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 proposed regulation is within the scope
of that authority as it would amend controlled airspace in the Tri-
Cities, TN, area.
This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1E, ``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
In consideration of the foregoing, 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
1. The authority citation for Part 71 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 10854,
24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.
Sec. 71.1 [Amended]
2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of Federal
Aviation Administration Order 7400.9W, Airspace Designations and
Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2012, and effective September 15,
2012, is amended as follows:
Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace
* * * * *
ASO TN D Tri-Cities, TN [Amended]
Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA
(Lat. 36[deg]28'31'' N., long. 82[deg]24'27'' W.)
Edwards Heliport, TN
(Lat. 36[deg]25'57'' N., long. 82[deg]17'37'' W.)
That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including
4,000 feet MSL within a 6.8-mile radius of Tri-Cities Regional
Airport, excluding the 2.5-mile radius of Edwards Heliport. This
Class D airspace area is effective during the specific days and
times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The effective
days and times will thereafter be continuously published in the
Airport/Facility Directory.
Paragraph 6002 Class E Airspace Designated as Surface Areas
* * * * *
ASO TN E2 Tri-Cities, TN [Amended]
Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA
(Lat. 36[deg]28'31'' N., long. 82[deg]24'27'' W.)
That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including
4,000 feet MSL within a 6.8-mile radius of Tri-Cities Regional
Airport. This Class E airspace area is effective during the specific
days and times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The
effective days and times will thereafter be continuously published
in the Airport/Facility Directory.
Paragraph 6004 Class E Airspace Designated as an Extension to a
Class D Surface Area.
* * * * *
ASO TN E4 Tri-City, TN [Removed]
Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward from 700
feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.
* * * * *
ASO TN E5 Tri-Cities, TN [Amended]
Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA
(Lat. 36[deg]28'31'' N., long. 82[deg]24'27'' W.)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 9.3-mile radius of Tri-Cities Regional Airport and within
4-miles west and 8-miles east of the 223[deg] bearing from the
airport extending from the 9.3-mile radius to 23 miles southwest of
the airport, and within 2-miles either side of the 43[deg] bearing
from the airport extending from the 9.3-mile radius to 14.5 miles
northeast of the airport. and within a 17-mile radius of Virginia
Highlands Airport
* * * * *
ASO TN E5 Rogersville, TN [New]
Hawkins County Airport, TN
[[Page 59575]]
(Lat. 36[deg]27'27'' N., long. 82[deg]53'06'' W.)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 7-mile radius of Hawkins County Airport, and within 7 miles
each side of Runway 07/25 centerline, extending from the 7-mile
radius to 12 miles east of Hawkins County Airport.
* * * * *
ASO VA E5 Abingdon, VA [New]
Virginia Highlands Airport, VA
(Lat. 36[deg]41'14'' N., long. 82[deg]02'00'' W.)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 17-mile radius of Virginia Highlands Airport
Issued in College Park, Georgia, on September 10, 2012.
Barry A. Knight,
Manager, Operations Support Group, Eastern Service Center, Air Traffic
Organization.
[FR Doc. 2012-23867 Filed 9-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P