[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18389-18391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08707]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
[Docket No. FAA-2017-0975]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submissions for OMB
Approval
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: 30-day notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking approval from
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a renewal of the existing
Information Collection 2120-0768. As required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the purpose of this notice is to allow 30
days for public comment. The Information Collection was previously
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 and allowed 60
days for the public comment.
The FAA proposes collecting information related to requests to
operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in controlled airspace. The FAA
will use the collected information to make determinations whether to
authorize or deny the requested operation of UAS in controlled
airspace. The proposed information collection is necessary to issue
such authorizations or denials consistent with the FAA's mandate to
ensure safe and efficient use of national airspace.
In addition, the FAA proposes collecting information related to
requests for waiver from the waivable provisions of the applicable
regulations. The proposed information collection is necessary to
determine whether the proposed operation is eligible for waiver
consistent with the FAA's mandate to ensure safe and efficient use of
national airspace.
Several comments received were either positive or pertained to
matters not directly addressed in this Information Collection.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by May 29, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by Docket No. FAA-2017-
0975] through one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management Facility, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
[[Page 18390]]
Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Casey Nair, FAA's UAS Low Altitude
Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) Program Manager, tel
(202) 267-0369 or via email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Comments Invited. You are asked to
comment on any aspect of this information collection, including (a)
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
FAA's performance; (b) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways
for the FAA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized
without reducing the quality of the collected information.
Title: Renewal of Existing Information Collection 2120-0768.
OMB Control Number: 2120-0768.
Form Number(s): There are no FAA forms associated with this
collection.
Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
Background: The FAA has seen increased operations of small Unmanned
Aircraft Systems (UAS) flying under 14 CFR part 107. Section 107.41
states that ``no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class
B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the
surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that
person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).'' Such
authorization may be obtained in the form of either an airspace
authorization issued by the FAA or a waiver of the authorization
requirements of 14 CFR 107.41 (airspace waiver). Additionally,
operators may request waivers of the other operational requirements
listed in Sec. 107.205 (operational waivers).
In order to process authorization and airspace waiver requests, the
FAA requires the operator's name, the operator's contact information,
and information related to the date, place, and time of the requested
small UAS operation. This information is necessary for the FAA to meet
its statutory mandate of maintaining a safe and efficient national
airspace. See 49 U.S.C. 40103 and 44701; Public Law 112-95, Section
333.
Additionally, if the operator is seeking an operational waiver from
one of the other regulations listed in 14 CFR 107.205, further
information is required related to the proposed waiver and any
necessary mitigations. The FAA will use the requested information to
determine if the proposed UAS operation can be conducted safely.
The FAA proposes to use LAANC and a web portal to process
authorization requests from the public to conduct part 107 flight
operations pursuant to Sec. 107.41. The FAA also proposes to use the
web portal to process requests from the public to conduct part 107
flight operations that require an operational waiver or an airspace
waiver.
Summary of Comments: The FAA received three comments during the
published public comment period that began on February 12, 2018. One
commenter asserted that the process for part 107 operators to obtain
authorization from ATC is overbearing and that part 107 operators
should be allowed to contact ATC directly via the telephone. The large
number of potential telephone calls (estimated at over 200,000 from
2018 to 2020) makes this proposed solution unfeasible and such a
process would increase the burden on part 107 operators by creating
unreasonably long wait times for approval and would increase
uncertainty and inconsistency of authorization when ATC cannot be
reached. Under the web portal process, which processes individual
requests such as the one proposed here, the wait time for a response is
90+ days.
Another comment addressed procedures for implementing Control and
Non-Payload Communications Links and does not pertain to the matters
addressed in this Information Collection.
The final comment was from the Air Line Pilots Association,
International (ALPA), which addressed a number of issues, grouped in
two main categories. First, ALPA commented that the use of LAANC and
the web portal to process authorization requests to conduct part 107
flight operations in controlled airspace has not been subject to
sufficient safety risk evaluation. Both LAANC and the web portal are
administrative systems. Neither introduce change to the NAS enterprise
architecture or any alteration to any established FAA processes
including those that involve safety. LAANC and the web portal provide
another means for part 107 operators to comply with part 107's
established requirements and safety processes. Both LAANC and the web
portal are in alignment with part 107.
Second, ALPA commented that the FAA has not determined through its
SMS process the risk that UAS operating in controlled airspace
introduce to the NAS and, therefore, ALPA is unable to determine if the
information collected is adequate. This second category of comments was
substantially the same as comments that ALPA submitted to the earlier
Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that was eventually implemented
as a final rule at 81 FR 42063 on June 28, 2016 and codified as 14 CFR
part 107. Part 107 addresses ALPA's safety concerns. The FAA analyzed
the proposed information to be collected from the public for both
authorization requests and waivers and determined that the information
is sufficient for the FAA to meet the previously established
requirements.
Additionally, the FAA has re-reviewed the nine comments that were
received in response to the earlier published Federal Register notice
for the emergency approval of the existing Information Collection 2120-
0768, published on October 12, 2017 at 82 FR 47289. Six of these
comments were positive and supported the implementation of an automated
system to process authorization requests. Two comments discussed the
wait times under the non-automated approval process and involved the
commenters' disagreement with the requirements of part 107. These
comments pertain to matters not directly addressed in this Information
Collection. The remaining comment made a recommendation to allow local
emergency management officials to create temporary ``no fly'' zones to
support emergency operations. This comment is also not directly related
to the matters addressed in this Information Collection.
Affected Public: Small UAS operators seeking to conduct flight
operations under 14 CFR part 107 either within controlled airspace or
that require waiver from certain provisions of part 107.
Frequency of Submission: The requested information will need to be
provided each time a respondent requests an airspace authorization to
operate a small UAS under 14 CFR part 107 in controlled airspace. A
respondent may reduce the frequency by seeking and obtaining an
airspace waiver to conduct recurring operations. For requests for
operational waivers, a respondent will only need to provide the
information once at the time of the request for waiver. If granted,
operational waivers may be valid for up to four (4) years.
Number of Respondents: Between 2018-2020, the FAA estimates it will
receive a total of 203,116 requests for airspace authorizations, 24,721
requests for airspace waivers, and 15,169 requests for operational
waivers. The FAA has increased the estimated number of requests for
airspace
[[Page 18391]]
authorizations to 203,116 from the 160,766 that was estimated in the
published 60-Day Notice due to the change in the forecast of UAS growth
that was published in the FAA Aerospace Forecast for Fiscal Years 2018-
2038.
Total Annual Burden: The FAA estimates that the annual burden hours
on respondents will be 11,948 hours (4,173 hours for LAANC respondents
and 7,775 hours for web portal respondents) for airspace
authorizations, 4,120 hours for airspace waivers, and 3,286 hours for
operational waivers. The estimated total annual burden hours increased
from the 9,953 hours published in the 60-Day Notice to 11,948 hours due
to the change in the forecast of UAS growth that was published in the
FAA Aerospace Forecast for Fiscal Years 2018-2038.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FAA
informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or sponsor, and
a respondent is not required to respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2018.
Casey Nair,
UAS LAANC Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2018-08707 Filed 4-25-18; 8:45 am]
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