81 FR 76854 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Albany, OR

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 214 (November 4, 2016)

This action amends Class E airspace at Albany Municipal Airport, Albany, OR. Advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping accuracy and a reliance on precise geographic coordinates to define airport and airspace reference points have made this airspace redesign necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 214 (Friday, November 4, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 76854-76855]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26437]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2015-3992; Airspace Docket No. 15-ANM-14]


Amendment of Class E Airspace; Albany, OR

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This action amends Class E airspace at Albany Municipal 
Airport, Albany, OR. Advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) 
mapping accuracy and a reliance on precise geographic coordinates to 
define airport and airspace reference points have made this airspace 
redesign necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight 
Rules (IFR) operations.

DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, January 5, 2017. The Director of the Federal 
Register approves this incorporation by reference action under Title 1, 
Code of Federal Regulations, part 51, subject to the annual revision of 
FAA Order 7400.11 and publication of conforming amendments.

ADDRESSES: FAA Order 7400.11A, 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 U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., West Bldg. Ground Floor Rm. W12-140, Washington, 
DC 20590; Telephone: 1-800-647-5527, or 202-366-9826. The Order is also 
available for inspection at the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of FAA Order 
7400.11A at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal-regulations/ibr_locations.html. FAA 
Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is published 
yearly and effective on September 15.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Clark, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center, 1601 
Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057; telephone (425) 203-4511.

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 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 modifies controlled airspace at Albany Municipal Airport, Albany, 
OR.

History

    On August 15, 2016, the FAA published in the Federal Register a 
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to modify Class E airspace 
extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Albany Municipal 
Airport, Albany, OR (81 FR 53964) Docket No. FAA-2015-3992. Interested 
parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by 
submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. On August 29, 
2016, the FAA received a request from Mr. Charles West for a pictorial 
overlay of the airspace proposal. On September 6, 2016, the FAA 
provided a diagram of the proposed changes via email to Mr. West and 
also to Senator Jeff Merkley, Mitch T. Swecker of the Oregon Department 
of Aviation, and to Mary Rosenblum of the Oregon Pilots Association. No 
other comments were received.
    Class D and Class E airspace designations are published in 
paragraph 5000, 6002, 6004, and 6005, respectively, of FAA Order 
7400.11A, dated August 3, 2016, and effective September 15, 2016, which 
is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR

[[Page 76855]]

part 71.1. The Class E airspace designation listed in this document 
will be published subsequently in the Order.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document amends FAA Order 7400.11A, Airspace Designations and 
Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2016, and effective September 15, 
2016. FAA Order 7400.11A is publicly available as listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11A lists Class A, 
B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

The Rule

    This action amends Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 
Part 71 by modifying Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet 
above the surface at Albany Municipal Airport, Albany, OR. Controlled 
airspace extends to within a 6.7-mile radius of the airport to 
accommodate IFR departures up to 1,200 feet above the surface; includes 
a small extension to the southwest to accommodate IFR arrivals below 
1,500 feet above the surface; and the segment east of longitude 
123[deg] is removed, as there are no IFR operations within that area. 
These modifications are necessary for the safety and management of IFR 
operations at the airport, while preserving the navigable airspace for 
aviation.
    Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6005 of 
FAA Order 7400.11A, dated August 3, 2016, and effective September 15, 
2016, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class 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 Regulatory Evaluation 
as the anticipated impact is so minimal. Since this is a routine matter 
that only affects air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is 
certified that this rule, when promulgated, does not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the 
criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

    The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical 
exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance 
with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies and 
Procedures'', paragraph 5-6.5a. This airspace action is not expected to 
cause any potentially significant environmental impacts, and no 
extraordinary circumstances exist that warrant preparation of an 
environmental assessment.

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (Air).

Adoption of the Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation 
Administration amends 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 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 
7400.11A, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 
2016, and effective September 15, 2016, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6005: Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward from 700 
feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth

* * * * *

ANM OR E5 Albany, OR [Modified]

Albany Municipal Airport, OR
    (Lat. 44[deg]38'16'' N., long. 123[deg]03'34'' W.)

    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, 
within a 6.7-mile radius of Albany Municipal Airport, beginning at 
the 158[deg] bearing from the airport clockwise to the 022[deg] 
bearing, thence to the point of beginning, and that airspace 1.4 
miles each side of the 230[deg] bearing from the airport extending 
from the 6.7-mile radius to 8.5 miles southwest of the airport.


    Issued in Seattle, Washington, on October 24, 2016.
Tracey Johnson,
Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2016-26437 Filed 11-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P