Amendment of Class E Airspace; Hanford, CA

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2018)

Federal Register Volume 83, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 2018)

Rules and Regulations

Pages 7363-7365

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2018-03409

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

Docket No. FAA-2017-0856; Airspace Docket No. 17-AWP-10

Amendment of Class E Airspace; Hanford, CA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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Page 7364

SUMMARY: This action amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hanford Municipal Airport, Hanford, CA, by enlarging the airspace to accommodate area navigation (RNAV) procedures at the airport, removing the Visalia VHF omnidirectional range/distance measuring equipment (VOR/DME) from the airspace description, and amending the geographic coordinates of the airport. This action also removes Blair Airport from the airport description as the airport no longer exists. This action is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, May 24, 2018. 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 7400.11B, 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 Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-

8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/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 amends Class E airspace at Hanford Municipal Airport, Hanford, CA, to support instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

History

The FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register for Docket No. FAA-2017-0856 (82 FR 50594; November 1, 2017) proposing to amend Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hanford Municipal Airport, Hanford, CA. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received.

The FAA inadvertently omitted in the NPRM that the geographic coordinates of the airport are adjusted and makes the notation in the rule. Except for this notation, this rule is the same as published in the NPRM.

Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6005 of FAA Order 7400.11B, dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 2017, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 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 7400.11B, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 2017. FAA Order 7400.11B is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11B lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

The Rule

The FAA is amending title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 by amending Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hanford Municipal Airport, Hanford, CA, to accommodate area navigation (RNAV) procedures at the airport. The Class E airspace area is modified to within 1.8 miles southwest and 3.2 miles northeast of the 332deg bearing from the airport extending to 6.2 miles northwest of the airport (from within a 2.6-mile radius), and within 1.8 miles southwest and 3.2 miles northeast (from within 1.5 miles each side) of the 152deg bearing from the airport extending to 6.2 miles southeast of the airport (from 5 miles southeast), and within 1.3 miles each side of the 067deg bearing from the airport (from 1.8 miles north and 2.3 miles south of the Visalia VOR/DME) extending to 7.7 miles northeast of the airport.

Also, this action amends the geographic coordinates for the airport, removes the reference to the Visalia VOR/DME in the legal description as the FAA transitions from ground-based to satellite-based navigation; and removes Blair Airport from the legal description as the airport no longer exists.

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, will 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:

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PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

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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

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2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11B, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 2017, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.

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AWP CA E5 Hanford, CA Amended

Hanford Municipal Airport, CA

(Lat. 36deg19'00'' N, long. 119deg37'40'' W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within 1.8 miles southwest and 3.2 miles northeast of a 332deg bearing from Hanford Municipal Airport extending to 6.2 miles northwest of the airport, and within 1.8 miles southwest and 3.2 miles northeast of a 152deg bearing from the airport extending to 6.2 miles southeast of the airport, and within 1.3 miles each side of a 067deg bearing from the airport extending to 7.7 miles northeast of the airport.

Issued in Seattle, Washington, on February 7, 2018.

B.G. Chew,

Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.

FR Doc. 2018-03409 Filed 2-20-18; 8:45 am

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