Revocation of the Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA, Class C and Class E Airspace Areas and Revision of the Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C Airspace Area and the Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D Airspace Area

SUMMARY: This action revokes the Class C and Class E airspace areas at

Mather Air Force Base (AFB), Sacramento, CA, due to the closure of

Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. This action also alters the Sacramento,

McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area to encompass part of the

airspace previously delegated to Mather AFB. This action will alter the

Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area designation by

removing all references to the Sacramento Mather AFB.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 0901 UTC, October 13, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norman W. Thomas, Airspace and

Obstruction Evaluation Branch (ATP-240), Airspace-Rules and

Aeronautical Information Division, Air Traffic Rules and Procedures

Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-9230.

Supplementary Information:

History

On February 7, 1994, the FAA proposed to amend part 71 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 71) to revoke the Class C and

Class E airspace areas at Mather AFB, Sacramento, CA, and to alter the

Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area and the Sacramento

Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area (59 FR 5556). Interested

parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking proceeding by

submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. Two comments

were received in response to the proposal. The Northern California

Airspace Users Working Group (NCAUWG) and one of its members each

submitted comments in opposition to altering the existing Sacramento,

McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace to encompass part of the airspace

previously delegated to Mather AFB.

NCAUWG later withdrew this objection after receiving additional

information from the FAA and a military representative from the

McClellan AFB. Upon further consideration by its members, NCAUWG voted

to withdraw its prior objection and to approve the proposal to alter

the existing Sacramento, Mather AFB, Class C airspace. Except for

editorial changes, this amendment is the same as that proposed in the

notice.

The Rule

This amendment to part 71 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14

CFR part 71) revokes the Class C and Class E airspace areas at Mather

AFB, Sacramento, CA, due to the closure of Mather AFB on May 15, 1993.

This action also alters the Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C

airspace area to encompass part of the airspace previously delegated to

Mather AFB. This action will alter the Sacramento Executive Airport,

CA, Class D airspace area designation by removing all references to the

Sacramento Mather AFB. Class C, D, and E airspace designations are

published in paragraphs 4000, 5000, and 6003, respectively, of FAA

Order 7400.9A dated June 17, 1993, and effective September 16, 1993,

which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 (58 FR 36298; July 6,

1993). The Class C, D, and E airspace designations listed in this

document will be subsequently removed or published, as appropriate, in

the Order.

Regulatory Evaluation Summary

The FAA has determined that this final rule is not a ``significant

regulatory action'', as defined by Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory

Planning and Review). The anticipated costs and benefits associated

with this rule are summarized below.

This rule will revoke the Mather AFB Class C and Class E airspace

areas at Sacramento, CA. This action is a result of the closure of

Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. In addition, this rule will accomplish two

other objectives. First, it will modify the Sacramento Executive

Airport, CA, Class D airspace designation, by removing all references

to the Sacramento Mather AFB. Second, it will modify the McClellan AFB

Class C airspace area, at Sacramento, CA, by expanding the boundaries

to the south. This modification is necessary to prevent a potential

deterioration of safety that could result from greater mixing of visual

flight rules (VFR) operations and instrument flight rules (IFR)

operations once the Class C airspace area at Mather AFB is revoked. The

FAA has determined that the revocation of the Class C airspace area at

Mather AFB would expose the arrival flow of air traffic to the

McClellan AFB to more potentially conflicting VFR traffic.

The Class C airspace concept (like that for Class B airspace,

though to a lesser extent) was developed to reduce the likelihood of

midair collisions in the congested airspace surrounding large airports

in which large turbine-powered aircraft are mixing with smaller

aircraft of varying performance characteristics. In addition, VFR and

IFR aircraft are also mixing. As this complexity increases, so does the

potential for midair collisions. This type of condition warrants an

expansion of Class C airspace, providing more Class C airspace for

aircraft in the outlying areas surrounding major terminals.

This rule will ensure that the current level of aviation safety

remains intact. The termination of the Mather AFB Class C airspace area

will permit transiting VFR aircraft to fly closer to McClellan AFB

without entering a Class C airspace area. In order to minimize

potential conflicts with traffic intending to land or take off from the

airport, the FAA has concluded that the Class C airspace area at

McClellan AFB should be expanded to the south.

This rule will have a positive impact on operational efficiency by

allocating additional airspace to users who choose to avoid the Class C

airspace area. The revocation of the Class C airspace area at Mather

AFB will significantly contract Class C airspace in the vicinity of

McClellan AFB. Aircraft operators who previously circumnavigated the

Mather AFB Class C airspace area will be able to fly into this airspace

without contacting air traffic control or having to satisfy associated

avionics requirements. The planned expansion in the McClellan AFB Class

C airspace area will involve some of the airspace that formerly

belonged to the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Therefore, no

additional airspace would be converted into Class C airspace.

This rule will not impose additional administrative cost on the FAA

for either personnel or equipment. The additional operations workload

the rule is expected to generate can be handled with current personnel

and equipment resources in place at the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C

airspace area. Another potential cost to the FAA associated with the

rule will be the revision of aeronautical charts to reflect the change

in airspace around McClellan AFB. The change will be incorporated

during the routine updating and printing of the charts, however, so

that all costs associated with printing aeronautical charts are assumed

to be a normal cost of doing business.

This rule is not expected to impose any incremental costs on users

of the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area. This assessment is

based on the fact that the rule will only modify the McClellan AFB, CA,

Class C airspace area by expanding it to the south of McClellan AFB.

This additional airspace will be taken from the Mather AFB Class C

airspace area. Any users of this airspace [i.e., pilot schools, air

taxi operators, general aviation (GA) operators] will be able to

continue their flying practices in the same manner as before. Thus, the

rule will not adversely affect these airspace users.

This rule will not impose any costs on either the FAA, the aviation

community, or society. Although the FAA concludes that this rule will

not have an impact on safety other than to ensure the maintenance of

current levels, the rule is expected to promote the efficiency of

operations. Thus, the FAA contends that this rule is cost-beneficial.

Regulatory Flexibility Determination

The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) was enacted to ensure

that small entities are not unnecessarily and disproportionately

burdened by Government regulations. The RFA requires agencies to review

rules that may have ``a significant economic impact on a substantial

number of small entities.'' The types of small entities that will be

potentially affected by the implementation of the final rule are air

taxi operators and pilot schools.

Neither air taxi operators nor pilot schools will be impacted by

this planned expansion. This assessment is based on the fact that this

expansion will capture some of the airspace that was previously

included in the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Current users of this

airspace will be able to continue to do so in the same manner as

before. Thus, there will be no incremental cost impact on these

operators as a result of this rule.

Inernational Trade Impact Assessment

This final rule will not have an effect on the sale of foreign

aviation products or services in the United States, nor will it have an

effect on the sale of U.S. products or services in foreign countries

because the rule will neither impose costs on aircraft operators nor

aircraft manufacturers (U.S. or foreign).

List 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--[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 71 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. app. 1348(a), 1354(a), 1510; E.O. 10854, 24

FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389; 49 U.S.C. 106(g); 14 CFR

11.69.

Sec. 71.1 [Amended]

2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of the Federal

Aviation Administration Order 7400.9A, Airspace Designations and

Reporting Points, dated June 17, 1993, and effective September 16,

1993, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 4000--Subpart C-Class C Airspace

* * * * *

AWP CA C Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA [Removed]

AWP CA C Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA [Revised]

Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA

(Lat. 38 deg.40'04'' N., long. 121 deg.24'02'' W.)

Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA

(Lat. 38 deg.41'44'' N., long. 121 deg.35'27'' W.)

Rio Linda Airport, CA

(Lat. 38 deg.40'34'' N., long. 121 deg.26'44'' W.)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including

4,100 feet MSL within a 5-mile radius of McClellan AFB, excluding

that airspace within an area bounded by a line beginning at a point

where the 321 deg. bearing from McClellan AFB intersects the 5-mile

radius of McClellan AFB; thence southeasterly via the 321 deg.

bearing to a point where it intersects the 007 deg. bearing from Rio

Linda Airport and thence direct to the point where the 187 deg.

bearing from the Rio Linda Airport intersects the 215 deg. bearing

from McClellan AFB and thence southwesterly via the 215 deg. bearing

to the 5-mile radius of McClellan AFB; and that airspace extending

upward from 1,600 feet MSL to 4,100 feet MSL within a 10-mile radius

of McClellan AFB to the points where the 10-mile radius intercepts

the 10-mile radius of the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA, Class

C airspace area.

* * * * *

Paragraph 5000--Subpart D-Class D Airspace

* * * * *

AWP CA D Sacramento Executive Airport, CA [Revised]

Sacramento Executive Airport, CA

(Lat. 38 deg.30'45'' N., long. 121 deg.29'37'' W.)

Sacramento VORTAC, CA

(Lat. 38 deg.26'37'' N., long. 121 deg.33'06'' W.)

Sacramento McClellan AFB, CA

(Lat. 38 deg.40'04'' N., long. 121 deg.24'02'' W.)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including

2,500 feet MSL within a 4.3-mile radius of Sacramento Executive

Airport and within 1.8 miles each side of the Sacramento VORTAC

032 deg. radial, extending from the 4.3-mile radius southwest of the

VORTAC, excluding that airspace within the Sacramento McClellan AFB,

CA, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA, Class C airspace

areas.

* * * * *

Paragraph 6003--Subpart E-Class E airspace areas designated as an

extension to a Class C surface area

* * * * *

AWP CA E3 Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA [Removed]

* * * * *

Issued in Washington, DC, on July 27, 1994.

Harold W. Becker,

Manager, Airspace-Rules and Aeronautical Information Division.

Appendix--Sacramento, CA, Class C Airspace Area

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TR09AU94.006

[FR Doc. 94-19406 Filed 8-8-94; 8:45 am]

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