Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of Approval of Continuing Information Collection: Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT), 76229-76230 [2022-26972]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76229-76230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26972]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No.: FAA-2022-1259]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; 
Clearance of Approval of Continuing Information Collection: Service 
Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
FAA invites public comments about their intention to request Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information 
collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on the following collection of information was 
published on September 26, 2022.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by December 1, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    By mail: Send comments to FAA at the following address: Mr. Stanton 
Brunner, Program Manager, Service Performance and Sustainment Team 
(AJM-422), Surveillance and Broadcast Services, Program Management 
Organization, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 Independence Ave. 
SW, Wilbur Wright Building, Washington, DC 20597.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions concerning 
this action, contact Mr. Paul Von Hoene, Aviation Safety, Aviation 
Safety Inspector (AC/OPS) at [email protected], or Jamal Wilson, 
202-267-4301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The collection involves planned routes of 
flight and aircraft avionics equipment. The information that is 
collected will be used to predict whether an aircraft flying the 
proposed route of flight will have sufficient position accuracy and 
integrity for the following:

(1) Navigation, via the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) 
SAPT
(2) Surveillance, via the Automatic Dependent Surveillance--Broadcast 
(ADS-B) SAPT

    In addition, the website will allow operators to request 
authorization to operate in ADS-B-Out rule airspace with aircraft that 
do not fully meet the ADS-B Out requirements via:

(3) ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-flight Tool (ADAPT).

    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 FAA's performance; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for 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.
    OMB Control Number: 2120-0780.
    Title: Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT).
    Form Numbers: eXtensible markup language (XML), ADS-B SAPT flight 
information entry form, and ADS-B authorization request at https://sapt.faa.gov.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment 
period soliciting comments on the following collection of information 
was published on September 26, 2022 (87 FR 58428).
    Under 14 CFR 91.103, pilots must use all available information in 
planning

[[Page 76230]]

their flight. SAPT is a web-based tool to assist aircraft operators in 
achieving compliance with the requirements of 14 CFR 91.103, 91.225. 
and 91.227, and/or AC 90-100A Change 2, Paragraph 10a. (5). To ensure 
that they will meet the performance requirements for the duration of 
the flight, pilots may use the FAA-provided pre-flight Service 
Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT) to determine predicted navigation 
or surveillance availability before a flight. The SAPT has three main 
components: the Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) SAPT, 
the ADS-B SAPT, and the ADS-B Deviation Authorization Pre-Flight Tool 
(ADAPT). The SAPT models the GPS constellation in order to assess the 
predicted accuracy and integrity of GPS position information used in 
navigation and surveillance for a few GPS receiver Technical Standard 
Orders (TSOs).
    The RAIM SAPT is intended mainly for pilots, dispatchers, and 
commercial operators using TSO-C129 equipment to check their predicted 
navigation horizontal protection level (HPL). It incorporates TSO-C129 
GPS RAIM predictions to check the availability of GPS RAIM satisfying 
the RNAV requirements of AC 90-100A Change 2, Paragraph 10(5)).
    The ADS-B SAPT is provided to help operators comply with 14 CFR 
91.225 and 91.227 by predicting whether operators will meet regulatory 
requirements, and to advise holders of FAA Exemption 12555 whether 
back-up surveillance will be available for any waypoints where 
installed aircraft avionics are not predicted to meet the requirements 
of 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii).
    Information collected via ADS-B SAPT is comparable to that provided 
by pilots when they file flight plans, with some additional information 
about aircraft position source TSO and related capabilities. The ADS-B 
SAPT prediction is based on the ability of the aircraft's position 
source (i.e., GPS receiver) to meet performance requirements specified 
in FAA TSOs C129, C129a, C145c/C146c, and C196, as well as the 
predicted status of the GPS constellation.
    The ADS-B SAPT predicts whether GPS position information will be 
sufficient throughout the flight to meet the performance requirements 
of 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and (iii). If a waypoint is in rule airspace 
and the aircraft's position source is not predicted to meet the 
performance requirements of 14 CFR 91.227, the ADS-B SAPT checks for 
the availability of back-up surveillance at that waypoint.
    Operators of aircraft equipped with TSO-C129 (SA-On) GPS receivers 
must run a pre-flight prediction. The operator may use their own 
prediction tool. Although Exemption 12555 does not require operators 
with SA-On to use the ADS-B SAPT for pre-flight availability 
prediction, if the operator does use their own tool and receives an 
indication that performance will fall below rule requirements, the 
operator cannot obtain back-up surveillance information from that tool 
and must either replan the flight or use ADS-B SAPT to determine 
whether back-up surveillance is available along the planned route of 
flight per Exemption 12555.
    ADAPT is mandatory for operators desiring to apply for an ATC 
authorization, per 14 CFR 91.225(g), to fly in ADS-B Out rule airspace 
using aircraft with avionics that do not meet the ADS-B equipage 
requirements. ADAPT allows operators to create an air traffic 
authorization request to operate in ADS-B Out rule airspace when either 
(1) the aircraft is without ADS-B equipment; (2) that equipment is 
inoperative; or (3) their avionics are not expected to meet the ADS-B 
performance requirements as identified in 14 CFR 91.227(c)(1)(i) and 
(iii). Operators who wish to submit an ADAPT request must complete the 
ADS-B SAPT analysis using information entered into the flight 
information entry form before filing the ADAPT request.
    Respondents: These prediction tools are primarily intended for 
pilots and dispatchers; and for anyone who is planning a flight which 
passes through U.S. sovereign airspace, using an aircraft whose GPS 
receiver(s) is/are not guaranteed to meet certain performance 
requirements or whose aircraft is not equipped to meet the requirements 
of 14 CFR 91.225.
    Frequency: As part of the flight planning process, as required by 
FAA policy. For some users, this could be every flight. For others it 
will depend on the specific conditions and performance requirements.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response:
    RAIM SAPT and ADS-B SAPT can be automated as part of the dispatch 
process by operators or flight service providers, thus eliminating 
manual data-entry.
    RAIM SAPT--Insignificant, as all transactions are automated in 
flight planning systems.
    ADS-B SAPT--5 minutes or less for transactions input via the flight 
plan form, including 1 minute or less to note the transaction id.
    ADAPT--7 minutes or less (includes up to 2 minutes to check FAA 
email response).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden:
    RAIM SAPT--Insignificant additional burden.
    ADS-B SAPT--Approximately 2159 hours.
    ADAPT--Approximately 590 hours.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2022.
Jamal Wilson,
SAPT Project Lead [verbar] In-Service Performance and Sustainment (AJM-
4220), Federal Aviation Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-26972 Filed 12-12-22; 8:45 am]
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