Department of Transportation November 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In July 2003, the agency published a final rule updating our Federal motor vehicle safety standard on glazing materials. As part of that rulemaking, boundaries were established for shade bands on vehicle windshields in order to limit their potential encroachment on the driver's field of view. As part of the new shade band requirements, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Recommended Practice J100 (rev. June 1995), ``Class `A' Vehicle Glazing Shade Bands,'' was incorporated by reference into the standard. However, in a July 2005 final rule responding to petitions for reconsideration of that earlier rulemaking, the standard's provisions related to shade bands requirements were amended, and as a result, a later but substantively identical version of SAE J100 (i.e., the November 1999 revision) was inadvertently included in the standard. The July 2005 final rule should have referenced SAE J100 (rev. June 1995), the document properly incorporated by reference into the safety standard. This document corrects this inconsistency resulting from administrative error.

The FAA amends and supersedes proposed special conditions for the Boeing Model 777 series airplanes. The previous notice (Notice No. 25-06-09-SC) published on October 18, 2006 (71 FR 61432), did not reflect the final FAA position on the novel design feature, and was thus in error. This airplane, modified by Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, will have novel or unusual design features associated with overhead cross aisle stowage compartments. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. These amended proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and other Federal agencies that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1)-(2). The actions relate to various proposed transit and road improvement projects within the Interstate 405 (I-405) Corridor in the State of Washington. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the projects.

This action extends the expiration date of Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 105 through October 31, 2008. This action is necessary to maintain the reservation system established for unscheduled arrivals at O'Hare International Airport consistent with the newly adopted limitations imposed on scheduled operations at the airport.