Department of Transportation January 28, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer Model EMB-500 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with airspeed system. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas.

This notice grants the Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) application for a temporary exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection. The exemption applies to the Tesla Roadster vehicle. In accordance with 49 CFR part 555, the basis for the grant is that compliance would cause substantial economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to comply with the standard. The exemption will be effective for a period of three years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a notice of receipt of the application on July 31, 2007, and afforded an opportunity for comment.\1\

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France Model AS 355 F2 and AS 355 N helicopters. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The European Aviation Safety Agency, the Technical Agent for France, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states in the MCAI:

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 210, Cabin Management.

Division K of the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008'' (Pub. L. 110-161), signed into law by President Bush on December 26, 2007, makes funds available for all of the surface transportation programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Fiscal Year (FY) ending September 30, 2008. This notice provides information on the FY 2008 funding available for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assistance programs, and provides program guidance and requirements, and information on several program issues important in the current year. The notice also includes tables that show certain discretionary programs unobligated funding from previous years that will be available in FY 2008.