Tracking an NPRM

[guest user]

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...n-standards-for-commercial-balloon-operations

This is my first case of caring about the outcome of an NPRM, and I'm trying to find out how to track it.

The comments closed on 1/18/2022, so 8 months ago, yet I'm unable to see any further action on it.

For those who wonder about why I'd care about commercial ballon ops, the answer is that I don't. However, they snuck in a piece to change BasicMed to allow BasicMed pilots to act as safety pilots, rather than have to do the "BasicMed pilot is deemed to be the PIC for the flight, the other person is logging PIC by virtue of sole manipulation of controls" type arguments.

edit: to put in the bolded word

 

[flyingron]

Eh? People don't become PIC by virtue of being sole manipulator. That's only a criteria for logging PIC time.

Anyhow, looks like the FR isn't going to be out before next May.

 

[guest user]

Ok, you are correct. Logging PIC.

As to the actual topic at hand, what is your basis for saying

isn't going to be out before next May

?

Is there some place that has that, or is it more of a "changes are made in May, since it isn't out now, it will be next May"?

Thanks

 

[Bell206]

I'm trying to find out how to track it.

You can track it by its RIN or Docket ID. Within the docket they will usually post a tentatve time table if applicable. However, any proposed future dates should be looked at in general as those dates can be easily influenced by a number of variables. For your NPRM the docket agenda is linked below. If you have additional questions you can also send an email to the contact person listed in the docket as well.
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FAA-2021-1040/unified-agenda

 

[Brad Z]

FWIW, this rulemaking is active.

The FAA as general policy does not publish timelines of when rules will be published, what they will include, etc., until it actually gets published. Rules often take many years from NPRM to final rule, but this particular rule is 1) high priority for the agency, and 2) relatively uncomplicated with fewer than 200 comments, rather than thousands of comments…so I expect this to be one of the faster rules to get published. Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled in the federal register, where the final rule will eventually be published.

 

[midlifeflyer]

https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...n-standards-for-commercial-balloon-operations

This is my first case of caring about the outcome of an NPRM, and I'm trying to find out how to track it.

The comments closed on 1/18/2022, so 8 months ago, yet I'm unable to see any further action on it.

For those who wonder about why I'd care about commercial ballon ops, the answer is that I don't. However, they snuck in a piece to change BasicMed to allow BasicMed pilots to act as safety pilots, rather than have to do the "BasicMed pilot is deemed to be the PIC for the flight, the other person is logging PIC by virtue of sole manipulation of controls" type arguments.

edit: to put in the bolded word

The "snuck" in medical change in a NPRM all about medical changes?

That aside...

It's not unusual for there to be a delay between the closing of comments and further action - which could as easily be a a revised NPRM as a Final Rule.

Since the main body of the Proposed Rule was to add a medical certificate requirement for balloon commercial operations, I would expect a good number of negative comments from the lighter-than-air community. That can mean additional time to the timeline - the FAA has to deal with the comments in some way. They may accept some, reject some, or even decide to drop the whole thing (which would be a shame for the safety pilot PIC anomaly).

 

[Half Fast]

The FAA as general policy does not publish timelines of when rules will be published,

What a bunch of crap.

Every assignment I ever had during my career came with a deadline, and I was held accountable for meeting it. Only a government agency could get away with this sort of unaccountable BS.

 

[guest user]

The "snuck" in medical change in a NPRM all about medical changes?

Yeah, that one.

The title relates to commercial balloon operations not ‘various medical changes’.

So, yeah, BasicMed would seem to have little to do with commercial balloon operations, especially as they’re wanting to require a Class II medical which has nothing to do with BasicMed.

But, you know you’ve been around the FAA a bit when this makes perfect sense to be combined. To me, I’m glad they’re addressing it, but I still fail to see the connection besides convenience.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Yeah, that one.

The title relates to commercial balloon operations not ‘various medical changes’.

So, yeah, BasicMed would seem to have little to do with commercial balloon operations, especially as they’re wanting to require a Class II medical which has nothing to do with BasicMed.

But, you know you’ve been around the FAA a bit when this makes perfect sense to be combined. To me, I’m glad they’re addressing it, but I still fail to see the connection besides convenience.

I have been around the FAA a little bit but I've also seen all kinds of organizations, companies, individual people, legislative bodies, and government agencies combine things for efficiency and convenience. You do that every time you go to the grocery store and "sneak" a stop to pick up your dry cleaning along the way. I wish they hadn't since dropping the balloon thing may mean dropping the BasicMed correction, but yeah, combining a small medical change with an seemingly unrelated big one rather than go through the rulemaking process for something minor does make sense to me, although it's hardly "perfect."

 

[Brad Z]

Yeah, that one.

The title relates to commercial balloon operations not ‘various medical changes’.

So, yeah, BasicMed would seem to have little to do with commercial balloon operations, especially as they’re wanting to require a Class II medical which has nothing to do with BasicMed.

But, you know you’ve been around the FAA a bit when this makes perfect sense to be combined. To me, I’m glad they’re addressing it, but I still fail to see the connection besides convenience.

Rulemaking is a very resource intensive process, and is prioritized based on a number of factors. A stand-alone rulemaking for something like the BasicMed provision would be unlikely to rise to the level of priority necessary to get resources assigned in a timely matter.

 

[TCABM]

Rulemaking is a very resource intensive process, and is prioritized based on a number of factors. A stand-alone rulemaking for something like the BasicMed provision would be unlikely to rise to the level of priority necessary to get resources assigned in a timely matter.

I remember when you first brought up this NPRM here because of the BasicMed safety pilot fix included in it. I usually track these things through the federal register, but didn’t put two and two together until today.

 

[flyingron]

Is there some place that has that, or is it more of a "changes are made in May, since it isn't out now, it will be next May"?

Thanks

They have a date of 5/00/2023 as the projected final rule date on the regulations.gov docket summary. Don't know if it means anything.

 

[Brad Z]

They have a date of 5/00/2023 as the projected final rule date on the regulations.gov docket summary. Don't know if it means anything.

Yes, that was the date proposed for completion when the final rule was internally approved.