[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 86 (Thursday, May 2, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19594-19600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11010]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
15 CFR Part 946
[Docket No. 960418114-6114-01]
RIN 0648-AF72
Weather Service Modernization Criteria
AGENCY: National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed amendment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Weather Service Modernization Act, (the
Act), the National Weather Service (NWS) is publishing a proposed
amendment to its criteria for modernization actions requiring
certification. This amendment adds criteria unique to automating a
field office to ensure that automation actions will not result in any
degradation of service. Automating a field office occurs after
automated surface observing system (ASOS) equipment is installed and
commissioned at a field office and the NWS employees that were
performing surface observations at that office are removed or
reassigned. At sites where NWS will remain, such as Weather Forecast
Offices, NWS will perform the necessary augmentation and back-up,
therefore no automation certification is required.
DATES: Comments are requested by June 1, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of documents stated in the preamble as
being available upon request and comments should be sent to Julie
Scanlon, NOAA/NWS, SSMC2, Room
[[Page 19595]]
9332, 1325 East--West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicholas Scheller, 301-713-0454.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 704(a) of the Act requires the NWS
to contract with the National Research Council (NRC) for a review of
the scientific and technical criteria for specified modernization
actions. The NRC conducted this review and submitted the required
report assessing the criteria to the Secretary of Commerce on July 28,
1993. Readers may obtain a copy of this Report from the contact and at
the address provided above.
Section 704(b) of the Act requires the NWS to publish the criteria
in the Federal Register, based on the NRC Report, after providing an
opportunity for public comment and after consulting with the NRC and
the Modernization Transition Committee (the Committee) established by
section 707 of the Act. On March 2, 1994 the NWS published many of the
required criteria as Appendix A to the general modernization
regulations at 15 CFR 946 (see 59 FR 9921). These criteria were
published in four categories as follows:
(1) those for modernization actions that do not require prior
certification of no degradation of service, i.e., commissioning new
weather observation systems and decommissioning outdated NWS radars
(Appendix A, Section I.);
(2) those for modernization actions that require certification and
that are common to all such actions, e.g., providing appropriate
notification in the National Implementation Plan, describing local
weather characteristics and related weather concerns; comparing
services before and after the action (Appendix A, Section II.A.);
(3) those for modernization actions that require certification and
that are unique to consolidating field offices (Appendix A, Section
II.B.); and
(4) those for modernization actions that require certification and
that are unique to relocating field offices (Appendix A, Section
II.C.).
Besides the proposed new criteria, the criteria for commissioning
an ASOS and the criteria common to all modernization actions requiring
certification are applicable to automation actions. These sections of
the previously published criteria are attached for reference (see
Attachment 1).
At the time these criteria were published, the remaining criteria
unique to automating field offices and the criteria for losing these
offices required further development. Since no actions to automate or
close field offices were imminent, the publication of these additional
criteria was deferred.
Developing the automation criteria required further coordination
with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation
industry to ensure that they would adequately promote aviation
requirements. Developing these criteria also required further
refinement of the NWS' Supplementary Data Program. There now appears to
be general agreement between the FAA and the industry on aviation
service levels suitable for incorporation into the criteria. In
addition, the NWS has published a Notice setting forth its
Supplementary Data Program (60 FR 64020, Dec. 13, 1995. Consequently
the NWS is now proposing the remaining criteria unique to automation
actions at NWS field offices. These criteria would be added to Section
II of Appendix A to 15 CFR Part 946 as a new subsection D. The NWS will
continue to defer publication of the criteria for closing field
offices.
As set forth in the NWS's general modernization regulations,
automation consists of removing or reassigning the NWS employees
responsible for taking surface observations after an ASOS has been
commissioned. This process generally occurs in two stages.
During the first state, an ASOS is installed and commissioned and
begins to provide the official observations for the relevant office.
Thee primary criterion at this stage is successful commissioning of the
ASOS in accordance with the previously published criteria (see Appendix
A. Section I.A.1). In addition, where the ASOS is located on an
airport, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary
of Transportation, must determine that the weather services provided
after commissioning will continue to be in full compliance with
applicable flight aviation rules promulgated by the FAA. Providing this
determination is an additional criterion at these sites. This
determination was completed on a programmatic basis per a series of
letters between Dr. Elbert W. Friday, Jr., Assistant Administrator for
Weather Services and Mr. Anthony J. Broderick, Associate Administrator
for Regulation and Certification, FAA, dated, November 18, 1992,
December 20, 1992, and January 15, 1993. These letters will be included
with each automation certification in compliance with 15 CFR 946.5(b).
At this first stage, the ASOS observation alone often does not
provide a replacement for the manual observations sufficient to
maintain equivalent-services. NWS employees and/or contract personnel
have continued to augment the ASOS observation pending a determination
of what weather observations, in addition to those provided by ASOS,
may be needed and certification that the needed observations can be
provided by other sources without degrading service.
During the second state of automation, the NWS employees are
relieved of their remaining surface observing responsibilities. The
proposed criteria are intended to provide the basis for certifying that
this action will not result in any degradation of service, i.e., that
the data from the ASOS, together with the data available from other
sources are adequate to support equivalent services. Automation of NWS
field offices will only occur at those sites where there will no longer
be an NWS presence. At sites where NWS will remain, such as Weather
Forecast Offices, NWS will perform the necessary augmentation and back-
up, therefore no automation certification is required.
For aviation services, an important source of additional data at
many airports is that provided by on-site augmentation appended to the
ASOS observation. The extent of what level of augmentation is necessary
has been the subject of extensive consultations between the FAA and the
aviation industry. Beginning in June of 1994, the FAA, the NWS, and the
aviation industry held a series of workshops to define such
requirements in a manner acceptable to the broad range of aviation
users. The participants in these workshops established the objectives
and framework for a joint demonstration project which was conducted
over a six month period at 25 sites with bi-monthly reviews by
industry.
During this process, the FAA and the aviation industry refined the
FAA's historical practice of tailoring services to the specific
requirements of individual airports, ranking all airports, including
the 143 airports served by NWS field offices that are subject to
certification. This ranking was done according to a composite score
that reflected three separate scores: one for Bad Weather Operations,
which factored in both the percentage of time that the airport is
subject to specified adverse weather conditions and total operations at
the airport; a second for distance to the nearest suitable alternate
airport; and the third for certain airport characteristics, such as
categories of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) approach capabilities, and
operational designations.
[[Page 19596]]
Based on this composite score, the FAA and the aviation industry
identified four categories of airports and the optimum level of
augmentation for each. The levels agreed to are set forth in the
Aviation Service Standards Summary chart in Criterion II.D.4 and those
NWS airports in each category are listed in Appendix B to the
regulations.
The first category encompasses approximately 300 nontowered
airports (involving 27 NWS field offices) referred to as ``D'' Level
Service airports, at which the parties agreed that the ASOS observation
should constitute the entire observation, i.e., no additional
parameters would be augmented, and there would be no manual back-up.
Those 27 airports with NWS field offices for which this level of
service is proposed are listed as ``D'' Level Service airports in
Appendix B.
The parties then agreed on the basic level of augmentation that was
needed for purposes of aviation safety at all commercial airports. This
level, referred to as ``C'' Level Service, would include augmentation
of the following parameters: thunderstorms, tornados, hail, virga,
volcanic ash, and tower visibility. In addition, there would be on-site
backup for the ASOS. This ``C'' Level Service of augmentation would be
provided at all towered airports. ``C'' Level Service was determined to
be the optimum level of augmentation at approximately 300 towered
airports, including 51 airports with NWS field offices. Those 51
airports with NWS field offices are listed as ``C'' Level Service
airports in Appendix B.
At 135 airports, augmentation beyond that required for aviation
safety was considered optimum. These airports were divided into two
categories: (1) those 78 airports (involving 40 NWS field offices)
which received the highest score, i.e., major aviation hubs and high
traffic volume airports with average or worse weather, referred to as
``A'' Level Service airports; and (2) the remaining group of 57
airports (involving 25 NWS field offices) that are smaller hubs or
special airports in other ways, that have worse than average bad
weather operations for thunderstorms and/or freezing/frozen
precipitation, and/or that are remote airports, referred to as ``B''
Level Service airports. The NWS airports designated for these two
levels of service are listed in Appendix B under ``A'' Level Service
and ``B'' Level Service respectively.
The maximum level of service, ``A'' Level Service, would involve
augmenting an ASOS observation by a comprehensive suite of manual
observations including either long-line Runway Visual Range (RVR)
readings at airports equipped with remote RVR capability or, at other
airports, observed visibility increments down to an eighth of a mile,
sixteenth of a mile and zero. The ``B'' Level Service would add
parameters such as ice pellets and snow depth to the ``C'' Level
Service, but would not include certain parameters, e.g., cloud types
and cloud layers above 12,000 feet which are part of the ``A'' Level
Service, but which were found unnecessary because of less crowded
traffic patterns and/or the less diverse and/or severe weather
conditions at these airports. Both ``A'' and ``B'' Level Service
airports (as well as ``C'' Level Service airports, mentioned
previously) would have on-site backup for the ASOS.
Criterion II.D.4a incorporates the above augmentation levels into
the certification process for the NWS field offices involved.
It should be noted that FAA funds, not NWS funds, would be used to
provide the required level of augmentation at airports transitioning to
the FAA. At the present time, funds are available to provide
augmentation beyond the ``C'' Level only at those 22 airports with the
maximum level of aviation activity, commonly referred to as FAA level 5
airports. The 10 NWS field offices subject to automation certification
among these 22 airports are denoted in Appendix B with a ``+''.
Consequently, for those ``A'' and ``B'' Level airports at which funding
is not available, the criterion would be that augmentation would
continue to be provided at the existing, level (``C'' Level Service),
but would be upgraded to the optimum level if funds became available.
The delay in achieving the desired level of service at these
airports should not be confused with a degradation of service related
to any automation action. To the extent that there may be any perceived
reduction in the level of service, it would be the result of funding
limitations and would occur (or already has occurred) independently of
the automation.
As stated above, the FAA will be responsible for ensuring the
required level of augmentation, by their own employees, by Limited
Aviation Weather Reporting Station (LAWRS), or by contract, at all NWS
sites being transitioned to the FAA and subject to automation
certification. The NWS has developed a checklist to ensure the smooth
transition of augmentation/back-up responsibility from the NWS to the
FAA for those sites being transitioned. The checklist specifically
takes into consideration the FAA service level standards and documents
that the needed steps have been completed, e.g., ASOS equipment is
properly configured. After site transition to the FAA, the NWS will
retain responsibility for ASOS maintenance, observer certification and
site inspection. Completion of this checklist is specifically included
as an element of proposed Criterion II.D.4.
Some weather parameters observed manually today will not be
observed by ASOS or appended to those augmented observations supporting
aviation services, at least initially. To ensure equivalent services,
the NWS has introduced two new classes of observations: Supplementary
Data Observations (SDOs), which are event driven, i.e., taken only when
a phenomenon is observed and not at any scheduled time; and
Supplementary Climate Data (SCDs), which are routinely scheduled
observations useful for climatological applications and
hydrometeorological operations. Both types of observations will
originate at the 118 NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and be
disseminated through normal NWS communications systems, the Family of
Services, the NOAA Weather Wire, and various commercial vendor
services. The full suite of elements which could be reported as
Supplementary Data are described in the December 13, 1995 Federal
Register notice. Of course, each WFO will report only those elements
that it observes, i.e., those phenomena that occur in its area.
Additional surface observational data in the ASOS era will also
continue to be available from over 20,000 automatic and manual
hydrometeorological sites, including cooperative and hydrological
networks.
Proposed Criterion II.D.5 requires that the certification include a
determination that these data reported from adjacent WFO(s) together
with the ASOS observation as augmented and any complementary data such
as satellite and lightning detection data are adequate to ensure no
degradation of service for all users.
A. Classification Under Executive Order 12866
These proposed regulations establish procedures and criteria for
certifying that certain actions to modernize NWS will not result in any
degradation of weather services to the affected service area. They will
not result in any direct or indirect economic impacts, and have been
determined not to be significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis
These regulations set forth the criteria for certifying that
certain modernization
[[Page 19597]]
actions will not result in a degradation of service to the affected
area. These criteria will be appended to the Weather Service
Modernization regulations. The Assistant General Counsel for
Legislation and Regulation of the Department of Commerce has certified
to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration
that these criteria, if adopted as proposed, will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
These proposed criteria are intended for internal agency use, and the
impact on small business entities will be negligible. The proposed
criteria do not directly affect ``small government jurisdictions'' as
defined by Pub. L. 96-354, the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Accordingly,
no initial regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980
These regulations will impose no information collection
requirements of the type covered by Pub. L. 96-511, the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1980.
D. E.O. 12612
This rule does not contain policies with sufficient Federalism
implications to warrant preparation of a Federalism assessment under
Executive Order 12612.
E. National Environmental Policy Act
NOAA has concluded that publication of this proposed rule does not
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment. Therefore, an environmental impact statement
is not required. A programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
regarding NEXRAD was prepared in November 1984, and an Environmental
Assessment to update the portion of the EIS dealing with the bioeffects
of NEXRAD non-ionizing radiation was issued in 1993.
List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 946
Administrative practice and procedure, certification,
Commissioning, Decommissioning, National Weather Service, Weather
service modernization.
Dated: April 29, 1996.
Elbert W. Friday, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator for Weather Services.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 15 CFR part 946 is
proposed to be amended as follows:
PART 946--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 946 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: Title VII of Pub. L. 102-567, 106 Stat 4303 (15
U.S.C. 313n.)
2. Appendix A is amended by adding a new subsection (D) under
section II. Criteria for modernization actions requiring certification,
to read as set forth below. Subsections I. (A)(1) and II. (A) are
republished without change for the convenience of the reader.
Appendix A to Part 946--National Weather Service Modernization Criteria
I. Modernization Criteria for Actions Not Requiring Certification
(A) Commissioning of New Weather Observation Systems
(1) Automated Surface Observation Systems (ASOS)
Purpose: Successful commissioning for full operational use
requires a demonstration, by tests and other means, that the ASOS
equipment, as installed in the field office, meets its technical
requirements; that the prescribed operating, maintenance, and
logistic support elements are in place; that operations have been
properly staffed with trained personnel and that the equipment can
be operated with all other installed mating elements of the
modernized NWS system.
Note: It may be necessary to incorporate work-arounds to
complete some of the items listed below in a timely and cost-
effective manner. A work-around provides for an alternative method
of meeting a commissioning criteria through the application of a
pre-approved operational procedure implemented on a temporary basis,
for example, by human augmentation of the observation for the
occurrence of freezing rain, until such time as a freezing rain
sensor has been accepted for operational use with ASOS. The ASOS
Plan referenced below includes a process for recommending,
approving, and documenting work arounds and requires that they be
tracked as open items until they can be eliminated by implementation
of the originally intended capability.
References: The criteria and evaluation elements for
commissioning are set forth and further detailed in the NWS-
Sponsored Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) Site Component
Commissioning Plan (the ASOS Plan), more specifically in Addendum I,
Appendix D of the ASOS Site Component Commissioning Evaluation
Package (the ASOS Package).
Criteria: a. ASOS Acceptance Test: The site component acceptance
test, which includes objective tests to demonstrate that the ASOS,
as installed at the given site, meets its technical specifications,
has been successfully completed in accordance with item 1a, p. D-2
of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
b. Sensor Siting: Sensor sitings provide representative
observations in accordance with Appendix C of the ASOS Package,
Guidance for Evaluating Representativeness of ASOS Observations and
item 1b, p. D-2 of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
c. Initialization Parameters: Initialization parameters are in
agreement with source information provided by the ASOS Program
Office, in accordance with item 1c, pp. D-2 & D-3 of Appendix D of
the ASOS Package.
d. Sensor Performance Verification: Sensor performance has been
verified in accordance with the requirements stated in the ASOS Site
Technical Manual and item 1d, p. D-3 of the ASOS Package.
e. Field Modification Kits/Firmware Installed: All critical
field modification kits and firmware for the site as required by
attachments 3a & b (pp. D-45 & D-46) or memorandum issued to the
regions, have been installed on the ASOS in accordance with item 1e,
p. D-4 of Appendix of the ASOS Package.
f. Operations and Maintenance Documentation: A full set of
operations and maintenance documentation is available in accordance
with items 2a-h, pp. D-5 & D-6 of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
g. Notification of and Technical Coordination with Users: All
affected users have been notified of the initial date for ASOS
operations and have received a technical coordination package in
accordance with item 2i, pp. D-6 & D-7 of Appendix D of the ASOS
Package.
h. Availability of Trained Operations Personnel: Adequate
operations staff are available, training materials are available,
and required training has been completed, per section 3.2.3.1 of the
ASOS Plan, in accordance with items 3a-c, p. D-8 of Appendix D of
the ASOS package.
i. Maintenance Capability: Proper maintenance personnel and
support systems and arrangements are available in accordance with
items 4a-e, pp. D-9 & D-10 of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
j. Performance of Site Interfaces: The equipment can be operated
in all of its required modes and in conjunction with all of its
interfacing equipment per the detailed checklists of items 5a-b, pp.
D-11 & D-19 of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
k. Support of Associated NWS Forecasting and Warning Services:
The equipment provides proper support of NWS forecasting and warning
services and archiving, including operation of all specified
automatic and manually augmented modes per the checklist, items 6a-
e, pp. D-20 to D-29, of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
l. Service Backup Capabilities: Personnel, equipment, and
supporting services are available and capable of providing required
backup readings and services in support of operations when primary
equipment is inoperable in accordance with items 7a-g, pp. D-30 to
D-32, to Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
m. Augmentation Capabilities: Personnel are available and
trained to provide augmentation of ASOS observations in accordance
with augmentation procedures, items 8a-c, p. D-33 of Appendix D of
the ASOS Package.
n. Representativeness of Observations: Observations are
representative of the hydrometeorological conditions of the
observing location as determined by a period of observation of at
least 60 days prior to commissioning in accordance with Appendix
[[Page 19598]]
C and item 6e, pp. D-27 to D-29 of Appendix D of the ASOS Package.
* * * * *
II. Criteria for Modernization Actions Requiring Certification
(A) Criteria Common to all Types of Certifications (Except as
Noted)
1. Notification: Advanced notification and the expected date of
the proposed certification have been provided in the National
Implementation Plan.
2. Local Weather Characteristics and Weather Related Concerns: A
description of local weather characteristics and weather related
concerns which affect the weather services provided to the affected
service area is provided.
3. Comparison of Services: A comparison of services before and
after the proposed action demonstrates that all services currently
provided to the affected service area will continue to be provided.
4. Recent or Expected Modernization of NWS Operations in the
Affected Service Area: A description of recent or expected
modernization of NWS operations in the affected service area is
provided.
5. NEXRAD Network Coverage: NEXRAD network coverage or gaps in
coverage at 10,000 feet over the affected service area are
identified.
6. Air Safety Appraisal (applies only to relocation and closure
of field offices at an airport): Verification that there will be no
degradation of service that affects aircraft safety has been made by
conducting an air safety appraisal in consultation with the Federal
Aviation Administration.
7. Evaluation of Services to In-State Users (applies only to
relocation and closure of the only field office in a State):
Verification that there will be no degradation of weather services
provided to the State has been made by evaluating the effect on
weather services provided to In-State Users.
8. Liaison Officer: Arrangements have been made to retain a
Liaison Officer in the affected service area for at least two years
to provide timely information regarding the activities of the NWS
which may affect service to the community, including modernization
and restructuring; and to work with area weather service users,
including persons associated with general aviation, civil defense,
emergency preparedness, and the news media, with respect to the
provision of timely weather warnings and forecasts.
9. Meteorologist-In-Charge's (MIC) Recommendation to Certify:
The MIC of the future WFO that will have responsibility for the
affected service area has recommended certification in accordance
with 15 CFR 946.7(a).
10. Regional Director's Certification: The cognizant Regional
Director has approved the MIC's recommended certification of no
degradation of service to the affected service area in accordance
with 15 CFR 946.8.
* * * * *
(D) Proposed Modernization Criteria Unique to Automation
Certifications
1. Compliance with flight aviation rules (applies on airports
only): Consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
has verified that the weather services provided after the
commissioning of the relevant ASOS unit(s) will be in full
compliance with applicable Federal Aviation Regulations promulgated
by the FAA.
2. ASOS Commissioning: The relevant ASOS unit(s) have been
successfully commissioned in accordance with the criteria set forth
in section I.A.1 of this Appendix.
3. User Confirmation of Services: Any valid user complaints
related to actual system performance received since commissioning of
the ASOS have been satisfactorily resolved and the issues addressed
in the MIC's recommendation for certification.
4. Aviation Observation Requirement: At sites subject to
automation certification, all surface observations and reports
required for aviation services can be generated by an ASOS augmented
as necessary by non-NWS personnel.
a. The ASOS observation will be augmented/backed-up to the level
specified in Appendix B as described in the Aviation Service
Standards Summary chart, except that, if funds needed for such level
of service are not available at those airports listed as ``A'' or
``B'' Level Service airports in Appendix B, the ASOS will be
augmented/backed-up at the ``C'' Level Service until funds become
available.
b. The transition checklist has been signed by the appropriate
Region Systems Operations Division Chief.
5. General Surface Observation Requirement: The total
observations available are adequate to support the required
inventory of services to users in the affected area. All necessary
hydrometeorological data and information are available through ASOS
as augmented in accordance with this section, through those elements
reported as supplementary data by the relevant Weather Forecast
Office(s), or through other complementary sources. The adequacy of
the total surface observation is addressed in the MIC's
recommendation for certification.
BILLING CODE 3510-12-M
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP02MY96.015
[[Page 19600]]
3. Appendix B is added to Part 946 to read as follows:
Appendix B to Part 946--Airport Tables
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
``A'' Level Service Airports
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akron, OH*................................... CAK.
Albany, NY*.................................. ALB.
Atlanta, GA* +............................... ATL.
Baltimore, MD*............................... BWI.
Boston, MA+ *................................ BOS.
Charlotte, NC+............................... CLT.
Chicago-O'Hare (AV), IL+ *................... ORD.
Cincinnati, OH+.............................. CVG.
Columbus, OH................................. CMH.
Dayton, OH*.................................. DAY.
Des Moines, IA*.............................. DSM.
Detroit, MI+ *............................... DTW.
Fairbanks, AK*............................... FAI.
Fresno, CA*.................................. FAT.
Greensboro, NC*.............................. GSO.
Hartford, CT*................................ BDL.
Indianapolis, IN*............................ IND.
Kansas City, MO*............................. MCI.
Lansing, MI*................................. LAN.
Las Vegas, NV................................ LAS.
Los Angeles (AV), CA+........................ LAX.
Louisville, KY*.............................. SDF.
Milwaukee, WI*............................... MKE.
Minneapolis, MN*............................. MSP.
Newark, NJ+ *................................ EWR.
Oklahoma City, OK*........................... OKC.
Phoenix, AZ+................................. PHX.
Portland, OR*................................ PDX.
Providence, RI*.............................. PVD.
Raleigh, NC*................................. RDU.
Richmond, VA*................................ RIC.
Rochester, NY*............................... ROC.
Rockford, IL*................................ RFD.
San Antonio, TX*............................. SAT.
San Diego, CA................................ SAN.
San Francisco, CA+ *......................... SFO.
Spokane, WA*................................. GEG.
Syracuse, NY*................................ SYR.
Tallahassee, FL.............................. TLH.
Tulsa, OK.................................... TUL.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
``B'' Level Service Airports
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baton Rouge, LA*............................. BTR.
Billings, MT*................................ BIL.
Charleston, WV*.............................. CRW.
Chattanooga, TN*............................. CHA.
Colorado Springs, CO......................... COS.
Daytona Beach, FL............................ DAB.
El Paso, TX.................................. ELP.
Flint, MI.................................... FNT.
Fort Wayne, IN............................... FWA.
Honolulu, HI................................. HNL.
Huntsville, AL*.............................. HSV.
Knoxville, TN*............................... TYS.
Lincoln, NE*................................. LNK.
Lubbock, TX.................................. LBB.
Madison, WI*................................. MSN.
Moline, IL*.................................. MLI.
Montgomery, AL*.............................. MGM.
Muskegon, MI*................................ MKG.
Norfolk, VA*................................. ORF.
Peoria, IL................................... PIA.
Savannah, GA*................................ SAV.
South Bend, IN*.............................. SBN.
Tucson, AZ................................... TUS.
West Palm Beach, FL*......................... PBI.
Youngstown, OH*.............................. YNG.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
``C'' Level Service Airports
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abilene, TX.................................. ABI.
Alltentown, PA............................... ABE.
Asheville, NC................................ AVL.
Athens, GA................................... AHN.
Atlantic City, NJ............................ ACY.
Augusta, GA.................................. AGS.
Austin, TX................................... AUS.
Bakerfield, CA............................... BFL.
Bridgeport, CT............................... BDR.
Bristol, TN.................................. TRI.
Casper, WY................................... CPR.
Columbia, MO................................. COU.
Columbus, GA................................. CSG.
Dubuque, IA.................................. DBQ.
Erie, PA..................................... ERI.
Eugene, OR................................... EUG.
Evansville, IN............................... EVV.
Fargo, ND.................................... FAR.
Fort Smith, AR............................... FSM.
Grand Island, NE............................. GRI.
Helena, MT................................... HLN.
Huntington, WV............................... HTS.
Kahului, HI.................................. OGG.
Key West, FL................................. EYW.
Lewiston, ID................................. LWS.
Lexington, KY................................ LEX.
Lynchburg, VA................................ LYH.
Macon, GA.................................... MCN.
Mansfield, OH................................ MFD.
Meridian, MS................................. MEI.
Olympia, WA.................................. OLM.
Port Arthur, TX.............................. BPT.
Portland, ME................................. PWM.
Rapid City, SD............................... RAP.
Redding, CA.................................. RDD.
Reno, NV..................................... RNO.
Roanoke, VA.................................. ROA.
Rochester, MN................................ RST.
Salem, OR.................................... SLE.
Santa Maria, CA.............................. SMX.
Sioux City, IA............................... SUX.
Springfield, IL.............................. SPI.
Stockton, CA................................. SCK.
Toledo, OH................................... TOL.
Waco, TX..................................... ACT.
Waterloo, IA................................. ALO.
Wilkes-Barre, PA............................. AVP.
Williamsport, PA............................. IPT.
Wilmington, DE............................... ILG.
Worcester, MA................................ ORH.
Yakima, WA................................... YKM.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
``D'' Level Service Airports
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alamosa, CO.................................. ALS.
Alpena, MI................................... APN.
Astoria, OR.................................. AST.
Beckley, WV.................................. BKW.
Caribou, ME.................................. CAR.
Concordia, KS................................ CNK.
Concord, NH.................................. CON.
Elkins, WV................................... EKN.
Ely, NV...................................... ELY.
Havre, MT.................................... HVR.
Homer, AK.................................... HOM.
Houghton Lake, MI............................ HTL.
Huron, SD.................................... HON.
International Falls, MN...................... INL.
Kalispell, MT................................ FCA.
Lander, WY................................... LND.
Norfolk, NE.................................. OFK.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI......................... SSM.
Scottsbluff, NE.............................. BFF.
Sheridan, WY................................. SHR.
St. Cloud, MN................................ STC.
Tupelo, MS................................... TUP.
Valentine, NE................................ VTN.
Victoria, TX................................. VCT.
Wichita Falls, TX............................ SPS.
Williston, ND................................ ISN.
Winnemucca, NV............................... WMC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
+--Maximum activity (level 5) airport.
*--Long-line RVR designated site.
[FR Doc. 96-11010 Filed 5-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-M
