[Federal Register: February 18, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 32)]
[Notices]               
[Page 8322]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18fe98-170]



[[Page 8322]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

 
Proposed Revisions to Advisory Circular--Flight Test Guide for 
Certification of Transport Category Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed advisory circular revisions and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and request comments 
regarding proposed revisions to Advisory Circular (AC) 25-7, ``Flight 
Test Guide for Certification of Transport Category Airplanes.'' 
Advisory Circular 25-7 provides guidance on acceptable means, but not 
the only means, of demonstrating compliance with the airworthiness 
standards for transport category airplanes. The proposed revisions to 
AC 25-7 complement the revisions to the airworthiness standards adopted 
by the final rule, ``Improved Standards for Determining Rejected 
Takeoff and Landing Performance,'' located elsewhere in this issue of 
the Federal Register. This notice provides interested persons an 
opportunity to comment on the proposed revisions to the AC.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments on the proposed AC revisions to the 
Federal Aviation Administration, Attention: Don Stimson, Airplane and 
Flightcrew Interface Branch, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, 
Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Ave SW., Renton, WA 98055-
4056. Comments may be examined at the above address between 7:30 a.m. 
and 4:00 p.m. weekdays, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine Burks, Regulations Branch, 
ANM-114, at the above address, telephone (425) 227-2114, facsimile 
(425) 227-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comment Invited

    A copy of the subject AC may be obtained by contacting the person 
named above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Interested persons 
are invited to comment on the proposed revisions to the AC by 
submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they may desire. 
Commenters must identify the title of the AC and submit comments in 
duplicate to the address specified above. All comments received on or 
before the closing date for comments will be considered by the 
Transport Standards Staff before issuing the final revised AC.

Discussion

    The final rule, ``Improved Standards for Determining Rejected 
Takeoff and Landing Performance,'' is published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register. In that final rule, the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) amended the airworthiness standards for transport 
category airplanes to: (1) Revise the method for taking into account 
the time needed for the pilot to accomplish the procedures for rejected 
takeoff; (2) require that takeoff performance be determined for wet 
runways; and (3) require that rejected takeoff and landing stopping 
distances be based on worn brakes. The FAA took this action to improve 
the airworthiness standards, reduce the impact of the standards on the 
competitiveness of new versus derivative airplanes without adversely 
affecting safety, and harmonize with revised standards of the European 
Joint Aviation Requirements-25 (JAR-25).
    The FAA recognizes that extensive guidance material will be 
necessary to assist applicants in complying with the revised standards 
promulgated by the final rule. Therefore, the FAA proposes revising AC 
25-7 to be consistent with the revised standards and to add new 
material regarding an acceptable means of complying with the wet runway 
and worn brake requirements. The added material includes detailed 
guidance for:
    a. Using reverse thrust in determining wet runway accelerate-stop 
distances;
    b. Classifying the types of anti-skid systems;
    c. Verifying the type of anti-skid system installed on the airplane 
and that it is properly tuned for operation on wet and slippery 
runways;
    d. Determining the anti-skid efficiency on a wet runway;
    e. Developing an analytical model of wet runway braking 
performance; and
    f. Acceptable means for demonstrating braking performance and 
energy capacity in the fully worn condition.
    This proposed revision to AC 25-7 should not be confused with the 
more extensive AC 25-7 revision proposed by the FAA and made available 
through notice in the Federal Register on April 3, 1996 (61 FR 14847). 
Commenters should consider the revisions accompanying this notice 
independently, with the exception of paragraph 55, which does not 
appear in the original AC 25-7 and is revised from the notice published 
on April 3. Depending on the comments received and the time needed to 
review them and incorporate any changes to the proposed material, the 
FAA may either combine the two proposals into one revision of AC 25-7, 
or issue two separate revisions. Issued in Renton, Washington, on 
January 15, 1998.
Ronald T. Wojnar,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, ANM-100.
[FR Doc. 98-3899 Filed 2-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M