556 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 136.39 

consideration the provisions of the air 
tour management plan, the number of 
existing commercial air tour operators 
and current level of service and equip-
ment provided by any such operators, 
and the financial viability of each com-
mercial air tour operation. 

(d) 

Cooperation with National Park 

Service. 

Before granting an application 

under this subpart, the Administrator, 
in cooperation with the Director, shall 
develop an air tour management plan 
in accordance with § 136.39 and imple-
ment such a plan. 

(e) 

Time limit on response to applica-

tions. 

Every effort will be made to act 

on any application under this subpart 
and issue a decision on the application 
not later than 24 months after it is re-
ceived or amended. 

(f) 

Priority. 

In acting on applications 

under this paragraph to provide com-
mercial air tour operations over a na-
tional park, the Administrator shall 
give priority to an application under 
this paragraph in any case where a new 
entrant commercial air tour operator 
is seeking operating authority with re-
spect to that national park. 

(g) 

Exception. 

Notwithstanding this 

section, commercial air tour operators 
may conduct commercial air tour oper-
ations over a national park under part 
91 of this chapter if— 

(1) Such activity is permitted under 

part 119 of this chapter; 

(2) The operator secures a letter of 

agreement from the Administrator and 
the Superintendent for that park de-
scribing the conditions under which 
the operations will be conducted; and 

(3) The number of operations under 

this exception is limited to not more 
than a total of 5 flights by all opera-
tors in any 30-day period over a par-
ticular park. 

(h) 

Special rule for safety requirement. 

Notwithstanding § 136.41, an existing 
commercial air tour operator shall 
apply, not later than January 23, 2003 
for operating authority under part 119 
of this chapter, for certification under 
part 121 or part 135 of this chapter. A 
new entrant commercial air tour oper-
ator shall apply for such authority be-
fore conducting commercial air tour 
operations over a national park or trib-
al lands that are within or abut a na-
tional park. The Administrator shall 

make every effort to act on such appli-
cation for a new entrant and issue a de-
cision on the application not later than 
24 months after it is received or amend-
ed. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2001–8690, 67 FR 65667, Oct. 25, 
2002. Redesignated and amended by Amdt. 
136–1, 72 FR 6912, Feb. 13, 2007; Amdt. 136–1, 72 
FR 31450, June 7, 2007] 

§ 136.39 Air tour management plans 

(ATMP). 

(a) 

Establishment. 

The Administrator, 

in cooperation with the Director, shall 
establish an air tour management plan 
for any national park or tribal land for 
which such a plan is not in effect when-
ever a person applies for authority to 
conduct a commercial air tour oper-
ation over the park. The air tour man-
agement plan shall be developed by 
means of a public process in accord-
ance with paragraph (d) of this section. 
The objective of any air tour manage-
ment plan is to develop acceptable and 
effective measures to mitigate or pre-
vent the significant adverse impacts, if 
any, of commercial air tour operations 
upon the natural and cultural re-
sources, visitor experiences, and tribal 
lands. 

(b) 

Environmental determination. 

In es-

tablishing an air tour management 
plan under this section, the Adminis-
trator and the Director shall each sign 
the environmental decision document 
required by section 102 of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332) which may include a find-
ing of no significant impact, an envi-
ronmental assessment, or an environ-
mental impact statement and the 
record of decision for the air tour man-
agement plan. 

(c) 

Contents. 

An air tour management 

plan for a park— 

(1) May prohibit commercial air tour 

operations in whole or in part; 

(2) May establish conditions for the 

conduct of commercial air tour oper-
ations, including, but not limited to, 
commercial air tour routes, maximum 
number of flights per unit of time, 
maximum and minimum altitudes, 
time of day restrictions, restrictions 
for particular events, intrusions on pri-
vacy on tribal lands, and mitigation of 
noise, visual, or other impacts; 

557 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 136.41 

(3) Shall apply to all commercial air 

tour operations within 

1

⁄

2

mile outside 

the boundary of a national park; 

(4) Shall include incentives (such as 

preferred commercial air tour routes 
and altitudes, and relief from caps and 
curfews) for the adoption of quiet tech-
nology aircraft by commercial air tour 
operators conducting commercial air 
tour operations at the park; 

(5) Shall provide for the initial allo-

cation of opportunities to conduct 
commercial air tour operations if the 
plan includes a limitation on the num-
ber of commercial air tour operations 
for any time period; and 

(6) Shall justify and document the 

need for measures taken pursuant to 
paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(5) of this 
section and include such justification 
in the record of decision. 

(d) 

Procedure. 

In establishing an 

ATMP for a national park or tribal 
lands, the Administrator and Director 
shall— 

(1) Hold at least one public meeting 

with interested parties to develop the 
air tour management plan; 

(2) Publish the proposed plan in the 

F

EDERAL

R

EGISTER

for notice and com-

ment and make copies of the proposed 
plan available to the public; 

(3) Comply with the regulations set 

forth in 40 CFR 1501.3 and 1501.5 
through 1501.8 (for the purposes of com-
plying with 40 CFR 1501.3 and 1501.5 
through 1501.8, the Federal Aviation 
Administration is the lead agency and 
the National Park Service is a cooper-
ating agency); and 

(4) Solicit the participation of any 

Indian tribe whose tribal lands are, or 
may be, overflown by aircraft involved 
in a commercial air tour operation 
over the park or tribal lands to which 
the plan applies, as a cooperating agen-
cy under the regulations referred to in 
paragraph (d)(3) of this section. 

(e) 

Amendments. 

The Administrator, 

in cooperation with the Director, may 
make amendments to an air tour man-
agement plan. Any such amendments 
will be published in the F

EDERAL

R

EG

-

ISTER

for notice and comment. A re-

quest for amendment of an ATMP will 
be made in accordance with § 11.25 of 

this chapter as a petition for rule-
making. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2001–8690, 67 FR 65667, Oct. 25, 
2002. Redesignated by Amdt. 136–1, 72 FR 
6912, Feb. 13, 2007] 

§ 136.41 Interim operating authority. 

(a) 

General. 

Upon application for op-

erating authority, the Administrator 
shall grant interim operating author-
ity under this section to a commercial 
air tour operator for commercial air 
tour operations over a national park or 
tribal land for which the operator is an 
existing commercial air tour operator. 

(b) 

Requirements and limitations. 

In-

terim operating authority granted 
under this section— 

(1) Shall provide annual authoriza-

tion only for the greater of— 

(i) The number of flights used by the 

operator to provide the commercial air 
tour operations within the 12-month 
period prior to April 5, 2000; or 

(ii) The average number of flights per 

12-month period used by the operator 
to provide such operations within the 
36-month period prior to April 5, 2000, 
and for seasonal operations, the num-
ber of flights so used during the season 
or seasons covered by that 12-month 
period; 

(2) May not provide for an increase in 

the number of commercial air tour op-
erations conducted during any time pe-
riod by the commercial air tour oper-
ator above the number the air tour op-
erator was originally granted unless 
such an increase is agreed to by the 
Administrator and the Director; 

(3) Shall be published in the F

EDERAL

 

R

EGISTER

to provide notice and oppor-

tunity for comment; 

(4) May be revoked by the Adminis-

trator for cause; 

(5) Shall terminate 180 days after the 

date on which an air tour management 
plan is established for the park and 
tribal lands; 

(6) Shall promote protection of na-

tional park resources, visitor experi-
ences, and tribal lands; 

(7) Shall promote safe commercial air 

tour operations; 

(8) Shall promote the adoption of 

quiet technology, as appropriate, and 

(9) Shall allow for modifications of 

the interim operating authority based