Chapter 1, Aviation - FAA publications
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//-->Chapter 1Departure ProceduresIntroductionThousands of instrument flight rules (IFR) takeoffs anddepartures occur daily in the National Airspace System(NAS). In order to accommodate this volume of IFR traffic, airtraffic control (ATC) must rely on pilots to use charted airportsketches and diagrams, as well as departure procedures(DPs) that include both standard instrument departures(SIDs) and obstacle departure procedures (ODPs). Whilemany charted (and uncharted) departures are based onradar vectors, the bulk of IFR departures in the NAS requirepilots to navigate out of the terminal environment to theen route phase.1-1ORAirport Facility Directory (A/FD)IFR takeoffs and departures are fast-paced phases offlight, and pilots often are overloaded with critical flightinformation. While preparing for takeoff, pilots are busyrequesting and receiving clearances, preparing their aircraftfor departure, and taxiing to the active runway. During IFRconditions, they are doing this with minimal visibility, andthey may be without constant radio communication if flyingout of a non-towered airport. Historically, takeoff minimumsfor commercial operations have been successively reducedthrough a combination of improved signage, runwaymarkings and lighting aids, and concentrated pilottraining and qualifications. Today at major terminals, somecommercial operators with appropriate equipment, pilotqualifications, and approved Operations Specifications(OpSpecs) may takeoff with visibility as low as 300 feetrunway visual range (RVR). One of the consequences oftakeoffs with reduced visibility is that pilots are challengedin maintaining situational awareness during taxi operations.Runway slopeRunway length and widthOne of the biggest safety concerns in aviation is the surfacemovement accident. As a direct result, the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) has rapidly expanded the informationavailable to pilots, including the addition of taxiway andrunway information in FAA publications, particularly theIFR U.S. Terminal Procedures Publication (TPP) booklets andAirport/Facility Directory (A/FD) volumes. The FAA has alsoimplemented new procedures and created educational andawareness programs for pilots, ATC, and ground operators.By focusing resources to attack this problem head on, theFAA hopes to reduce and eventually eliminate surfacemovement accidents.Airport Sketches and DiagramsAirport sketches and diagrams provide pilots of all levelswith graphical depictions of the airport layout. NationalAeronautical Products (AeroNav Products), formerly knownas The National Aeronautical Charting Office (NACO),provide an airport sketch on the lower left or right portionof every instrument approach chart. [Figure 1-1] This sketchdepicts the runways, their length, width and slope, thetouchdown zone elevation, the lighting system installed onthe end of the runway, and taxiways. Graphical depictionsof NOTAMS are also available for selected airports as well asfor temporary flight restriction (TFRs) areas on the defenseinternet NOTAM service (DINS) website.For select airports, typically those with heavy traffic orcomplex runway layouts, AeroNav Products also printan airport diagram. The diagram is located in the IFR TPPbooklet following the instrument approach chart for aparticular airport. It is a full page depiction of the airportthat includes the same features of the airport sketch plus1-2Figure 1-1.Airport diagram included on the Oshkosh, WisconsinVOR RWY 9 Approach Chart as depicted in the IFR TPP.additional details, such as taxiway identifiers, airport latitudeand longitude, and building identification. The airportdiagrams are also available in the A/FD and on the AeroNavProducts website atwww.aeronav.faa.gov.[Figure 1-2]A/FD, published in regional booklets by AeroNav Products,provides textual information about all airports, both visualflight rules (VFR) and IFR. The A/FD includes runway lengthand width, runway surface, load bearing capacity, runwayslope, runway declared distances, airport services, andhazards, such as birds and reduced visibility. [Figure 1-3]Sketches of airports also are being added to aid VFR pilots insurface movement activities. In support of the FAA RunwayIncursion Program, full page airport diagrams and “HotSpot” locations are included in the A/FD. These charts arethe same as those published in the IFR TPP and are printedfor airports with complex runway or taxiway layouts.NOTFSurface Movement SafetyNAV IGATRunway numbersIONOn-airport buildingsAirport name and locationIONTaxiway designationsThe SMGCS low visibility taxi plan includes the improvementof taxiway and runway signs, markings, and lighting,as well as the creation of SMGCS visual aid diagrams.[Figure 1-4] The plan also clearly identifies taxi routesand their supporting facilities and equipment. Airportenhancements that are part of the SMGCS program include,but are not limited to:•Stop bar lights—required at intersections of anilluminated (centerline or edge lighted) taxiwayand an active runway for operations less than600 feet RVR. These lights consist of a row of redunidirectional, in- pavement lights installed alongthe holding position marking. When extinguished bythe controller, they confirm clearance for the pilot,or vehicle operator, to enter the runway. Controlledstop bars operate in conjunction with green/yellowcenterline lead-on lights that extend from the stopbar location onto the runway.Taxiway centerline lead-on lights—guide groundtraffic under low visibility conditions and at night.These lights consist of alternating green/yellow in-pavement lights.Runway guard lights—either elevated or in-pavement, may be installed at all taxiways thatprovide access to an active runway. They consistof alternately flashing yellow lights. These lightsare used to denote both the presence of an activerunway and identify the location of a runway holdingposition marking.Geographic position markings—ATC verifies theposition of aircraft and vehicles using geographicposition markings. The markings can be used eitheras hold points or for position reporting. Thesecheckpoints or “pink spots” are outlined with a blackand white circle and designated with a number or anumber and a letter.Clearance bar lights—three yellow in-pavementclearance bar lights used to denote holdingpositions for aircraft and vehicles. When used forhold points, they are co-located with geographicposition markings.IGORNAVATEC-3, 29 JUL 2010 to 26 AUG 2010NOTFFigure 1-2.Airport diagram of Oshkosh, Wisconsin as depictedin the A/FD.Surface Movement Guidance Control System(SMGCS)The Surface Movement Guidance Control System (SMGCS)was developed in 1992 to facilitate the safe movement ofaircraft and vehicles at airports where scheduled air carrierswere conducting authorized operations. This program wasdesigned to provide guidelines for the creation of lowvisibility taxi plans for all airports with takeoff or landingoperations using visibility minimums less than 1,200 feetRVR. For landing operations, this would be pertinent only tothose operators whose OpSpecs permit them to land withlower than standard minimums. For departures, however,since there are no regulatory takeoff minimums for Title 14Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 91 operators,the SMGCS information is pertinent to all departingtraffic operating in instrument meteorological conditions(IMC). Advisory Circular (AC) 120-57, Surface MovementGuidance and Control System, outlines the SMGCS programin its entirety including standards and guidelines forestablishment of a low visibility taxi plan.EC-3, 29 JUL 2010 to 26 AUG 2010Precise runway direction•Runway slopeLongitude and latitude•••Both flight and ground crews, Part 121 and 135 operators, arerequired to comply with SMGCS plans when implementedat their specific airport. All airport tenants are responsiblefor disseminating information to their employees andconducting training in low visibility operating procedures.Anyone operating in conjunction with the SMGCS planmust have a copy of the low visibility taxi route chart fortheir given airport as these charts outline the taxi routesand other detailed information concerning low visibilityoperations. These charts are available from private sources1-3Figure 1-3.Excerpts from the Airport Facility Directory of Naples Muni, Naples, Florida.outside of the FAA. Government sources for SMGCScharts may be available in the future. Part 91 operatorsare expected to comply with the guidelines listed in AC120-57, and should expect “Follow Me” service (whenavailable) when low visibility operations are in use. AnySMGCS outage that would adversely affect operations atthe airport is issued as a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).decreases the potential of collisions on airport runwaysand taxiways.Additional information concerning airport lighting,markings, and signs can be found in the AeronauticalInformation Manual (AIM), Chapter 14, “Runway IncursionAvoidance” in the Pilot’s Handbook of AeronauticalKnowledge as well as on the FAA’s website athttp://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/.Advanced Surface Movement Guidance ControlSystem (A-SMGCS)With the increasing demand for airports to accommodatehigher levels of aircraft movements, it is becoming moreand more difficult for the existing infrastructure to safelyhandle greater capacities of traffic in all weather conditions.As a result, the FAA is implementing runway safety systems,such as Airport Surface Detection Equipment-Model X(ASDE-X) and Advanced Surface Movement Guidance andControl System (A-SMGCS) at various airports. The data thatthese systems use comes from surface movement radarand aircraft transponders. The combination of these datasources allows the systems to determine the position andidentification of aircraft on the airport movement area and1-4Airport Signs, Lighting, and MarkingsFlight crews use airport lighting, markings, and signs tohelp maintain situational awareness. These visual aidsprovide information concerning the aircraft’s location onthe airport, the taxiway in use, and the runway entrancebeing used. Overlooking this information can lead toground accidents that are entirely preventable. If youencounter unfamiliar markings or lighting, contact ATCfor clarification and, if necessary, request progressive taxiinstructions. Pilots are encouraged to notify the appropriateauthorities of erroneous, misleading, or decaying signs orlighting that would contribute to the failure of safe groundoperations.In-pavement runway guard lights18Centerline/lead-on lightsRunway holding position marking and lights for land and hold short operations (LAHSO)Figure 1-4.Key airport lighting and markings.Runway IncursionsOn any given day, the NAS may handle almost 200,000takeoffs and landings. Due to the complex nature of theairport environment and the intricacies of the network ofpeople that make it operate efficiently, the FAA is constantlylooking to maintain the high standard of safety that existsat airports today. Runway safety is one of its top priorities.Beginning FY 2008, the FAA defines a runway incursion as:A18APaintedholdingpositionsignStop bar at instrument landing system hold positionBroken taxiway edge markings may be crossedVehicle lanesReporting pointsLowvisibilityholdpointUnder ATCcontrolNot under ATC controlTaxiway centerline markingTaxiway edge marking (do not cross)Painted taxiway location signPainted taxiway direction sign“Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrectpresence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protectedarea of a surface designated for the landing and takeoff ofaircraft.”The four categories of runway incursions are listed below:•Category A—a serious incident in which a collisionwas narrowly avoided.1-5
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