Chapter 6. Surface Movement Surveillance Systems (SMSS) Airport Facilities and Services
6.1 O verview. SMSS is a broad, general term that refers to surface surveillance provided by a specific system. Surface surveillance can be successfully provided by means as simple as a marshaller or follow-me vehicle, whereas a full system could be as sophisticated as an ASDE-X system with dual Surface Movement Radars covering miles of airport surface movement and non-movement areas.
Emerging technologies are leading to Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) flight deck-centric surface movement surveillance capabilities that are comparable to ASDE-X and other surface radar systems. As advanced aircraft surface tracking technologies improve, the options available for position awareness at or above the level of accuracy currently provided by ASDE-X will expand, and with less expensive alternatives. These systems allow ATC to establish the geographic position of all aircraft and vehicles. Advancing technologies will enable all moving vehicles and aircraft to monitor each other’s progress electronically.
Operations in conditions less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m). A surface movement radar (SMR), such as airport surface detection equipment (ASDE-3 equivalent), or alternative technologies, although not required are highly desirable.
Operations in conditions less than RVR 500 ft (150 m). SMR, or an equivalent SMSS mitigation, should be installed and operational. If not installed, a similar system or one of the emerging technologies that provides comparable surveillance and separation should be in place. In the event that the SMR becomes inoperative during operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m), operations may continue utilizing accepted geographic positioning procedures until operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m) are terminated.
The SMR should be operational before resuming operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m).
6.2 Operational Considerations. This section focuses primarily on airport facilities and services that are oriented to ground surface operations dependent on the unaided eye.
Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF). During reduced visibility conditions, the role of ATC in notifying and assisting ARFF services increases in significance.
Procedures, systems and/or techniques should be established and reviewed annually, in coordination with the Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group, to ensure that aircraft requiring assistance can be located and ARFF services expeditiously provided. For operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m), the pre-positioning of ARFF equipment (so as not to create a new obstacle) is considered. Airports that have Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) or other accepted alternative technologies should include the routing/positioning within the LVO/SMGCS Plan.
Taxiway Configuration. The Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group should examine the airport for adequacy of fillets and landing gear and/or wingtip clearances along taxiways used in low visibility conditions.
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• Operations less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m) Visibility. Recommend inadequate taxiway fillets be upgraded to meet current standards. Depict those locations without upgrades on appropriate LVO/SMGCS low visibility taxi route charts.
The notation may be in the form of a symbol identifying specific turning points or a general note such as “judgmental oversteering required along the taxi route.”
• Operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m) Visibility. Inadequate taxiway fillets and clearances at turning points or other locations along taxi routes should be upgraded to meet the current standard.
6.3 Airport Operations/Participating Tenants LVO/SMGCS Procedures.
LVO/SMGCS procedures should be developed for each LVO/SMGCS airport authorized for low visibility operations. The procedures should include a method of notifying key personnel of participating organizations that LVO/SMGCS procedures have been initiated or terminated by ATC. Copies of the accepted LVO/SMGCS Plan and any revisions should be provided to all parties involved. ATC will normally have an LOA(s) and SOP(s) set up with airport operations.
Training. All vehicle operators should receive LVO/SMGCS training in subjects such as airport lights, signs, and markings. Include procedures to assist in navigating ground vehicles in the aircraft movement area. The training should incorporate, if applicable, radio telephone procedures, including lost-communication procedures. The airport operator should review driver training programs to ensure that low visibility procedures are included and the training is documented. Vehicle operators supporting LVO/SMGCS operations should have a low visibility taxi route chart or equivalent available.
Non-Routine Procedures. Procedures should be developed for situations such as construction activities, snow removal, and deicing events. Include such procedures in the LVO/SMGCS Plan and determine any limitations that are needed for those vehicle activities when the LVO/SMGCS Plan is implemented.
Vehicle Access. Procedures should be developed for vehicular traffic in the movement areas. Include how to restrict vehicles to only those areas essential to supporting low visibility operations. The Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group should review vehicle control and, if necessary, identify additional marking, lighting, restrictions, or other measures recommended to control vehicles in non-movement areas. For example, this may include such mitigations as barriers, gates, signs, markings, traffic lights, and "road guards.”
6.4 Apron Traffic Management. The LVO/SMGCS Plan should include apron traffic management procedures for all non-movement apron areas used by aircraft or vehicles.
These procedures should indicate the party or parties who will coordinate the traffic movement in the apron area. The apron management entity(s) must limit access to the apron area to ensure the safe movement of all aircraft and vehicles operating within the 6-2
area. Roadways which cross taxi lanes must be kept clear by positive control methods, such as radio communications, when aircraft are using the apron area.
6.5 Taxiing Assistance in Non-Movement Areas. For operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m), where centerline lights are not installed, the LVO/SMGCS Plan should provide for taxiing assistance. Taxiing assistance may include such measures as follow-me vehicles, wing-tip marshallers, or towing with an aircraft tug. The assistance should be provided by a method agreed upon by the Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group.
Ground marshalling may be used to assist aircraft from the intersection of the taxi lane centerline and the gate lead-in line.
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7.2 Chapter 7. Airport Condition Reporting LVO Support Infrastructure Outages. Problems with LVO/SMGCS infrastructure may adversely affect aircraft operations, overall safety, and airport capacity. There are a number of critical components such as stop bar lights, centerline lights, etc. which, if inoperative, may have an immediate impact on availability of LVO operations. This type of component loss is especially critical less than RVR 500 ft (150 m). The Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group should develop a method that will ensure timely transmittal of the outage information to dispatch centers, operational control, and interested parties such as ATC and local tenants. A process for loading the proper information onto ATIS, to the FAA NOTAM system and/or FAA Traffic Management System is advisable.
RVR System Coverage and Gaps. The layout distribution of RVR sensor systems at an airport should be evaluated. The airport operator should determine if there are any resultant coverage gaps of effective visibility for the proposed LVO/SMGCS portion of an airport. Analyze and develop mitigations for the effects of the relationship to the non-movement and movement surface areas that will be included in the LVO/SMGCS operations. If a participating parking ramp is miles away from any RVR data reporting location, then a means of determining useable visibilities at the pertinent remote parking location should be conducted. The Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group should establish procedures as to how the visibilities will be determined or other mitigations for coverage gaps.
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8.1
8.2 Chapter 8. Airport Low Visibility, Taxi Route(s) Chart Use of Charts. A low visibility taxi route(s) chart will be provided, or an electronic equivalent, for use by flight crews. ATC personnel, ARFF personnel, airport operations personnel, ground support vehicle operators, and ground marshalling crews should have charts or diagrams when LVO/SMGCS operations are being conducted. The airport low visibility taxi route chart, when possible, should be limited to one page. The airport operator normally develops the low visibility taxi route chart in coordination with the Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group and ATC. When finished with this process, and the FAA LVO/SMGCS Team has accepted the proposed taxi route chart, the airport operator will send it to the commercial chart company of their choosing for publication.
General Chart Information. The chart(s) should provide at least the following information:
• D esignated low visibility taxi route(s) for operations less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m) down to and including RVR 500 ft (150 m)
• Designated low visibility taxi route(s) for operations less than RVR 500 ft (150 m), if applicable
• Legend depicting appropriate symbology and terminology
• Location of runways, taxiways, aprons, concourses, buildings, and other obstacles
• Location of runway and taxiway centerline lights, including lead-on and lead-off lights
• Location of runway hold points
• Location of approach hold points
• Location of stop bar lights
• Location of geographic position markings, adjacent intermediate hold marking, and clearance bars
• Location of any intermediate holding position markings (not included with other LVO/SMGCS markings/lights)
• Location of taxiway hold points
• Location of clearance bar lights
• Location of Movement/Non-Movement area boundaries 8-1
• Location of inadequate fillets on taxiway turns and the need for judgmental oversteering by pilots
• Location of de-icing pads
• Location of ARFF stations
• Unique airport characteristics and/or procedures
8.3 Flight Operations Chart Training Factors for Aircraft Operators. The LVO/SMGCS Plan should identify any aspects of the following list of items that are specific or unique to the airport, relative to low visibility operations. Aircraft operators and ground support/vehicle operators should address these items in appropriate training programs. All ground support personnel involved in LVO/SMGCS operations should have the training documented. Training items to be included, but not limited to, are:
• Apron (ramp) operations
• ILS critical areas, runway safety areas, and approach holds
• Stop bar lights
• Runway guard lights (RGL)
• Combination RGLs and stop bars
• Taxiway centerline lights, including ILS critical area alternating green and yellow lights from runway centerline
• Clearance bar lights
• Runway lead-on and lead-off lights
• Geographic position markings, adjacent intermediate hold markings, and clearance bars
• Taxiway and runway holding position markings
• Location of deicing pads and pertinent notes
• Movement/non-movement boundary marking
• Non-movement area line up points (normally linked with transition Ramp to Ground Control)
• Single direction low visibility routes appropriately annotated
• Bi-directional routes if necessary for clarification 8-2
• Other pavement markings such as surface painted signs
• Use of low visibility taxi route(s) chart(s)
• Taxi procedures at turns requiring judgmental oversteering 8-3
Appendix A. References A.1 Re gulations.
• Reference Part 139, Certification and Operations: Land Airports Serving Certain Air Carriers
• 14 CFR Part 91.175 Takeoff and Landing Under IFR
• 14 CFR Part 91.176 Straight-in landing operations less than DA/DH or MDA using an enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) under IFR
• 14 CFR Part 121.651 Takeoff and landing weather minimums: IFR: All certificate holders
• 14 CFR Part 125.325 Instrument approach procedures and IFR landing minimums
• 14 CFR Part 135.225 IFR: Takeoff, approach, and landing minimums A.2 Advisory Circulars.
• AC 120-118, Criteria for Approval/Authorization of All Weather Operations for Takeoff, Landing, and Rollout
• AC 150/5300-13, Airport Design, current edition
• AC 150/5340-1, Standards for Airport Markings
• AC 150/5340-18, Standards for Airport Sign Systems
• AC 150/5340-28, Low Visibility Taxiway Lighting Systems
• AC 150/5340-30, Design and Installation Details for Airport Visual Aids
• AC 150/5320-12, Measurement, Construction, and Maintenance of Skid Resistant Airport Pavement Surfaces.
• AC 150/5370-2, Operational Safety on Airports during Construction
• Other applicable 150-series ACs A.3 FAA Orders.
• FAA Order 5100.38, Airport Improvement Program Handbook
• FAA Order 5280.5, Airport Certification Program Handbook
• FAA Order 6560.10, Runway Visual Range (RVR)
• FAA Order 6750.16, Siting Criteria for Instrument Landing Systems.
• FAA Order 6750.24, Instrument Landing System and Ancillary Electronic Component Configuration and Performance Requirement.
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• FAA Order 8000.94, Procedures for Establishing Airport Low-Visibility Operations and Acceptance of Low Visibility Operations/Surface Movement Guidance and Control System Operations A.4 Operations Specifications (OpSpec), Management Specifications (MSpec), and Letters of Agreement (LOA).
• C048, Enhanced Flight Vision System Operations
• C060, Category II and Category III Instrument Approach and Landing Operations
• C078, IFR Lower Than Standard Takeoff Minima, All Airports
• C079, IFR Lower Than Standard Takeoff Minima, All Airports (14 CFR Part 135 Airplane Operations) A.5 Foreign (ICAO, EASA).
• Annex 11 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Air Traffic Services
• Annex 14 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Volume I, Aerodrome Design and Operations
• ICAO Doc 9476-AN/927, Manual of Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (SMGCS)
• ICAO Doc 9830-AN/452, Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS)
• ICAO EUR Doc 013, European Guidance Material on All Weather Operations at Aerodromes A.6 Other Guidance and References.
• Low Visibility Operations/Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (LVO/SMGCS) Chart Usability: An Examination of Flight Crew Position Awareness in Homogeneous RVR 300 ft (75 m) RVR Conditions, Final Report, September 2014, DOT-VNTSC-14-14
• Low Visibility Operations/Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (LVO/SMGCS) Chart Symbology, Final Report — February 2016, DOT‐ VNTSC‐FAA‐16‐05, DOT/FAA/TC‐16/25
• Use of an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) in Lieu of Low Visibility Operations/Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (LVO/SMGCS) Infrastructure, October 2019, DOT/FAA/AM-20/03 A-2
Appendix B. Definitions and Acronyms This appendix contains the definition of terms and acronyms used within this AC. The appendix also contains certain terms that are not used in this AC but are used in related ACs and are included for convenient reference. Certain definition of terms and acronyms are also provided to facilitate common use of this appendix for other related ACs.
Table B-1. Definitions Term Definition Aircraft Service Areas On or adjacent to an aircraft parking position. Intended for use by personnel/equipment for servicing aircraft and staging of equipment to facilitate loading and unloading of aircraft.
Airport Certification Manual Manual containing operating procedures, equipment descriptions, responsibility assignments, and any other information needed by airport personnel to comply with subpart D of 14 CFR Part 139.
Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group Includes Airport Authority and key tenant groups that will participate in LVO/SMGCS or are impacted by LVO/SMGCS operations.
Herein referred to as Working Group.
Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X) A surveillance system using radar, multi-lateration, and satellite technology that allows air traffic controllers to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles.
Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) A surveillance system using radar, multi-lateration, and satellite technology that allows air traffic controllers to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles.
Apron (Ramp) A defined area on an airport intended to accommodate aircraft for purposes of loading or unloading passengers or cargo, refueling, parking, or maintenance.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) ADS-B is an advanced surveillance technology where ADS-B-Out equipped aircraft share position, altitude, velocity, and other information with ATC and other appropriately equipped aircraft.
Clearance Bar A clearance bar consists of three in-pavement steady-burning yellow lights that indicate a low visibility hold point. The fixtures are normally unidirectional but may be bidirectional depending upon whether the hold point is intended to be used in one or two directions.
Combined Vision System (CVS) A system which combines information from an enhanced vision system and a synthetic vision system in a single integrated display.
Controlling Region The FAA geographic region in which an airport is located.
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Term Definition Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) An installed aircraft system that uses an electronic means to provide a display of the forward external scene topography (the natural or manmade features of a place or region especially in a way to show their relative positions and elevation) through the use of imaging sensors, including but not limited to Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), millimeter wave radiometry, millimeter wave radar, or low-light level image intensification. An EFVS includes the display element, sensors, computers and power supplies, indications, and controls.
Enhanced Taxiway Centerline The enhanced taxiway centerline marking provides supplemental visual cues to alert pilots of an upcoming runway holding position marking for minimizing the potential for runway incursions.
Enhanced Vision System (EVS) An electronic means to provide the flight crew with a sensor-derived or sensor-enhanced image of the external scene (e.g., millimeter wave radar or radiometry, forward looking infrared (FLIR), or low light level image intensifying).
Ft Feet Gate Designator Markings Pavement markings used to identify an aircraft parking position/gate(s).
Geographic Position Markings Pavement markings used to identify the location of aircraft or vehicles during low visibility conditions. They are referred to as “spots” by air traffic control (ATC).
Guided Takeoff (US) A low visibility takeoff in conditions lower than RVR 500 ft (350 m) requiring HUD, Category III ILS localizer signal, operating Center Line (CL), Lights and High Intensity Runway Lights(HIRLS), and other requirements per operating rule.
Head Up Display (HUD) An aircraft system that provides head-up guidance to the pilot during flight. It includes the display element, sensors, computers, power supplies, indications, and controls. It may receive inputs from an airborne navigation system or flight guidance system. This system allows the pilot to look for the outside visual references in the same location as they appear in the EFVS image.
Head-Down Display (HDD) A display or suite of displays that provide control, performance, and navigation information that is presented to the pilot on conventional head-down instrumentation, or integrated electronic flight displays.
Judgmental Oversteering When the taxiway centerline does not provide an adequate turn radius, the pilot may intentionally over-steer the aircraft nose wheel to keep the aircraft's main gear within the defined edges of the taxiway.
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Term Definition Low Visibility Operations (LVO) The movement of aircraft or vehicles on the airport paved surfaces when visibility conditions are reported to be less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m).
LVO/SMGCS Low Visibility Operations/Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (Formerly SMGCS). A LVO/SMGCS system consists of the provision of guidance to, and control or regulation of, all aircraft, ground vehicles, and personnel on the movement area of an aerodrome. Guidance relates to facilities, information, and advice necessary to enable the pilots of aircraft or the drivers of ground vehicles find their way on the aerodrome and to keep the aircraft or vehicles on the surfaces or within the areas intended for their use.
Control or regulation means the measures necessary to prevent collisions and to ensure that the traffic flows smooth and freely.
(reference ICAO LVO/SMGCS Manual Doc 9476-AN/927) LVO/SMGCS Taxi Route Centerline A twelve inch wide highly reflective centerline for improved taxi visual reference during LVO/SMGCS on LVO/SMGCS taxi routes.
M Meters Mid-RVR The RVR visibility readout values obtained from RVR equipment located midfield of the runway.
Movement Area Refers to the runways, taxiways, and other areas of an airport which are used for taxiing or hover taxiing, air taxiing, takeoff, and landing of aircraft, exclusive of loading ramps and aircraft parking areas.
Non-Movement Area Refers to taxiways and apron areas that are not under ATC.
Precision Obstacle Free Zone (POFZ) A volume of airspace above an area beginning at the threshold elevation and centered on the extended runway centerline [200 ft (61 m) long by 800 ft (244 m) wide].
Rollout RVR The RVR visibility readout values obtained from RVR equipment located nearest the rollout end of the runway.
Runway Guard Lights-- Elevated.
Fixture consists of a pair of elevated flashing yellow lights installed on both sides of a taxiway, at the runway holding position marking.
Their function is to confirm the presence of an active runway and assist in preventing runway incursions. (reference AIM) Runway Guard Lights—Inpavement.
Fixture consists of a row of in-pavement flashing yellow lights installed across the entire taxiway, at the runway holding position marking. Their function is to confirm the presence of an active runway and assist in preventing runway incursions. (reference AIM) B-3