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
Term Definition Runway Visual Range (RVR) An instrumentally derived value based upon standard calibrations that represents the horizontal distance a pilot will see down the runway from the approach end. (reference FAA Order 6560.10) Stop Bar Stop bar lights consist of elevated and in-pavement red fixtures that are installed at the runway holding position or instrument landing system (ILS) critical area holding position marking. Stop bars may be controllable by ATC and will include a system of in-pavement green taxiway centerline/lead-on lights at locations where aircraft will enter or cross a runway.
Surface Movement Radar (SMR) Radar with a high update rate that is capable of providing surveillance of all aircraft and vehicles in an airport movement area.
Surface Movement Surveillance System (SMSS) A system which provides positive identification and accurate positional information on all aircraft and vehicles.
Surface Painted Direction Sign Pavement markings that are configured the same as the associated sign and provided when it is not possible to provide taxiway direction signs at intersections. (reference AC 150/5340-1) Surface Painted Holding Position Sign Pavement marking which is used to identify a specific runway.
These markings are configured the same as the associated sign.
(reference AC 150/5340-1) Surface Painted Location Sign Pavement markings that are configured the same as the associated sign and are used to supplement the signs located alongside the taxiway and assist the pilot in confirming the designation of the taxiway on which the aircraft is located. (reference AC 150/5340-1) Synthetic Vision System (SVS) An electronic means to display a synthetic vision image of the external scene topography to the flight crew. An SVS display does not provide an independent, real-time source of forward scene information.
Taxi lanes Apron areas which provide taxiing aircraft access to and from parking positions. Taxi lanes may be movement areas, and have associated restrictions.
Taxi Route In this document, a specific sequence of lighted taxiways used by aircraft during low visibility operations.
Touchdown RVR The RVR visibility readout values obtained from RVR equipment serving the runway touchdown zone.
Unserviceable In this document, refers to equipment, which is inoperative, obscured (i.e., by ice, snow, sand), degraded, not operating B-4
Term Definition normally (e.g., abnormally low intensity), or not performing its intended function.
Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group The airport operator/authority’s LVO/SMGCS planning group (including airport tenants, other airport operations and support personnel, and are interested stakeholders) that assists the airport in researching, developing, implementing an LVO/SMGCS Plan, and operating an LVO/SMGCS program.
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Table B-2. Acronyms Term Definition ADO Airport District Office ARFF Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Capability ASDE-X Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X ASSC Airport Surface Surveillance Capability ATC Air Traffic Control ATCT Airport Traffic Control Tower AVS Aviation Safety CFR Code of Federal Regulations CVS Combined Vision System EFVS Enhance Flight Vision System FLIR Forward Looking Infrared FS FAA, Flight Standards Service HDD Head Down Display HUD Head Up Display HWD Head Worn Display ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization LOA Letter of Agreement LVO Low Visibility Operations M, m Meters RGL Runway Guard Light RVR Runway Visual Range (in feet) SMGCS Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems SMR Surface Movement Radar SMS Safety Management System SMSS Surface Movement Surveillance System SVGS Synthetic Vision Guidance System SVS Synthetic Vision System B-1
Appendix C. Checklist for Operations Less Than RVR 1200 Feet This sample checklist is provided for reference only for LVO/SMGCS operations less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m) down to and including RVR 500 ft (150 m). We encourage you to use this checklist and tailor it to your specific airport and operational needs. Refer to appendix E, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport LVO/SMGS Plan, for an example of an accepted LVO/SMGCS Plan.
C.1 Sig ns, Markings, and Visual Aids C.1.1 Movement Area
• Runway guard lights
• Taxiway edge or centerline lights
• Taxiway signs
• Runway hold markings
• Surface painted direction or location signs
• Intermediate holding position markings and lights
• Geographic position markings C.1.2 Non-movement Area
• No additional requirements C.2 Guidelines and Review Items C.2.1 Review Purpose of LVO/SMGCS AC 120-57 C.2.2 Determine Applicability of LVO/SMGCS AC 120-57 to the airport C.2.3 Review Pertinent FAA Regulations and Resources. (i.e., appropriate AC150 series, FAA Order 8000.94) C.2.4 Review Definitions Pertinent to LVO/SMGCS C.2.5 Take Actions to Establish Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group
• Appoint chairperson of Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group
• Establish Airport LVO/SMGCS Working Group
• Perform airport evaluation C-1
• Identify LVO/SMGCS low visibility taxi routes
• Identify and establish needed facilities
• Identify and establish needed procedures
• Identify responsibilities of participants
• Flight Standards (FS)
• Airports (ARP)
• Air Traffic Organization (ATO)
• Airport Operator
• Airport Users
• Airport Tenants
• Formulate LVO/SMGCS Plan C.2.6 Considerations in Establishing and Maintaining a LVO/SMGCS Plan C.2.6.1 Runways
• Minimum length and width
• Paved overruns or blast pads
• Gradients within standards
• High intensity runway lights
• Centerline lighting and marking
• Lead-on lighting and marking
• Lead-off lighting and marking
• Number of runway exits (2 or 3; plus runway end) C.2.6.2 Taxiways
• Minimum width
• High speed exits, if appropriate C-2
• Connectors meet gradients standards
• Edge lighting, reflectors
• Determine if elevated lights are required due to snow or other factors
• Lighted connector taxiways must have the proper configuration of runway guard lights at the runway holding position (elevated or in-pavement)
• Taxiway centerline marking enhancements: 12-inch yellow reflective stripe with 6-inch black borders. Glass beads may be used to increase the conspicuity of markings (1.5 or 1.9 index of refraction)
• Taxiway designator markings
• Taxiway holding position markings and guidance signs
• Signs and marking denoting boundary of ILS critical area
• Surface painted holding position sign
• Vehicle roadway markings
• Movement area boundary markings
• Taxi guidance signs
• Taxi guidance markings C.2.6.3 Aprons/non-movement areas
• Appropriate lighting
• Taxi lanes, properly marked (reflective) and identified
• Vehicle roadway markings C.2.6.4 Inspection and monitoring of lights and visual aids
• Maintenance program within standards
• ATC Personnel training for use of system
• Monitoring within standards
• Inspection before entering low visibility conditions
• Re-inspection every four hours down to RVR 500 ft (150 m) C-3
C.2.6.5 Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF)
• Review existing procedures and determine if enhancements are required
• ARFF should have a LVO/SMGCS annual training program C.2.6.6 Low Visibility Taxi Routes
• Determine primary and alternate exits from runway(s) and taxi route(s) in support of landing operations less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m) down to and including RVR 500 ft (150 m).
• Determine taxi route(s) and entrance(s) to runway(s) for takeoff operations less than RVR 1200 ft (350 m) down to and including RVR 500 ft (150 m). Consider exits and routes for runway abort.
• It is recommended not to have runway crossings at other than 90-degree intersections.
• Assure airport operators coordinate development of the LVO/SMGCS low visibility taxi routes chart(s).
C.2.6.7 Snow Removal Equipment
• Routing
• Priorities C.2.6.8 Re-Positioning of Aircraft
• Determine routes to be used
• Determine visibility limitations
• Determine taxi/tow/follow-me procedures for air carrier operators
• Determine follow-me procedures for Part 91 operators
• Determine specific operational limitations, i.e., no passengers on board
• Require personnel to have documented LVO/SMGCS training and use LVO/SMGCS low visibility taxi chart(s)
• Determine whether additional lighting; including stop bars, markings, signs, or restrictions are necessary C-4