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(4) Airport Tenants
h. Formulate SMGCS Plan.
6. Considerations in Establishing and Maintaining a SMGCS plan.
a. 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).
* Touchdown zone lights.
* Precision runway markings.
* CAT IIIb ILS rated III/E/3 or III/E/4.
* Proper RVR configurations for landing.
* Proper RVR configurations for takeoff.
b. Taxiways.
* Minimum width.
* High speed exits, if appropriate.
* 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 hold line (elevated or inpavement).
* 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 hold line 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.
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c. Aprons/non-movement areas.
* Appropriate lighting.
* Taxi lanes, properly marked (reflective) and identified.
* Vehicle roadway markings.
ci. Inspection and monitoring of lights and visual aids.
* Maintenance program within standards.
* Monitoring within standards.
* Inspection before entering low visibility conditions.
* Re-inspection every 2 to 4 hours.
cii. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF).
* Review existing procedures and determine if enhancements are required.
ciii. Low Visibility Taxi Routes.
* Determine primary and alternate exits from runway(s) and taxi route(s) in support of landing operations below 1,200 feet RVR down to and including 600 feet RVR.
* Determine taxi route(s) and entrance(s) to runway(s) for takeoff operations below 1,200 feet RVR down to and including 600 feet RVR. Consider exits and routes for runway abort.
* Assure that the SMGCS low visibility taxi routes chart(s) is developed by ATC Tower, coordinated, and submitted to Chart Production Integration Team (AJV-A250) for publication.
civ. Snow Removal Equipment.
* Routing.
* Priorities.
cv. 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 SMGCS training and use SMGCS low visibility taxi chart(s).
* Determine whether additional lighting; including stop bars, markings, signs, or restrictions are necessary.
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i. Air Traffic Control Procedures.
* Internal coordination procedures for monitoring visibility trends, and making decisions to initiate and terminate SMGCSoperations down to and including 600 feet RVR.
* Procedures for notification of the airport operations and pilots of initiation or termination of specific SMGCS plan operations, by land line, ATIS, NOTAM, or voice communication.
* Procedures for surface movement surveillance.
* Procedures for informing pilots of outages of required equipment by voice communications, ATIS, NOTAM, or TMS, as appropriate.
* Review of procedures for coordinating ARFF response in low visibility conditions.
* Procedures for coordinating airfield lighting inspections.
j. Detailed Airfield Lighting/Marking/Signs Diagrams.
* Submit as an attachment to the SMGCS plan.
k. SMGCS Low Visibility Taxi Routes Chart(s).
* Submit as an appendix to the SMGCS plan.
l. Assure NOTAM System Procedures Are Established and Understood.
* It can be critical to aircraft operational safety and capacity that pilots and dispatchers are timely made aware of outages in the SMGCS system, which might adversely affect the usability of the lowest published landing and/or takeoff minima for a runway or airport. NFDC NOTAM issuance is critical to enable wide area distribution.
7. Submit SMGCS Plan to FAA For Review and Approval.
* Through Flight Technologies and Procedures Division.
* Host on-site inspection of SMGCS (day/night).
* Correct discrepancies in plan/system.
* Receive SMGCS plan "approval" notification.
* Correct specified conditions.
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8. Determine Readiness of SMGCS and Participants.
* Training reported as complete and documented by participating responsible entities.
* Operations Specifications reported from users as approved by Flight Standards Air Transportation Division.
* SMGCS taxi route(s) chart(s) distributed and available for pilots and vehicle operators.
* Appropriate landing and/or takeoff minima coordinated for a specific publication date.
9. Accomplish Regular Reviews of the SMGCSPlan.
* Maintain documentation of training for inspection under part 139.
* Correct discrepancies, which are discovered or brought to the attention of the SMGCS working group chair.
* Carry out planning for future SMGCS operational capabilities as listed in the plan or as agreed upon by the SMGCS working group.
08/25/2020 AC 120-57B APPENDIX 4 -- GUIDELINES FOR SMGCS OPERATIONS BELOW 600 FEET RVR General Note -- For quick reference only, the following list includes the visual aids for less than 600 feet RVR visibility operations:
MOVEMENT AREA Stop bar lights Runway guard lights Taxiway centerline lights Clearance bar lights Taxiway hold markings Surface painted direction or location signs Geographic position markings
NON-MOVEMENT AREA Taxiway centerline lights or taxiing assistance The following items are in addition to those contained in Appendix 3
a. Runways.
* Grooved (saw cut) surface or porous friction course (PFC) surface.
* Number of runway exits (1 or 2; plus runway end).
* CAT IIIb ILS rated III/E/4.
b. Taxiways.
* Pavement fillets enable cockpit over centerline taxi.
* Centerline lighting required, and must be continuous even when crossing a runway.
* Centerline lighted taxiways must be used unidirectional or be physically separated.
* Stop bar lights installed on all lighted taxiways at runway hold lines.
* Determine stop bars which are to be controllable or non controllable by ATC Tower.
* Determine where lead-on lighting to the runway will be associated with a controllable stop bar.
* At intersections offering a choice of routes, the angle of divergence must be clearly apparent, and distinct identification markings for each choice must be visible on the pavement, or the centerline lights must be controllable by the ATC Tower for channeling the aircraft in the cleared route direction.
* Alternating yellow/green centerline lights within the ILS critical
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* Clearance bar lights and markings.
* Geographic position "spot" markings.
* Taxi assistance available by follow-me or tow.
* Use of glass beads (1.5 or 1.9 index of refraction) or retroreflective paint markings for at least geographic position markings.
c. Aprons/non-movement areas.
* Gate designators and lead in gate lead-in markings.
* Publish Apron Traffic Management Plan specifying restrictions, controls, ground support vehicle operations, training and its documentation.
* Taxi assistance available by follow-me, tow and/or ground marshalling.
d. Inspection and monitoring of lights and visual aids.
* Maintenance program within standards.
* Monitoring within standards.
* Inspection before entering low visibility conditions.
* Re-inspection every 2 hours.
e. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF).
* Review existing procedures and determine if enhancements are required.
* Consider pre-positioning of ARFF vehicle(s) as an option.
f. Surface Movement Surveillance System (SMSS).
* ASDE-3 or equivalent or new technology installed in ATC Tower and functioning.
* Back up system of geographical position "spot" markings, clearance bars, and hold markings associated with ATC Tower geographic positioning procedures.
g. Low Visibility Taxi Routes.
* Determine the exit from the runway(s) and the taxi route(s) in support of landing operations below 600 feet RVR.
* Determine taxi route(s) and entrance(s) to runway(s) for takeoff operations below 600 feet RVR.
* Determine taxi route(s) in support of re-positioning of aircraft from maintenance areas to aprons.
* Taxi routes should be physically separated or used unidirectional.
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h. Snow Removal Equipment.
* Routing.
* Priorities.
i. Air Traffic Control Procedures.
* Internal coordination procedures for monitoring visibility trends, and making decisions to initiate and terminate SMGCS operations below 600 feet RVR.
* Procedures for geographic positioning of aircraft, using the system of geographic position "spot" markings, clearance bars, hold lines, and voice communications.
j. Detailed Airfield Lighting/Marking/Signs Diagrams.
* Update SMGCS plan/chart.
k. SMGCS Low Visibility Taxi routes Chart(s).
* Update SMGCS plan/chart.
l. Apron Management Plan.
* Add to SMGCS plan.
m. Assure NOTAM System Procedures Are Established and Understood.
* Critical for below 600 feet RVR operations.
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SAMPLE LIGHTING CONFIGURATION FOR OPERATIONS BELOW 1,200 FT RVR TO 600 FT RVR 160 ft ILS Critical Area Elevated Runway Guard Light In-Pavement Runway Guard Lights 75 ft NOTE: Diagram Not To Scale
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SAMPLE LIGHTING CONFIGURATION FOR OPERATIONS BELOW 600 FT RVR ILS Critical Area Elevated Runway Guard Light In-Pavement Runway Guard 75 ft Lights 75 ft Non-Low Visibility Route In-Pavement Stop Bar Low Visibility Route Elevated Stop Bar Light NOTE: Diagram Not To Scale
08/25/2020 AC 120-57B APPENDIX 6 -- SMGCS BULLETIN BOARD An electronic bulletin board is available to provide up-to-date information on SMGCS operations. Information may be obtained in Word for Windows 6.0 and ASCII text formats by accessing the FAA Airports Electronic Bulletin Board System. Some information may be available for on-line reading or must be downloaded using the following procedures.
1. Set your communications software for 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity (common default settings). All baud rates up to 14,400 BPS are supported.
2. Dial (202) 267-5205 with your modem. (The system may also be accessed toll free via the [I]nterchange command on the FAA Corporate BBS. Dial (800) 224-6287.)
3. The first time you log on, you must answer a short registration questionnaire.
Subsequent calls require only that you remember the password you choose on your first call.
4. You may read or bypass the Newsletter and Bulletin Menus. When you reach the Main Menu, proceed to step 5 for on-line reading of SMGCS information; to download files, proceed to step 10.
5. Enter [K] to read information on-line.
6. Strike <Enter> to proceed to the On-line reader menu.
7. Enter [R] to read files.
8. Enter the number of the file you wish to read.
9. Enter [Q] twice to return to the Main Menu.
10. Enter [F] to access the Files Menu.
11. At the Files Menu, Enter [L] to list files, then enter [3]. (For other directories, enter [L] again for a list.)
12. Enter [D] to download files. Enter the reference number of the file to download when prompted. Enter a blank line when you are through selecting files.
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13. Select Auto-logoff if desired.
14. If you did not select a default download protocol when you registered, you will be prompted to select a protocol at this point. The system will send the file. Most protocols will require you to instruct your own communications software to receive the file. This procedure varies by software - check your users' manual. If you choose a non-batch protocol, you will have to instruct your system to receive each file as the BBS sends it. (Protocol’s include ZMODEM, XMODEM, KERMIT, etc.)
15. After returning to the Files Menu, enter [G] to log off.
16. The file you receive will be compressed, ending in a suffix of ".ZIP." You must have of PKUNZIP.EXE, latest version, (presently 2.04G) on your system to expand the file into a usable format. If you do not have that program, download the file PKZ204G.EXE (also latest version) from the Utilities Directory. Place the file in a subdirectory called "C:\ZIP" and run it. It will self-expand, producing several files including PKUNZIP.EXE.
17. Type "C:\ZIP\PKUNZIP {filename} {destination}"; where {filename} is the full path to the file you wish to expand and {destination} is the path of the directory where you wish to place the expanded files.