Appendix 1 APPENDIX 1. AIRPORT SURFACE OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS
AND AIRPORTS WHEN THE TOWER IS CLOSED Runway Incursion Avoidance Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Items NOTE: For more information about operations at non-towered airports, refer to the current versions of Advisory Circular (AC) 90-42, Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports without Operating Control Towers and AC 90-66, Recommended Standard Traffic Patterns and Practices for Aeronautical Operations at Airports without Operating Control Towers.
1. General. The following procedures are in addition to those that are applicable at towered airports. The absence of an operating airport traffic control tower (ATCT) creates a need for increased vigilance on the part of the pilot. There are also specific communications procedures that differ from those used at airports with control towers. Planning, clear communications, and enhanced SA during airport surface operations will reduce the potential for surface incidents at airports without an operating control tower. This appendix focuses on those aspects of taxi operations that are unique to airports without an operating control tower and will not be repeated in such detail as the information covered in other sections of this AC.
2. Planning.
a. Planning taxi operations at an airport without an operating control tower is similar to planning taxi operations at an airport with an operating tower. However, flightcrews must remember that some airports have part-time operational control towers. When planning to fly into or out of such an airport, flightcrews must be absolutely certain of the tower’s operational status before conducting any operations. If the status is in doubt, they should attempt contact on the tower’s frequency.
b. In addition to the information provided for operations at airports with an operating control tower, pilots should consider doing the following when operating at an airport without an operating control tower:
(1) Familiarize themselves with the local traffic pattern direction and check their specific pattern altitude. During calm wind conditions, be aware that flight operations may occur at more than one runway at the airport.
(2) Aircraft may be using an instrument approach procedure (IAP) to runways other than the runway in use for visual flight rules (VFR) operations. The instrument approach runway may intersect the VFR runway. It is also possible that an instrument arrival may be made to the opposite end of the runway from which a takeoff is being made.
(3) Be sure that the taxi plan is understood.
(4) Be alert, communicate your intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), and listen for other aircraft operating on, to, and from the airport.
Appendix 1
3. Situational Awareness (SA). While maintaining SA is important in all circumstances, it is particularly important when operating at an airport without an operating control tower. To achieve SA, the pilot(s) should be fully aware of their intended taxi route and be able to follow the planned route correctly. Without air traffic control (ATC) to verbally assist or tell the pilot(s) where and when to stop, the pilot(s) must rely on visual cues to maintain SA and maintain the planned taxi route. These visual cues include airport signs, hold short lines, other airport markings, and lighting, together with the airport diagram. These particular cues are especially useful during periods of poor visibility and at night.
4. Communication and Aeronautical Data.
a. Communication rules and guidelines and aeronautical data for operations at airports without an operating control tower differ from those applicable at towered airports. Various regulations, the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), approved pilot training programs, and operational procedure manuals provide information to the pilot on standard phraseology, communication, and data requirements.
b. Pilots verify that:
(1) Current aeronautical data for the airport is obtained, including the operating hours and status of the control tower.
(2) They have the appropriate airport communication frequency, referred to as the CTAF.
Pilots should be especially vigilant when flying into an airport with a closed tower as these airports typically have differing CTAFs and Aeronautical Advisory Station (UNICOM) frequencies.
NOTE: Pilots of departing aircraft should monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from engine start, during taxi, and until 10 miles from the airport unless appropriate regulations, local procedures, or operations specifications (OpSpecs) require otherwise, or until they contact ATC and begin VFR advisories for their enroute flight to their destination.
5. Taking the Runway. Pilots should:
• Not line up on the departure runway and hold any longer than absolutely necessary.
• Always state the name of the airport at the beginning and end of the radio transmission.
CAUTION: Some aircraft operating at airports without operating control towers may not be equipped with a radio. Be alert for them.
Appendix 2
Page 1 (and 2) APPENDIX 2. PILOT BRIEFING CARD In accordance with sections within this advisory circular (AC), the following is a sample pilot briefing card to be incorporated as a standard operating procedure (SOP), and to be used with the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM)/pilot’s operating handbook (POH) checklist.
Preflight Briefing Airport Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs):
Airport Instrument approaches - Closed taxiways and/or runways.
• Noise abatement procedures.
• Engine failure during takeoff procedures.
• Significant terrain/obstacles in terminal area relative to departure routing.
• Significant weather conditions — Any other known risks and intentions.
— Takeoff performance for runways, obstacle clearances, minimum climb gradients, etc.
Pretaxi Briefing —Taking off at a Non-Tower or Towered Airport. Non-tower: increase awareness for other traffic landing or taking off — Air traffic control (ATC) taxi clearance (if applicable).
— Taxi route/hot spots.
— Standard Instrument Departure (SID) or instrument flight rules (IFR) departure.
— Initial
• Heading.
• Altitude.
• Fix or route segment.
— Any applicable special considerations such as minimum equipment list (MEL) item(s).
Approach Briefing — Airport NOTAMS:
— Closed runways and/or taxiways.
— Noise abatement procedures.
— Engine failure during missed approach.
— Significant terrain or obstacles in the terminal area relative to approach routing.
— Highest minimum safe/sector altitude (MSA).
— Significant weather conditions.
— Land-and-hold-short operations (LAHSO).
— Aircraft systems status that may affect approach and landing capabilities.
— Maintain awareness for other traffic landing or taking off.
Heightened awareness for operations at non-towered airports.
— Obtain airport weather and landing information.
— Identify the landing runway.
— Electronic/visual means to identify runway.
— Planned runway turnoff and taxi route/hot spots.
— Landing performance.
— Autobrakes setting.
— Landing flaps setting.
— Instrument Approach name and runway.
— Required visibility.
— Approach chart date.
— Primary Navigational Aid (NAVAID) frequency.
— Final approach course.
— Final approach verification altitude.
— Design approval holder DA(H), alert height (AH) or design documentation aid (DDA)/missed approach point (MAP).
— Touchdown zone elevation (TDZE).
— Missed approach procedure.
— Any other known risks and intentions.
Appendix 3 APPENDIX 3. AIRPORT SURFACE OPERATIONS FOR FLIGHT SCHOOLS AND
INSTRUCTORS In addition to the other sections of this advisory circular (AC), a result of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s interaction with flight schools, the following Best Practices were developed.
1. During briefings, a specific safety topic and talking points should be delivered to all staff and students. These topics are specific enough to ensure a meaningful discussion that covers a wide range of safety issues, including, but not limited to, proper/safe operation of aircraft systems, runway safety and vigilance, and individual/personal safety measures.
2. Instructors should be advised to limit cockpit instruction during critical phases of flight, particularly during taxiing, to mitigate the risks of a runway incursion or other surface incident.
Placards should be developed and mounted on the panel of each aircraft to remind instructors of this action.
3. The flight school’s safety officer, chief pilot, and chief executive officer (CEO) should attend monthly safety meetings facilitated by their respective airport personnel. These meetings are usually conducted monthly and attended by the airport organizations. The items discussed at these meetings should be disseminated to all company personnel.
4. Flight school certificated flight instructors (CFI) are required to participate in monthly recurrent training to include the completion of an online runway safety course. The runway safety course should be integrated into the school’s CFI standardization syllabus. Students are also required to participate in this training, as part of initial Ground School training, and must complete it before their first solo.
5. Tower visits should be incorporated into the standardization syllabus for all new CFIs, and discuss runway incursion avoidance procedures with ATC personnel.
6. Flight schools should develop a letter of authorization (LOA) with their respective airport control tower, and establish a flight school call sign format by requiring the enunciating all numbers in the call sign (e.g., “Flight School Name three-one-six” and not “Flight School Name three sixteen”).
7. Flight schools should look into marking/painting their aircraft in a high visibility accent paint scheme and assign those aircraft to solo operations, and they should look into student pilots announcing to the tower “Student Pilot,” then the remainder of their flight school’s call sign.
8. Flight school launch and recovery times should be managed to occur during reduced airport operation times. The scheduling of flights during low airport activity times can significantly reduce runway and pattern congestion, reduce the load on the tower controllers, and potentially provide more service to the student pilots and CFIs.
9. Instruct students that, at airports with control towers, there may be a loss of communication, or an aircraft may experience a “stuck microphone,” which can block all aircraft/tower communications. Therefore, pilots should scan the tower as they taxi, after being given a LUAW
Appendix 3 clearance, and on the runway while waiting for takeoff clearance, the pilot should expect a communication from ATC within 90 seconds. If the pilot does not receive a communication from ATC within 90 seconds of the LUAW clearance, the pilot should query ATC, and scan for “Light Gun Signals” to ensure that they do not miss any tower alerts.
10. Instruct students that on final approach, if they have not received landing clearance, to ask the tower, “Flight School call sign, am I cleared to land?” and, if there is no response, to execute a go-around.