FAA Safety Briefing - Sep-Oct 2024

September/October 2024 1

September/October 2024

AIRPORT SURFACE SAFETYAIRPORT SURFACE SAFETY

14 Please Wait Y our Turn —

LUAW Instructions

Explained18 Striving for a

Safer Surface22 From the Flight Deck —

A Behind-the-Scenes Look

2 FAA Safety BriefingU.S. Department

of Transportation

Federal Aviation

Administration

ISSN: 1057-9648

FAA Safety BriefingSeptember/October 2024Volume 65/Number 5

Pete Buttigieg

Secretary of Transportation

Michael Whitaker Administrator

David Boulter Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety

Larry Fields Executive Director, Flight Standards Service

Tom Hoffmann Editor

James Williams Associate Editor / Photo Editor

Rebekah Waters Associate Editor

Nicole Hartman Associate Editor

Paul Cianciolo Associate Editor / Social Media

Jamie Harvey Art Director

Published six times a year, FAA Safety Briefing, formerly

FAA Aviation News, promotes aviation safety by discussing current technical, regulatory, and procedural aspects affecting the safe operation and maintenance of aircraft. Although based on current FAA policy and rule interpretations, all material is advisory or informational in nature and should not be construed to have regulatory effect. Certain details of accidents described herein may have been altered to protect the privacy of those involved.

The FAA does not officially endorse any goods, services, materials, or products of

manufacturers that may be referred to in an article. All brands, product names, company names, trademarks, and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

The Office of Management and Budget has approved the use

of public funds for printing FAA Safety Briefing.ABOUT THIS ISSUE…

The September/October 2024 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on the many facets of airport surface safety. Feature articles and departments provide a “road map” to the various tools, resources, and strategies airmen can use to steer clear of risk during the ramp-to-runway segment of their journey. We also look at how technology is being used in the battle against runway incursions and surface safety events.

Contact Information

The magazine is available on the internet at:

www.faa.gov/safety_briefing

Comments or questions should be directed to the staff by:

• Emailing: SafetyBriefing@faa.gov

• Calling: (202) 267-1100

• Tweeting: @FAASafetyBrief

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September/October 2024 1The FAA Safety Policy Voice of Non-commercial General Aviation

6Deviation Dissonance

Don’t Let Disquieting Deviations Become Part of Your Pilot Song

9Striving for a Safer SurfaceA Closer Look at FAA Runway Safety Technology13Making A Difference One Airport At a TimeHow Runway Safety Action Team

Meetings Are Paving the Way to

Greater Surface Safety

15 Please Wait Your Turn

T he Importance of Properly Heeding Line Up and

Wait Instructions

18 A Front Seat View of Runway Safety

How Videos Are Helping Cool Off Many Airport Hot SpotsDEPARTMENTS

2 Jumpseat: an executive policy

perspective

3 ATIS: GA news and current events

5 Aeromedical Advisory: a checkup on

all things aeromedical

23 Checklist: FAA resources and

safety reminders

24 Drone Debrief: drone safety roundup

25 Nuts , Bolts, and Electrons:

GA maintenance issues

26 Vertically Speaking: safety issues for

rotorcraft pilots

27 Flight Forum: letters from the

Safety Briefing mailbag

28 O n Final: an editor's perspective

Inside back cover

FAA Faces: FAA employee profile

2 FAA Safety Briefing

JUMPSEATan executive policy perspective

LARRY FIELDS, FLIGHT STANDARDS SERVICE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SAFE AND SOUND ON THE GROUND

For pilots, it's sometimes easy to

overlook the importance of the

ramp-to-runway segment of a flight,

especially when compared to the

rigors of mid-flight challenges and

tasks. However, the numbers show mistakes happen far too often on

the ground and have the potential

to be deadly — look no further than the 1977 Tenerife accident involving

two fully loaded jumbo jets. When

you take a closer look at the metrics,

it’s clear that general aviation (GA)

attributes to most runway incursions. In fact, in 2022 and 2023 there were

a total of 2,199 runway incursions

caused by pilot error. GA accounted for about 1,755, or 80% of those

incursions.

Surface safety continues to be

a top priority for the FAA, with a

renewed look at ways we can reduce risk. Progress has been made through

joint collaborative efforts between

the FAA and industry (see faa.gov/

closecalls ), but we’ve got more work

to do. This surface safety-focused

issue is designed to highlight this

critical subject, explore some of the

ways the FAA is addressing it, as well as provide some tips for GA pilots to

avoid surface-related events.

The main source of surface risk

in the National Airspace System

(NAS) is a runway incursion, which is defined as, “any occurrence at an

airport involving the incorrect pres-

ence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway. ” Examples include an

aircraft that fails to stop and crosses

the runway holding position mark-

ings without a clearance or one that

takes off or lands on the correct (or incorrect) runway without a

clearance. In the article, “Deviation

Dissonance” we take a closer look at runway incursions, how they’re catego-

rized, and strategies

for preventing pilot

deviations, the leading

source of runway incursions.

In that same vein of

pilot deviations, there is a concerning trend

with pilots not properly

adhering to air traffic

control’s instructions to “line up and

wait” before departure. There were 25 of these events in 2023 alone. The

article “Please Wait Y our Turn” takes a

look at this phenomenon and explores some of the reasons why some pilots

may unintentionally disregard this

instruction. The article also outlines

some important strategies that will help

you avoid departing when instructed to line up and wait.

As I mentioned earlier, the FAA has

made progress in leveraging technol-

ogy to improve runway safety. In the

article “Striving for a Safer Surface, ” we explore some of these new devel-

opments, how they work, and where

you might see some of these new tools in action. We also take a behind-

the-scenes look at the FAA ’s hugely

impactful From the Flight Deck video

series that gives pilots a front-seat

view of hot spots and confusion-prone areas at airports all across the nation.

The series has published over 132

videos which have racked up an impressive 815,000 views so far. Be

sure to check out the article “ A Front

Seat View of Runway Safety” to learn

more about this insightful video series

and how it could help you before your next flight.

Finally, a big part of what we do

at the FAA to improve surface safety relies on your input and feedback. There’s no better example of that collaboration on display than the

Runway Safety Action Team (RSAT)

meetings and pilot controller forums that regularly bring together stake-

holders at towered airports to identify

surface safety risks and develop plans

to mitigate or eliminate those risks.

Some pilots are simply unaware of these meetings, many of which have

resulted in meaningful changes to

eliminate hot spots for good at certain

airports. Y our input is valuable, so

I encourage you to check out the article “Making a Difference” and get

involved with an upcoming RSAT

meeting or pilot controller forum to share your feedback.

I’ d be remiss if I didn’t also mention

the FAA ’s vast resources on runway

safety available at faa.gov/airports/

runway_safety . Y ou’ll find airport

diagrams and hot spots, videos, our

National Runway Safety Plan. Don’t

forget to check

FAASafety.gov too

for courses, seminars, and events in

your area and contact information for

FAASTeam Program Managers.

We hope the information in this

issue helps you shore up your ground game and keeps you moving safely

both in the air and on the ground. Fly

(and taxi) safe!

ATISGA news and current events

AVIATION NEWS ROUNDUP

Striving for Zero Serious Close Calls

on the Nation’s Runways

As part of the comprehensive effort

to end serious close calls, the FAA

is working with airports across the

nation to reduce the risk of vehicle and pedestrian deviations on the

airfield. The agency sent refreshed

training materials on vehicle/pedes-

trian deviations, to airport directors,

including this video (bit.ly/3Y1y9nN). The video emphasizes the need to

improve procedures on the airfield

and enhance situational awareness of critical airport changes, construction,

safety-area boundaries, airport-spe-

cific hotspots, and the importance of

using clear and concise communica-

tion with the control tower or other aircraft and surface vehicles.

Here are some additional initiatives

that help protect the traveling public:

• The FAA has installed Airport Surface Detection Equipment,

Model X (ASDE-X) or Airport

Surface Surveillance Capability

(ASSC) at 44 of the nation’s busiest

commercial airports, and installed Approach Runway Verification

(ARV) in 13 control towers with

more locations on the way.

• The FAA will install the Surface Awareness Initiative system at Austin-Bergstrom, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Dallas Love Field

airports this summer and at scores

of other airports by the end of 2025. Runway Incursion Devices will be

installed at five airports for evalua-

tion before the end of this year and be deployed to 74 airports in 2025.

• The FAA holds regular runway

safety action team meetings at air -

ports across the country, and issues

arrival alert notices for pilots and

controllers.

• The FAA is accelerating air traffic controller hiring and enhancing

controller safety training with mod -

ernized tower simulators.

Y ou can learn more at faa.gov/

closecalls .

FAA Ensuring Safe Public Charter Flights

The FAA announced plans to take

two actions to address public charter

flights, which have rapidly expanded

in frequency and complexity in recent years. Some services appear

to operate like scheduled airlines but

under less rigorous safety regula-

tions — a fact that oftentimes is not

transparent to the flying public. The FAA will explore new ways to inte-

grate charter flights into the airspace in a manner that provides flexibility and safe options for all flyers. The

agency intends to initiate a rulemak-ing to amend part 110 definitions of

“scheduled, ” “on demand, ” and “sup-

plemental” operations. If finalized, the effect of this proposed rule change

would be that public charters will be

subject to operating rules based on

the same safety parameters as other

non-public charter operations.

The FAA intends to issue the notice

of proposed rulemaking expeditiously. As part of any proposed rule, the FAA would seek comment on an effective

date that would allow for industry to

adapt to any change in the regulatory

environment. FAA ’s plans follow an

initial request for comment on the issue in August 2023, in which the

agency received and evaluated approxi-

mately 60,000 public comments.

Additionally, because of the FAA ’s

dedication to expanding air service to small and rural communities, the

FAA will explore opportunities to

align aircraft size and certification standards with operational needs for

small community and rural air service.

#FLYSAFE GA SAFETY ENHANCEMENT TOPICS Please visit bit.ly/FlySafeMedium for more information on these and other topics.

SEPTEMBER

Preflight After

Maintenance:

What items should you

focus on and/or add to your preflight inspection checklist after maintenance?

OCTOBER

Vestibular Illusions:

Understanding the dangers of vestibular illusions and best practices for coping with them.

September/October 2024 3

4 FAA Safety Briefing

ATIS GA news and current eventsSpecifically, the FAA will convene a

Safety Risk Management Panel (SRMP)

to assess the feasibility of a new oper -

ating authority for scheduled part 135 operations in 10-30 seat aircraft. The

panel will dig into the data as we work to address the risks that exist today as

well as think about the future of the

national airspace system.

FAA Amends AME Guidance on

Uncomplicated Anxiety, Depression, and Related Conditions

The FAA has revised its guidance to

aviation medical examiners (AMEs)

on “uncomplicated anxiety, depres-

sion, and related conditions, ” allowing

them to issue a medical certificate if

a pilot has been off medication for 2 years, there are no issues raised by a

questionnaire, and the AME has no

concerns. And since it’s not unusual to have more than one mental health

condition like anxiety and depression,

or anxiety and PTSD, your AME can

now issue a medical certificate for

any class if you have up to 2 mental health conditions provided certain

criteria are met. In addition, if your

medical application was deferred for a mental health condition prior to a

recent change in policy and you meet

its criteria, your AME can request an

expedited review if he or she deter -

mines that you now qualify. Review

the questionnaire and conditions at

faa.gov/ame_guide .

There is also a new option for

AMEs to issue a medical certificate to

pilots who used to be on medication for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity

Disorder (ADHD) if otherwise

qualified. This option requires that pilots be off medication for 4 years,

have no symptoms, and not have been

diagnosed with any other mental

health condition. For more, see the

latest Pilot Minute video at bit.ly/

PilotMinute or go to bit.ly/3zNCz7v .

The Rotorcraft Collective: Just Say No!

Pilots are decision-makers who

are go-oriented and focused on completing the task at hand. But, when “no” is the correct answer, it is

the only answer. In a new video from

The Rotorcraft Collective, FAA Safety Team representative Jessica Meiris

outlines the importance of knowing

and sticking to personal minimums

and limitations. “Y our personal

minimums are meant to be firm. When you are close to exceeding your

personal minimums, Just Say No. ”

To view this and other videos in the Rotorcraft Collective playlist, go to

bit.ly/RotorYT .

FAA Reauthorization

The U.S. Congress has passed the

2024 FAA Reauthorization Act (H.R.

3935), providing a 5-year authori-

zation for the agency’s programs,

revenue collection, and setting many

new mandates for national aviation policy. The passage of this long-term

reauthorization ensures the FAA has

the proper staffing and infrastructure it needs to safeguard operations in the

National Airspace System.

The FAA Reauthorization Act

includes the first-ever general avia-

tion title and features a provision that mandates the expansion of BasicMed,

increasing the size of covered aircraft

to 12,500 pounds, the number of allowable passengers to six, and the

number of seats to seven. Another

provision provides a 24-month

maximum deadline for the FAA ’s completion of the MOSAIC final rule.

Other key components of the Act are:

• Safety Enhancements:

Strengthening aviation safety

through rigorous oversight,

improved pilot training standards,

and updated safety protocols.

• Infrastructure Modernization:

Investing in airport infrastructure,

modernizing air traffic control

systems, and upgrading naviga-

tional aids to support the future

needs of air travel.

• Sustainability Initiatives: Promoting environmentally friendly

practices by encouraging the use

of sustainable aviation fuels and

implementing measures to reduce

carbon emissions.

• Innovation and Technology: Supporting advancements in

aviation technology, including the

integration of unmanned aircraft

systems (UAS) and the development

of urban air mobility solutions.

• Consumer Protections: Enhancing

passenger rights and ensuring fair

treatment of air travelers through

updated regulations and stronger

enforcement mechanisms.

Y ou can review the FAA

Reauthorization Act at

bit.ly/4bzV7FE.

September/October 2024 5

AEROMEDICAL ADVISORYa checkup on all things aeromedical

DR. SUSAN NORTHRUP , FAA FEDERAL AIR SURGEON

MENTAL HEALTH POLICY UPDATES

Continuing the discussion of actions

that we in Aerospace Medicine

have taken to make the certification

process easier for pilots, I want to

address some of the recent changes

in mental health. While many of these changes were underway

before the Aeromedical Summit and

Mental Health Advisory Rulemaking Committee (ARC), we were pleased

that the members of both identi-

fied many of the same issues for

improvement.

Since the last Aeromedical

Advisory article was written, we have added three more medications to

the list of acceptable drugs for the treatment of depression or anxiety. We

now allow a total of 8 different anti-

depressants for medical certification.

Here is the link for the list of all the

acceptable and unacceptable medica-tions: bit.ly/3WwO6kJ .

As part of our ongoing mental

health efforts, we have been actively

looking at areas where we can dele-

gate more decision-making authority to the aviation medical examiner

(AME) to enable as many pilots as

possible leaving the AME’s office with their medical certificate in hand.

Recall that when we consider any

medical certificate, we are concerned

with the risk of both sudden and

subtle incapacitation. Based on our own experience, review of our data-

base, and a literature review, we were

able to expand the decision-making authority for the AME for several

mental health conditions. These

include uncomplicated depression

and anxiety, alone or together, as

well as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and PTSD (post-traumatic

stress disorder). With that, let’s look

at another major change. The use of medication to treat

depression or anxiety no longer

automatically requires an FAA review,

even if the person is still in coun-

seling, provided the last use was at

least two years ago . Other criteria

include no more than two mental

health conditions (specified above),

no history of suicidal ideation, sub-stance abuse, prior hospitalization

for a mental health condition, and no

history of multiple medication use

at the same time (sequential use of

authorized medications is ok). The expanded guidance can be found at

bit.ly/4ebnmgw . For those who poten-

tially qualify, your AME will need to

complete a decision tool at the time

of your examination. The tool can be

found here: bit.ly/3WxBoSC.

This should enable many more

in the pilot community to leave the AME’s office with a medical certifi-

cate in hand. While not everyone will

qualify for the AME issued process,

they should not assume that they

cannot receive a medical. Rather, they will continue the traditional

evaluation process which involves

deferral of the medical at the time of the application and a review by

the FAA mental health specialists.

Individuals who stopped taking med-

ications less than two years ago and

those currently taking an approved medication fall into this group. For

general guidance on mental health

conditions, go to bit.ly/46l9yfY .

Some of you reading this article

have probably realized that you are qualified for the new protocol but

had your examination before its

publication, were deferred, and are now in the mental health queue for

review. We have good news for you.

Y our AME can flag your medical for expedited review under these guidelines. Notify your AME that

you believe that you are eligible for

the new protocol track consideration

using this tool: bit.ly/3LztMZx. Note

though, that if you do not qualify for the new protocol, this will not allow

you to jump ahead in the queue for

review. Obviously, this will entail

additional time and effort on the

part of your AME. Accordingly, there might be an additional charge.

We are excited to be able to add

additional medications and to roll out this new tool to issue medicals

to pilots more quickly. This should

benefit even those who do not qualify

for the new protocol, since enabling more decision-making by the AME

should help reduce the processing

time for those who still require a

review by the FAA.

Dr. Susan Northrup received a bachelor’s degree in

chemistry, a medical degree from The Ohio State University,

and a master’s degree in public health from the University

of Texas. She is double board-certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Aerospace Medicine and Occupational Medicine. She is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel

and a former regional medical director for Delta Air Lines.

She is also an active private pilot.

6 FAA Safety Briefing

DEVIATION

DISSONANCE Don’t Let Disquieting Deviations

Become Part of Your Pilot Song

By James Williams

It was a dark night (although not stormy as many of these

stories start) and I was taxiing out to the runway with

an instructor friend. I think the goal of our flight was to

extend our night currency for upcoming flights, but that part of the memory is lost due to the passage of time. What

happened next though was not. That was burned sharply into my memory. We approached the runway, switched

over to the tower frequency, and were quickly given our

take-off clearance. We pulled onto the runway and slowly advanced the throttle. With the airspeed building, we saw

a series of lights speeding from left to right across the

runway. We immediately aborted the takeoff and slowed as

we passed the taxiway where a plane was on its way to the

ramp. We collected ourselves and taxied back for a second attempt, and luckily, completed an uneventful takeoff. The

rest of the flight was unremarkable, but talking to the con-

troller upon returning to the airport he mentioned that the airplane had been instructed to hold short of the runway

and thanked us for using good judgment.

Through vigilance, a lot of hard work, and a bit of luck,

we’ve worked our way to a profoundly safe system. But

that safety is always only one misunderstanding or bit of confusion away from falling apart for any of us. I think

that is where the above-mentioned dissonance comes in. How can our system be simultaneously so safe and

filled with dangers? My flight was safe. Except for the

brief moment that it wasn’t. But that moment was almost

immediately mitigated. That one runway incursion caused

by a pilot deviation almost punched through several

layers of safety.

To borrow another metaphor, our system is safe because

it functions like an orchestra where everyone has a part to play, knows the song, and has sheet music in front of them. But even with all of that coordination who hasn’t made a

mistake? Any musician will tell you that mistakes happen.

Just like my runway incursion experience, many are fleet-ing and minor annoyances. But some bad notes can disrupt

the whole symphony.With the airspeed building,

we saw a series of lights speeding

from left to right across

the runway.

A Runway Incursion by Any Other Name …

The technical definition of a runway incursion (RI) is

any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect

presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected

area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of

aircraft. While all incursions are covered by this definition,

they are by no means all the same. The least severe is a category D which is an incursion that meets the definition

such as the incorrect presence of a single vehicle/person/

aircraft on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft but with no imme-

diate safety consequences. Category C is an incursion

where there is ample time or distance to avoid a collision.

Category B is an incident where separation decreases and

there is significant potential for a collision which may result in a time-critical corrective/evasive response to

avoid a collision. The most serious is category A in which a

collision is narrowly avoided. And of course, above that is an accident where a collision takes place. But because those

accidents are thankfully rare, we focus on runway incur -

sions to track trends and develop mitigations to events that almost became accidents so we can prevent the precondi-

tions for such accidents. My personal experience with an RI is probably either a category C or B. We took immediate

action, but the night conditions probably made the danger

seem closer than it really was.We group runway incursions into three source categories:

operational incidents, vehicle/pedestrian deviations, and pilot deviations. Operational incidents are runway incur -

sions that are the results of an error by air traffic control

(ATC) and vehicle/pedestrian deviations are when a vehicle

or person enters the airport movement areas without per -

mission from ATC. A pilot deviation (PD) is any action of a pilot that violates any Federal Aviation Regulation but, in this case, we are talking more specifically about deviations

around the runway (e.g. crossing a runway without per -

mission). In this article, we are focusing on those PDs for a

couple of reasons. First, as pilots, that is the one we generally

have the most control over, and second because they make

up the majority of RIs, more than 60% in recent years.

Despite efforts to decrease RIs, the numbers remain

stubbornly static. Let’s look at how we can bring this number down.

Not Playing by Ear

While improvisation is often lauded in jazz, I think a symphony orchestra is a better analogy for the National

Airspace System (NAS). The NAS requires each player

to know their part and what to expect from all the other

players. As a high school quality musician who played

jazz, orchestral, and marching band music through the years, I appreciate playing by ear. But when it counts, a

September/October 2024 7

well-coordinated structure is the name of the game.

The first thing you can do is to rehearse. Y ou don’t

have sheet music to work from but that doesn’t mean you

don’t have sheets. Airport diagrams are freely available

from the FAA if you don’t have access to them elsewhere

(faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/diagrams). Y ou can

download these PDFs to your phone or tablet for any

airport you might be planning to visit and preplan your

visit by tracing the routes you could be assigned upon

arrival. And of course, it wouldn’t be one of my articles without a plug for the use of PC simulation to conduct a

virtual rehearsal.

Another great resource is the ever-growing list of From

the Flight Deck (FTFD) videos on the FAA ’s Y ouTube

channel. These videos document general issues facing pilots in addition to airport-specific guidance. All of this

is presented, as the name suggests, from the flight deck of

a general aviation airplane. For more on the FTFD videos please see the article, “ A Front Seat View of Runway Safety. ”

In the vein of preventative measures, there is also a

FAASTeam course on pilot deviations. This course is

normally assigned to pilots as part of the Compliance

Program after a pilot deviation, but it is available to all pilots on FAASafety.gov. It’s good information even if it’s

not “required. ” For more on the course, see my Checklist

department in this issue.

Leveraging Your “Instrument”

While I was never a musician who could truly take advan-tage of a higher-quality instrument, I did see its benefits. In

aviation, higher-quality instruments were more accessible

but still required skill to get the most out of them. The

proliferation of modern glass cockpits and widely avail-

able tablet-based Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) is a massive upgrade in terms of situational awareness in all phases of

flight. But this is especially true in the airport environment

where modern systems can superimpose your position on charts and airport diagrams. Some will even let you

enter your taxi instructions as part of the flight plan. Of

course, knowing how to use all this technology is critical so

that you can keep your head up and your eyes outside the cockpit for the most part. When you leave the ramp is not

the time to be figuring things out.

Additionally, before boarding the aircraft, it is import-

ant to brief any passengers, including other rated pilots, regarding sterile cockpit procedures. Extra sets of eyes can

be useful, but distractions are a common cause of PDs.

Following the Conductor

Every orchestra needs a conductor to oversee and keep

time in the performance. ATC acts as the conductor at an

airport, calling the tune and adjusting the performance

as needed. But unlike an orchestra conductor, ATC has

more than just a baton. In fact, the FAA is always looking

for more and better tools to assist controllers. For a deeper look at some of those new tools please see the article

“Striving for a Safer Surface” in this issue.

While you are working your hardest to nail your part,

it’s important to listen to the conductor. When in doubt, ask. Read back the critical information rather than simply

replying “roger” or just your callsign. That snappy reply

may be writing a check you’ d rather not cash. If you can’t

comply with an instruction like an intersection departure or a specific turn-off at landing, let the controller know. Don’t

try to comply unless you are reasonably sure of success. The

conductor is likely making other decisions predicated on your ability to hit that “note” so it’s better to be clear with

them if you can’t. If you are not sure what to do regarding the

ATC clearance/instruction, stop and ask ATC to repeat.

Y ou don’t become a world-class musician overnight and

we won’t eliminate PDs overnight either. But if we all work together, we can move closer to that perfect symphony

we’re aspiring to.

James Williams is FAA Safety Briefing’s associate editor and photo editor. He is also a pilot

and ground instructor.

LEARN MORE

Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 14, Airport Operations

bit.ly/AeronauticalKnowledge

8 FAA Safety Briefing

September/October 2024 9

STRIVING

for a

SAFER SURFACEA Closer Look at FAA Runway Safety Technology

By Nicole Hartman

As spooky season approaches, some people may be

fearful of ghosts and ghouls, while others might

be feeling nervous about close calls on the runway.

So, the FAA and the aviation community are pursuing a goal of zero serious close calls. Let’s take a closer look

at some of the technology and pilot aids available to improve situational awareness in the airport surface

environment.

Safety ≠ Static Destination

Achieving the goal of zero serious close calls requires

continuous improvement. Our aviation system is safe, but

it is also changing dramatically and needs improvements to

maintain that level of safety. The FAA is doing everything

possible to make our runways safer and has fast-tracked

three initiatives as part of its Surface Safety Portfolio.

Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) uses Automatic

Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data to display surface traffic to controllers at airports that do not have a surface sur -

veillance tool. Aircraft and ADS-B-equipped

vehicles appear as icons on an airport map depicting

runways, taxiways, hold ramps, and other areas.

The challenge with surface awareness is ensuring that

controllers have a vision of all the activity on that surface. The SAI provides timely and accurate depictions of both

aircraft and vehicles on the surface movement areas of

an airport in all weather conditions. Currently, there are airports where controllers in the tower do not have visi-

bility of all areas of the airport surface. By deploying the

SAI capability to the tower cab, controllers will have the awareness necessary to proactively address any potential

safety concerns.

Approach Runway Verification (ARV) provides con-

trollers with visual and audible alerts if an

approaching aircraft is lined up to land on the wrong airport surface, or even the

wrong airport.

When aircraft are approaching an airport, the controller

issues a landing clearance to a specific runway. The pilot may believe they are aligned with the proper runway but

could actually be lined up with an adjacent runway or even

10 FAA Safety Briefinga taxiway. ARV will then alert the controller if the aircraft is

not aligned with the runway surface as instructed.

Runway Incursion Devices (RID) provide a visual and/

or audible indication when a runway is not

available for arriving or departing aircraft.

Each RID is customizable to uniquely iden -

tify up to 16 runways (8 physical surfaces).

If for whatever reason a runway becomes unavailable,

for example, an airport operations vehicle is inspecting the surface for foreign objects debris (FOD), a button for the

corresponding runway would be depressed indicating the

runway was occupied (i.e., an indicator light flashes red).

When the runway is available, the button is pressed again,

and the availability indicator turns green. This simple, yet effective, memory aid has a proven operational track record

of providing benefits at the locations where it is currently

in use today.

No Rumpus on the Runway

These technologies are agile, efficient, and cost-effective and the initiatives represent important improvements made

by the FAA to swiftly address close calls on the runway.

However, they are just a small part of a much larger and

integrated effort and philosophy. Let’s review some of the

aids available to pilots, air traffic controllers, and airport vehicle drivers to support runway safety.

Arrival Alert Notices

To manage wrong surface events where an aircraft lines

up to or lands on the incorrect

runway, taxiway, or airport,

the FAA released Arrival Alert

Notices (AAN) at airports with a history of misalignment

risk. AANs are graphics visu-

ally depicting the approach to a particular airport and

language describing the risk of

misalignment. Y ou can view

the complete list of AANs at

faa.gov/aan.

From the Flight Deck

The FAA ’s From the Flight Deck video series provides pilots with actual runway approach and airport taxiway footage

captured with aircraft-mounted cameras, combined with

diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots

and other safety-sensitive items. The videos also provide

advice for pilots on how to mitigate the risk of runway incursions and wrong surface events.

To supplement the videos, the FAA also publishes addi-

tional “Pilot Handbook” content. This includes details such as airport-specific cautions, information local controllers

want pilots to know, airport communications, airspace

details, and other preflight planning resources.

Read the feature “ A Front Seat View of Runway Safety”

for a deeper dive into the series. Visit faa.gov/flight_deck to view the videos, including one about AANs.

Runway Safety Pilot Simulator

The FAA also offers a self-guided video series to assist flight instructors with teaching student pilots surface safety

best practices before they step foot into the cockpit. It

allows student pilots to navigate on airport surfaces while

communicating with air traffic control (ATC) and follow

the instructions provided. The scenarios are interactive and allow viewers to make decisions based on ATC instruc-

tions. Y ou can watch the interactive scenarios at faa.gov/

runway_safety_pilot_simulator .

Hot Spot Standardized Symbology

Previously, there was no standard shape to designate a “hot spot” on airport diagrams within chart supplements and

the terminal procedures publications; they were charted

with a variety of squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, and

ellipses with no pattern or consistency. Hot spots are gener -

ally complex or confusing taxiways or taxiway and runway

intersections and have a history or potential risk of colli-

sion or runway incursion, requiring heightened attention

by pilots and drivers.

The FAA standardized these symbols into three

shapes with two distinct meanings: a circle or ellipse for ground movement hot spots (e.g., hold short line

Runway Incursion Devices (RID)

provide a visual and/or audible

indication when a runway

is not available for arriving or

departing aircraft.Hot spots are generally complex

or confusing taxiways or taxiway

and runway intersections and

have a history or potential risk

of collision or runway incursion,

requiring heightened attention by

pilots and drivers.

infractions, approach hold issues, tower line of sight

problems) and a cylinder for wrong surface hot spots

(e.g., locations where an aircraft has inadvertently

attempted to or actually departed from or landed on the

wrong surface).

The Proof is on the Pavement

On the morning of Feb. 4, 2023, there was dense fog and

poor visibility at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

(AUS). The air traffic controller could not see the exact

location of a Southwest jet on the taxiway when they cleared

it for takeoff at the same time that a FedEx cargo plane

had permission to land on the same runway. Because the controller incorrectly assumed that the Southwest plane was

ready to takeoff, the two aircraft came within 200 feet of

each other before the FedEx plane aborted its landing at the last moment when the first officer saw the silhouette of the

Southwest jet. Without vital technology, like SAI, providing

controllers with timely and accurate depictions of aircraft

and vehicles on the entire airfield in all weather conditions,

this close call could have had a very different ending. Fortunately, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was

one of the first in the country to receive SAI, along with

Indianapolis, Nashville, and Dallas Love Field. Many other

airports will also receive this important technology by the end of 2025.

As of this writing, ARV is operational at a total of

nine ATC Towers — this is the first time in the National

Airspace System (NAS) ATC will be able to receive

The chart on the right shows the new standardized depictions for hot spots — circles and ellipses

will indicate ground movement hot spots, and cylinders will indicate misalignment risk areas.

September/October 2024 11

“WRONG SURFACE” or “CLOSED RUNW AY” alerts on

their primary display. A waterfall to develop and deploy

ARV adaptations for additional airports is underway and

more facilities will be adapted to run ARV by the end of

2024. The objective is for ARV to be available for all ter -

minal and tower facilities with standard terminal automa-

tion replacement systems (STARS) (or over 400 air traffic

control facilities).

Several RID devices were fabricated to support testing

in June 2024. RID devices will then be installed at five air -

ports for an operational evaluation. The RID team will also

closely coordinate with stakeholders in the FAA ’s Technical

Operations field to develop a proper maintenance and sus-

tainment plan that will ensure the prolonged operational utility of this valuable surface awareness tool. RID devices

are scheduled to be installed at five airports for an opera-

tional evaluation by November 2024, with deployments to 74 airports beginning in 2025.

Technology is a great assist; however, pilots and flight

crews must be situationally aware of where they are as

they taxi to their assigned runway and shouldn’t solely

depend on technology to mitigate risks. The technologies in the FAA ’s surface safety portfolio are additional tools to

enhance surface situational awareness and represent just

some of the actions that the FAA is taking to end serious close calls, making our runways safer and less spooky.

Nicole Hartman is a FAA Safety Briefing associate editor and technical writer-editor in the

FAA’s Flight Standards Service.

LEARN MORE

Arrival Alert Notices

faa.gov/aan

Runway Safety Program

faa.gov/airports/runway_safety

Ending Serious Close Calls

faa.gov/closecallsTechnology is a great assist;

however, pilots and flight crews must

be situationally aware of where they

are as they taxi to their assigned

runway and shouldn’t solely depend

on technology to mitigate risks.

September/October 2024 13

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

ONE AIRPORT AT A TIME

How Runway Safety Action Team Meetings Are

Paving the Way to Greater Surface Safety

By Aimee McCormick

It is what many of us strive for; to add value, be part of the

solution, save the day, to make a difference. With aircraft

operations across the National Airspace System (NAS)

more frequent now than ever before, keeping aviation safe is

becoming even more of a challenge. New technologies offer

some resolve in today’s fast-paced, high-tech, over-sensitized world, but they can also compound the potential risk of

operator information overload. Conversely, the human com-

ponent may be one of the best surface safety solutions if we can reverse the focus from human factors failures to human

factors successes. We need you to help make that difference.

Of the 54.3 million take-offs and landings in fiscal

year 2023, only 1,760 (0.0000324%) involved a Runway

Incursion (RI) where a pilot, controller, driver, pedestrian, or other reason attributed to the incorrect presence of

an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a

runway or surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft. That is an incredible safety record that proves

itself year after year and is cause for celebration!

But we want better. We can never rest on our laurels. To make a difference, we must ask you to make a

renewed, personal commitment to surface safety no matter

your role in aviation. We need you to opt in, take it on, par -

ticipate in full force, and respectfully engage in 100% safety compliance. Y ou are an integral part of any safety team not

only at your home airport but at every airport you operate

into, onto, over, and out of. Today’s aviation operators and enthusiasts are equipped with gidgets, gadgets, moving

maps, and endless apps. At some point, our technolo-

gy-based approach to aviation has superseded our authen-tic human skill of flying. The aviation industry needs you to make a difference in surface safety event trends that, although minuscule, are rising by number and severity as

annual operations continue to soar.

FAA Order 7050.1B, Runway Safety Program, requires

the over 500 air traffic control facilities across the country

to conduct an annual Runway Safety Action Team (RSAT) Meeting to specifically address surface safety matters

alongside the airport operator, other responsible airport

partners, stakeholders, and users. This includes you.

These in-person and/or virtual RSAT meetings include

discussions about airfield surface events, national and local safety data trends, planned construction and surface

closures, current issues, and evolving safety resources.

The RSAT meeting participants share and discuss safety concerns and identify reasonable and measurable correc-

tive actions called action items that are tracked by the FAA

until completion and recorded in a Runway Safety Action Plan (RSAP) accepted by the FAA following the meeting.

RSAT meetings have resulted in multiple action items

being accomplished to help improve surface safety at hun-

dreds of airports including:

• New Hot Spots added to the airport diagram at specific

locations with recurring issues for improved pilot and

driver awareness.

• Implementation of specific aircraft callsigns for local

student pilots and airfield vehicle driver trainees for

improved identification and air traffic oversight when

providing operating instructions.

• Airfield marking, light, and sign improvements in spe-cific areas as well as plans made for geometric pavement

redesigns to improve traffic flow and to reduce pilot/

driver confusion.

• Establishment of common aircraft and driver operating routes to reduce the risk of converging surface traffic

when operating in complex airfield areas.

• Publication of Arrival Alert Notices (AAN) at airports

with a history of wrong surface arrivals making pilots

and drivers aware of site-specific preexisting trends.

If you are unable to participate in RSAT meetings,

another safety reporting resource, NASA ’s Aviation Safety

Reporting System (ASRS) gives you the opportunity to

report safety concerns at asrs.arc.nasa.gov. This safety

reporting system captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital

information to the aviation community.

Making a difference for safety begins with you. Please

help us improve surface safety across the NAS by participat-ing in your area RSAT meetings and getting involved by:

• Contacting your local airport manager directly or the

Flight Standards Program Manager or FAA Safety Team

(FAASTeam) representative at FAASafety.gov to learn

more about participating in planned RSAT meetings.• Signing up for FAASTeam event notifications includ-ing airport-specific RSAT meeting dates, other safety

events, and to collect WINGS credits for attendance at

FAASafety.gov.

• Engaging in local Pilot/Controller Forums, Hangar Hangs, Coffee with Controllers, etc. to build relation-

ships with controllers, area pilots, and other airport users

to collectively address safety matters.

• Letting controllers/others know if you see or hear something that can help lead to surface event prevention

before it occurs.

• Identifying and sharing safety issues with responsible

parties as well as offering realistic solutions.

• Consistently refresh your own operational training, habits, and knowledge and adjust accordingly.

• Practicing active listening, respectful compliance, and focused flying.

As we ponder the original human curiosity, ingenuity,

and vision that has accompanied aviation throughout our

history, may we never forget that the human act of inten-

tional operational safety must exceed, even outperform,

growing aviation operations.

Visit faa.gov/airports/runway_safety for more runway

safety resources.

Aimee McCormick is a Runway Safety Program Manager for the FAA’s Southern Region.

Photo from a recent combined RSAT meeting for

Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) and

Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG).RSAT meeting at Nashville International Airport (BNA).

14 FAA Safety Briefing

September/October 2024 15

PLEASE W AIT

YOUR TURN

The Importance of Properly Heeding

“Line Up and Wait” Instructions

By Kent Koran

In February 2023 at Boston’s Logan International Airport

(BOS), a Learjet 60 departed after being instructed to line

up and wait on Runway 9 with an Embraer 190 cleared to

land on Runway 4 Right. The Embraer went around, and the Learjet crossed Runway 4 Right only about 330 feet in

front of the Embraer.

Then in September 2023 at Sarasota/Bradenton

International Airport (SRQ), a Beechcraft Bonanza

instructed to line up and wait on Runway 14 departed while a Piper Archer was on final for Runway 4. ATC told

the Archer to go-around. The Bonanza passed beneath the

Archer over the intersection of the two runways.

In October 2023, a Hawker 25, was instructed to line

up and wait on Runway 22 at Houston’s William P . Hobby Airport (HOU). The pilot read back the line up and wait

instruction and taxied onto the runway. Then the plane

began its takeoff roll. The controller told the aircraft to stop and hold position, but the aircraft continued its takeoff and

collided with a Cessna Citation that had landed and was

rolling out on Runway 13R. Luckily, only the left winglet of the Hawker and the tail cone of the Citation touched (see

figure 1) and no one was killed or injured.

These were not the only instances of aircraft instructed to

line up and wait but instead of waiting, started their takeoff roll. In fact, there were more than 25 such events in 2023

alone, with operators ranging from single-engine general aviation (GA) aircraft to air carrier jets with two pilots.

“Line up and wait” is used by ATC to inform a pilot to

taxi onto the departure runway to and hold position until cleared for takeoff. It is not authorization for takeoff. It is

used to pre-position a departing aircraft on the runway

Figure 1: Aft view of tail cone damage to the Cessna Citation cited in the accident at Hobby

Airport. Photo courtesy of NTSB.

when it can’t yet be cleared for takeoff due to other traffic,

for example:

• a preceding arrival that is still on the runway,

• an aircraft taking off or landing on an intersecting runway,

• or an aircraft or vehicle crossing the runway downfield.

This can significantly increase the capacity of an airport

because aircraft can already be on the runway when the traffic clears, rather than having to taxi onto the runway

from the holding position.

Controllers conduct line up and wait operations accord-

ing to strict rules, but those rules don’t mean anything if

pilots line up and “GO” instead of line up and “STOP . ”

So, why do pilots depart when they are instructed to line

up and wait? The answer lies in a variety of human factors that can lead pilots to mistakenly depart.

Expectation bias occurs when individuals are primed to

receive and interpret information in a way that aligns with their anticipated outcomes, rather than objectively assess-

ing that information. In the case of line up and wait, it is

natural to expect a takeoff clearance when holding short

of the runway. But if a pilot fails to anticipate that the next

logical step could also include line up and wait, what the controller actually said and what the pilot understands may

not be the same. That expectation bias may be so powerful

that it can even override a line up and wait clearance that pilots have read-back correctly.

A phenomenon called habit intrusion may cause

normally practiced steps to be so compelling as to over -

ride any ATC communications. For pilots who are not

accustomed to performing line up and wait, the mere act

of taxiing onto the active runway, the act of completing

checklist items, or even that view down the runway may

be so closely associated with the takeoff roll that per -

forming the takeoff becomes a force of habit.

Our vision provides some of the most powerful cues to

the world around us. As mentioned above, the visual cues

when looking down the runway in line up and wait status

are the same as when lined up for takeoff and can be so

compelling that it causes pilots to forget they were told to line up and wait.

Line up and wait is a two-part instruction. The first

part, line up, is done immediately. The second part, “wait, ” is a requirement for future action. The requirement to

remember to do something in the future is known as

“prospective memory” and it presents a unique mental

challenge, namely that we must remember to perform an

intended action in the future; in this case “waiting” after lining up on the runway.

Voluntary reporting system reports regularly indicate that

distraction is a factor in line up and wait events for both GA and commercial operations. The primary task while taxiing

from the hold line to the runway centerline is to safely

maneuver onto the runway and hold position. Anything else

you do during this period, such as non-operational conver -

sations, completing checklists, or programming avionics,

is a distraction that could cause you to forget that

you were told to line up and wait.

Controllers conduct line up and wait

operations according to strict rules,

but those rules don’t mean anything

if pilots line up and “GO” instead of

line up and “STOP .”

16 FAA Safety Briefing“Line up and wait” is used by ATC

to inform a pilot to taxi onto the

departure runway to and hold

position until cleared for takeoff. It is

not authorization for takeoff.

September/October 2024 17

What can you do to prevent departing when instructed

to line up and wait?

• Actively listen to what ATC is saying — think about what

the controller actually said before you respond.

• Clearly read back the instruction to line up and wait, including the runway designation and your callsign.

• Think about the traffic that is restricting ATC from giving you a takeoff clearance. Unless it is obvious, like

an aircraft that just landed and is rolling out, the control-

ler should tell you about the traffic. Keeping the traffic

in mind will help fight the instinct to take off due to the

visual queue of being lined up on the runway.

• Minimize distractions by:

➢Maintaining a sterile flight deck while taxiing onto and holding on the runway awaiting your takeoff clearance

or other instruction. This includes not using personal

electronic devices.

➢Completing pre-takeoff checklist items before crossing the hold line — wait to complete any remaining items

until cleared for takeoff.

➢Responding that you are not ready and will hold short

if you are not ready when ATC instructs you to line up

and wait.

• Develop and use a memory aid to help you remember

you are in line up and wait, such as:

➢Turning on the landing light only when cleared for takeoff and then check the position of the landing light

switch before adding power — if it’s not on, you haven’t

been cleared for takeoff.

➢Start a flight timer when you receive your takeoff clear -

ance and check it before beginning your takeoff roll — if

the timer is not running, you haven’t been cleared for

takeoff. ➢Write down “line up and wait” — cross it out when you receive your takeoff clearance — and develop a proce-

dure to check it before beginning every takeoff roll.

➢For two-person crews — both pilots should concur

that you are cleared for takeoff (challenge & response)

before adding power.

One other point: No matter what instructions or infor -

mation you hear while taxiing onto the runway or waiting in position, for example “on departure fly runway heading

maintain 4000, ” you are not cleared for takeoff unless you hear your callsign and “cleared for takeoff. ”

So, what are you going to do to avoid departing when

you are told to line up and wait?

As always, if you are ever unsure about your clearance,

ask ATC. They would rather hear “Confirm N7241R is cleared for takeoff ” than see you rolling down the runway

toward a conflict.

Kent Koran is a program manager on the FAA’s Headquarters Runway Safety Team.

18 FAA Safety Briefing

A FRONT SEAT VIEW

of Runway Safety

How Videos Are Helping

Cool Off Many

Airport Hot Spots

By Tom Hoffmann

It wouldn’t surprise me to see shaking heads or eye rolls

when mentioning the words government, education , and

video in the same sentence. I’m biased of course, but

I’ d argue the FAA has put together some pretty fantastic

video series in recent years that are helping to change that

mindset, with one of those standing out above the rest.

Now, if you’re already among the 75,000-plus subscribers

to the FAA ’s Y ouTube channel, you’ll need no introduc-tion to the From the Flight Deck (FTFD) videos series that provides a front-seat point of view at airports nationwide

to help reduce mishaps and increase a pilot’s situational

awareness. If you’re not familiar with FTFD, I encourage

you to buckle up, tune in, and learn more about how these

videos are getting a jump on surface safety in every corner of the country.

The “Pilot” Episode

The FTFD series got its start back in late 2018 when the first episode was filmed at Hudson Valley Regional Airport

(POU) in Dutchess County, N.Y . Air traffic volume in the

nation at the time was at record highs, but unfortunately,

so were runway incursions (RI). The idea behind the video

series was to showcase airports with known hot spots and higher propensities for RIs in hopes that a more detailed

first-person view of these locations would improve aware-

ness, and consequently, safety. “The need for risk mitigation was real, ” says FAA program

manager and executive producer of the FTFD series Matt

Ash. “We were seeing a steady increase in runway incursion

numbers, and a few facilities were experiencing a record-high number of incidents and even a few accidents. ”

To help bolster the video project’s success and to ensure

all angles were considered, the FAA worked collabo-

ratively across several lines of business to produce the

series. The Air Traffic Organization’s (ATO) Runway Safety Program office and the Office of Communications

partnered to develop the initial concept and later worked

with Flight Standards and the Office of Airports to further refine the content.

Once the POU proof-of-concept video was edited and

completed, the FAA gave it a thumbs-up and approved an

initial series of 10 episodes. The POU video debuted on

Jan. 17, 2020, followed shortly by nine additional loca-

tion-specific videos.

A Fast and Furious Timeline

Fast forward to today and the FTFD series now boasts

133 videos (from Albuquerque to Zamperini Field), with

dozens more on the way.

“Everything starts, and ends, with safety as a focal point, ”

adds Ash. All airport sites for a video are selected based on

relative risk — the airports that see the most pilot errors and runway safety events relative to the total number of

operations are prioritized.

As we mentioned, the production process is a collab-

orative effort. Pre-production starts on the ground, with a team of local subject matter experts, including FAA Air

Traffic, Flight Standards, and Office of Airports represen-

tatives. When developing the script, this team works along

with stakeholders from the airport authority and fixed-based operators who offer invaluable insight and local

expertise, which in some cases is not even written or cap-

tured anywhere. This allows the team a chance to directly inform pilots about important safety issues they need to

know and prevent the mistakes they see other people make.

Once there is concurrence on the script, the team starts

coordinating the logistics surrounding the flight mission

and video capture. “Post-production and editing are also an iterative process, ” says Ash, “involving everyone from the

ATC team at a tower, the local FSDO, and FAA executives

at headquarters. ”

A Leading Role

Contributing to this video series' namesake success is the unique first-person perspective it provides, using a

combination of Garmin VIRB and Go-Pro Hero 7 Black cameras installed on a Cessna 210 Centurion . The man

behind the controls and cameras of every FTFD video

filmed so far is pilot and former air traffic controller Karl

Grundmann. In addition to flying and filming, Karl also

assists with writing scripts, coordinating logistics for each flight, and liaising with ATC to review the series of routes

he plans to fly to capture the right footage. Along with

video director and editor Dave Lombardo, also a former

controller, these gentlemen are the experts squarely

behind this project’s success.

A Close-Up on Cautions

A more recent and extremely popular addition to the FTFD series includes a set of single-topic videos meant to

build awareness of more general surface safety issues, like

avoiding wrong surface landings or departing the wrong

direction from a runway. In fact, the most-viewed FTFD

video (with over 32,000 views) is a single-topic video on proper phraseology which reviews some of the words and

phrases you might hear when operating on the surface of

an airport or preparing to land.

There are a total of nine single-topic videos now avail-

able with more on the way. “We’re currently working on a single-topic video that covers the problem of pilots taking

off when they are instructed to line up and wait, ” says

September/October 2024 19All airport sites for a FTFD video are

selected based on relative risk —

the airports that see the most pilot

errors and runway safety events

relative to the total number of

operations are prioritized.

20 FAA Safety BriefingHeadquarters Runway Safety Team Member Kent Koran.

For this video, Koran assembled a team from Runway

Safety, Flight Standards Operations, as well as human

factors experts from Flight Standards and ATO to develop

the script. Stay tuned for its release later this year.

The Reviews Are In

As of mid-July 2024, FTFD videos have racked up over

834,000 views and 40,000 hours of watch time. While those

numbers are impressive, what stands out most are the troves

of positive comments and reviews left by viewers. “ Any time

I see a pilot go out of their way to leave a positive comment on our Y ouTube channel, I take note, ” says Ash. The FAA has received more than 1,200 public comments from pilots,

and the sentiment is overwhelmingly positive — it’s either a

thank you, or it’s ‘hey, this really helped save my butt. ’

While it’s hard to measure changes in RIs to a single

variable or contributing factor, the FAA is tracking the rel-ative rates of incursions at facilities with and without FTFD

videos. But there’s no doubt that these videos are adding value. “Every view and every minute watched by a pilot is a

benefit to safety, ” adds Ash, “Seeing a runway configuration

in 4K video from a flight deck point of view before actually

flying there is going to help anyone, regardless of skill level,

but especially novice flyers. Add in the visual identification of hot spots, description of local procedures, and every-

thing controllers want you to know, these videos become

invaluable components of any pre-flight briefing. ”

Flight Standards Operations Section Manager Matt

Porter couldn’t agree more on the value of these videos. “ As an active GA pilot and flight instructor, I know surface

safety events can happen to anyone regardless of experi-

ence level, ” says Porter. “One of the most effective ways to As of mid-July 2024, FTFD videos

have racked up over 834,000 views

and 40,000 hours of watch time.

Runway Safety, Seminars, and Swag!

If you attended this year’s Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Florida or EAA’s

AirVenture in Wisconsin, you might have had a chance to chat with some

members of the FAA Runway Safety Team. Aimee McCormick, Dane

Guynn, and Andy Applegate represented the Runway Safety Office at Sun

‘n Fun, while Margit McKee, Ramin Panahi, and J. Fernando Morales III

were on hand at AirVenture. Together the two teams talked to thousands of pilots from all over the globe and provided vital information about ev -

erything from runway markings to pilot deviation prevention strategies.

The teams also handed out flyers promoting the “From the Flight Deck”

YouTube video series available at faa.gov/flight_deck. Many visitors also

walked away with ATC light gun signal decals and airport marking and

signage reference guides. However, the most popular item was the sticky memo pads that pilots can use to jot down ATIS information including any

taxi clearances and hold short points. Visitors walked away with all their

swag in the ever-popular “If You’ve Crossed the Line, You’ve Crossed the

Line” yellow bags.

In addition to manning the booths in the FAA safety centers, both teams

also got the chance to present FAA Safety Team seminars (“Effective Pre-

Flight Planning for Enhanced Runway Safety” at Sun ‘n Fun and “Prepare

and Prevent” at AirVenture). During the seminars, pilots and instructors listened and asked questions as the team discussed the various runway

safety pre-flight products that are available such as “From the Flight

Deck” videos, construction notice diagrams, Arrival Alert Notices, and best practices for effective runway safety.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the runway safety teams in 2024, have no

fear! These teams are committed to providing important runway safety outreach so keep an eye out for them at future aviation events.

Top photo: Dane Guynn and Andy Applegate presenting on runway safety at Sun ‘n Fun.

Bottom photo: (l-r) J. Fernando Morales III, Margit McKee, and Ramin Panahi manning

the FAA runway safety booth at AirVenture.

September/October 2024 21

address these issues, especially within the GA community,

is through safety promotion. That’s why these videos are so

important because they allow us to target certain airports

to address either a specific event, a unique airport layout,

or even an increase in surface safety events at that airport. ”

The Show Must Go On

With a successful run thus far, the plan is to continue to

produce new FTFD videos as well as update some to incor -

porate changes that have occurred. To help viewers find locations of the 130-plus videos, an interactive map was

created on the FTFD landing page at faa.gov/flight_deck

and was recently updated as a data visualization chart. This chart shows a map of the United States and includes filter

and search options that let users customize their search by

state, city, airport name, airport ID, and safety product to easily access From the Flight Deck videos and other content

like Arrival Alert Notices (faa.gov/aan).

The FAA is also expanding its runway safety outreach

efforts beyond video with corresponding digital content

in the form of pilot handbooks for specific airports. These online documents convey much of the same safety infor -

mation as the videos, including a section on specific cau-tions and local information that controllers want pilots to know. This supplemental content is currently available for

over 80 airports across the NAS, with more on the way. The

FAA is also working with popular flight planning apps, like ForeFlight, SkyVector, and PlaneEnglish to get this safety

content included with their products and into the hands of

as many pilots as possible.

So, before your next flight, be sure to let From the Flight

Deck be your preflight partner. It’s a great way to help you

stay aware and steer clear of any airport surface issues and

keep your flight safely on track.

LEARN MORE

FAA’s From the Flight Deck page

faa.gov/flight_deck

The FAA’s new data visualization chart at faa.gov/flight_deck lets you filter and search for

runway safety resources by state, city, airport name, airport ID and safety product.

Pilot Handbooks include details such as airport-specific cautions, information local

controllers want pilots to know, airport communications, airspace details, and other preflight planning resources.

22 FAA Safety Briefing

September/October 2024 23

CHECKLIST FAA resources and safety remindersJAMES WILLIAMS

A PROACTIVE COURSE OF ACTION

Deviation Discourse

Many pilots are likely to first encoun-

ter the course “Pilot Deviations: Root Cause Analysis” after a pilot

deviation and an encounter with the

FAA ’s Compliance Program. The Compliance Program is an alternative

to traditional enforcement action that

the FAA can use in certain situations

where education will likely be a better

solution to correct an error. Online training is used in part to meet those

education requirements, and the pilot

deviations course may be assigned during that process. In that case, the

pilot takes the course and fills out a

questionnaire at the end. They then

provide the completed questionnaire

to the assigning Flight Standards District Office to share what they

have learned. The course reviews

concepts from human factors, tech-nology, the National Airspace System

(NAS), and more, to give the learner

a chance to see how those factors may

have contributed to their deviation.

Through this process, everyone bene-fits. The pilot doesn’t face traditional

enforcement action (such as a certif-

icate suspension). The FAA doesn’t

have to commit the resources to a

lengthy enforcement process. Most importantly, the NAS gets safer by addressing root cause issues rather

than simply punishing the offense.

But why would this course be relevant

outside those circumstances for pilots

who haven’t had a pilot deviation?

Playing Offense

For most of its history, aviation

employed what we would call a reactive

safety system; It looked at an accident

or incident, found a problem, and fixed

the problem. However, as more prob-

lems were fixed, the system became safe enough that we started to run low

on events to analyze, especially in the

commercial aviation sector. In recent

decades, we have moved to a proac-

tive system where we actively search for safety issues before they become

documentable events. We can think of

this as moving from playing defense to playing offense in a sport. It’s a good

thing that safety is improving, but it

does mean that we need pilots to take a more active role in the process.

Playing offense means working both

inside and outside the cockpit to hone your skills and expand your capabil-

ities. This course is one way of doing

that. Instead of looking back at an incident that has already occurred, you

can look forward to how you would

respond in a future environment. The wide variety of topics covered in

the course allows you a jumping-off

point to work on your skills beyond

the initial focus of pilot deviations.

Concepts like information processing and overload apply to many situations

in which a pilot may find themselves

unrelated to a pilot deviation.

This particular course also includes

additional resources that can be helpful to include more FAASTeam courses on

related topics. I understand that time is

a finite resource and spending hours in front of a screen isn’t ideal. This course

is a good starting point for building

a routine of continuing education.

Whether weekly, monthly, or even

quarterly, establishing a routine will give you the framework to keep a pro-

active safety approach and may prevent

a pilot deviation before it happens.

James Williams is FAA Safety Briefing’s associate editor and

photo editor. He is also a pilot and ground instructor.

LEARN MORE

ALC-1182, Pilot Deviations: Root Cause Analysis

bit.ly/ALC1182

The wide variety of topics covered in the course

allows you a jumping-off point to work on your skills

beyond the initial focus of pilot deviations. Concepts

like information processing and overload apply to

many situations in which a pilot may find themselves

unrelated to a pilot deviation.

24 FAA Safety Briefing

DRONE DEBRIEF drone safety roundupREBEKAH WATERS

CLEAR THE RUNWAY

As a drone pilot, you probably don’t

typically use runways, so you might

think that runway safety doesn’t apply

to you, right? Well, even though

drones usually don’t take off from

runways, they still can potentially affect safety at or near airports. Here

are a few pointers to help keep you

operating safely.

See and Avoid

It is always the drone pilot’s responsi-

bility to see and avoid other aircraft.

This is because it is often difficult for traditional aircraft pilots to see drones

given their small relative size and lack

of anti-collision lighting. The chances

of encountering other aircraft are

much higher if you are flying near an airport. It’s always best to just avoid

these areas, but if you can’t, make sure

you are doing everything you can to fly safely and responsibly.

One way to fly safer, no matter

where you fly, is to augment your

operation with visual observers. This

helps reduce the chances of a collision and improves your situational aware-

ness. An extra set (or more) of eyes

scanning the skies for other aircraft will keep your flight safer and maybe

even more enjoyable. Make sure you

and your visual observer(s) have a clear

communication plan. This will help

avoid confusion that might happen if you misunderstand or can’t hear them

clearly when they try to point out

another aircraft in the area and provide

directions on how to see and avoid it.

Another way to make sure you

are seeing and avoiding aircraft near airports is to become familiar with

things like aircraft radio transmis-sions, airport traffic patterns, and the

way wind affects the directions planes

takeoff and land. Listening to aircraft radio transmis-

sions will help you know when planes

are coming and going. While an

aviation radio receiver lets you hear

aircraft transmissions, using one and

understanding what you are hearing requires some learning. To get famil-

iar with pilot radio lingo you can take

a look at the Pilot/Controller Glossary (bit.ly/PilotControllerGlossary)

or section 2 of Chapter 4 in the

Aeronautical Information Manual

(bit.ly/AIMweb). If you do decide to purchase an aviation radio, you should never transmit on aviation

frequencies.

All airports have traffic patterns.

Generally speaking, pilots fly a rect-angular pattern around airports with

one “long side” of the rectangle being

the runway itself. Unless directed

otherwise, pilots make all turns to the left. Learning more about traffic

patterns will help you know where to

expect and keep an eye out for other

aircraft. Chapter 8 of the Airplane

Flying Handbook (bit.ly/FAA-AH) is a

great place to start.

Wind will affect the direction

planes takeoff and land, so this is another thing you’ll need to pay

attention to if you are flying near an

airport. Aircraft usually take off into

the wind whenever possible. They are

also likely to land into the wind as well. So make sure you are aware of

which direction the wind is blowing.

For a more detailed look at weather and technology pilots use, take a look

at “ A Fresh Forecast” in the March/

April issue of FAA Safety Briefing.

Finally, you should always check

the airspace you are planning on flying in. The FAA ’s B4UFly service

is a great way to know if the airspace

is controlled, uncontrolled, what the maximum altitudes may be, if you’ll need an FAA airspace authorization

prior, or if drone flying is restricted or

prohibited.

Although flying near airports is

never recommended, if you can’t avoid it, use these tips to keep the

skies safe. Remember that drone pilots

must avoid all other aircraft at all

times and are always responsible for

any safety hazard their drone creates near an airport environment. No

matter where you operate your drone,

safety must always be your priority.

So, if you find yourself operating

around airports, make sure you are doing your part for runway safety!

Rebekah Waters is an FAA Safety Briefing associate editor. She

is a technical writer-editor in the FAA’s Flight Standards Service.Learning more about

traffic patterns will

help you know where

to expect and keep

an eye out for other

aircraft.

September/October 2024 25

NUTS, BOL TS, AND ELECTRONS GA maintenance issuesREBEKAH WATERS

RAMPING UP SAFETY

Runway safety includes a spectrum

of efforts aimed at preventing inci-

dents and accidents during takeoff,

landing, and taxiing. Discussions

about runway safety are often directed

to pilots and air traffic controllers, but general aviation mechanics also need

to be included in this conversation.

Whether you fly the plane, clear the plane for takeoff, or fix the plane,

runway safety is everyone’s business.

Mechanics, of course, play a crucial

and often overlooked role in ensuring

runway safety by meticulously inspect-

ing, repairing, and maintaining critical

systems like landing gear, brakes, tires, and engine components. By identify-

ing and resolving issues proactively,

mechanics mitigate risks that could lead to runway incursions, aborted

takeoffs, or emergency landings. But,

a mechanic’s role in runway safety

includes more than just inspections,

maintenance, and repairs. Let’s take a look at some other important ways

mechanics contribute to runway safety.

Flight Line Safety

The flight line can be a dangerous

place. Leaving loose objects around

only makes it more dangerous. Most

mechanics are well aware of the dangers caused by loose objects, like

shop towels, safety wire, or misplaced

tools that could cause aircraft damage or personnel injuries. But it never hurts to review ways

to prevent foreign object

damage. To control this type

of damage, keep the ramp

and operations areas clean. Be especially mindful when

working near the intake

of turbine engines. These engines can propel loose

objects with enough dis-

tance and force to damage

anything that is hit. Have a tool

control program and provide conve-nient receptacles for used hardware,

shop towels, and other waste.

Runway safety can be personal,

so don’t forget to keep yourself safe. Seasoned mechanics know the

importance of situational awareness

when performing maintenance on the

flight line. Never forget how import-ant it is to be aware of everything that

is going on around you. Y our safety

on the runway includes things like

having well-fitting hearing protection.

Whether you choose external (like earmuffs) or internal hearing protec-

tion, it’s important to protect your ears

by reducing the sound level before it reaches your eardrums. Y ou might

always be aware of your proximity to

propellers but never assume a taxiing

pilot can see you. Always stay within

view of all pilots when you are on the ramp area.

Ground Handling

Sometimes you might be asked to

move aircraft across the airport. Sometimes taxiing isn’t an option,

you’ll have to tow it. Never tow an

aircraft in congested areas without someone to help you determine

that you have adequate clearance. If

at a towered airport, always obtain clearance from the control tower before moving the aircraft across runways or taxiways. Whether towing or taxiing —

safety is the top priority, so be sure you

are thoroughly familiar with all towing and taxiing safety procedures specific

to the type of aircraft you are moving.

As you move around your airport,

always keep safety in mind. Never

forget the important role mechanics like you play. When you perform

inspections, maintenance, and repairs,

when you keep the flight line clean of

debris, when you practice safe ground

handling procedures, you are contrib-uting to runway safety.

Rebekah Waters is an FAA Safety Briefing associate editor.

She is a technical writer-editor in the FAA’s Flight Standards

Service.

LEARN MORE

“A Tug Here and a Tow There — Runway Safety

for Aviation Mechanics, ” FAA Safety Briefing,

Mar/Apr 2021

bit.ly/TugTow

AC 00-65A, Towbar and Towbarless Movement

of Aircraftbit.ly/AC00-65A

AC 00-34B, Aircraft Ground Handling, Servicing,

and Marshalling

bit.ly/AC00-34B

IF AT A TOWERED AIRPORT,

ALWAYS OBTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE CONTROL TOWER BEFORE MOVING THE AIRCRAFT

ACROSS RUNWAYS OR TAXIWAYS.

26 FAA Safety Briefing

VERTICALLY SPEAKING safety issues for rotorcraft pilotsGENE TRAINOR

THE KEYS TO ROTORCRAFT RUNWAY SAFETY: TRAINING, EDUCATION, & EXPERIENCE

When thinking about runway safety,

most people probably focus on fixed-

wing aircraft. With so many helicopter

businesses and operations at or near

airports, rotorcraft pilots and opera-

tors also play a role in runway safety.

When it comes to rotorcraft

operations, the FAA has focused on preparing student helicopter pilots to responsibly navigate the often-

busy airport environment. Areas of

key importance include experience,

training, and education, which help

pilots learn how to spot hazards quickly and accurately.

Experience matters and the data

backs that up. According to the FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook , accident

rates decrease by nearly 50% once a pilot obtains 100 hours and continue

to decrease until the 1,000-hour level.

Despite this downward trend, the heli-copter accident rate is still 30% higher

than the accident rate for fixed-wing

aircraft, the handbook also states.

Education and training are key as

pilots gain experience. Here are some helpful recommendations from the FAA

Helicopter Instructor’s Handbook and

other FAA publications to keep in mind

for rotorcraft (and fixed-wing) pilots:

• Learn the airport’s traffic patterns and flight procedures (many air -

ports have facility guides). Be aware of your helicopter’s position and

the position of other aircraft and

obstructions. Even though helicop-ters do not regularly use runways

for takeoffs and landings, runway

incursions need to be understood and discussed.

• Typically, helicopters fly lower at airports than fixed-wing aircraft.

The average traffic pattern altitude

is 500–800 feet above ground level (AGL) for helicopters, while for most fixed-wing aircraft it is 1,000–

1,500 feet AGL. Listen attentively

to any clearances and instructions

from air traffic control (ATC) and

acknowledge them in full.

• Blowing dust, sand, or rocks caused by the helicopter’s rotor wash

can be hazardous. Take whatever

actions that you can when landing

and taking off to prevent creating

these hazards.

• In forward flight, departing or landing helicopters produce a pair of

strong, high-speed trailing vortices

similar to wing tip vortices of larger

fixed-wing aircraft. Pilots of small

aircraft should use caution when operating behind or crossing behind

landing and departing helicopters.

• To mitigate risks, the FAA urges

pilots to wait several minutes for the

turbulence to dissipate or main-

tain a safe distance from the rotor

downwash. How long you should

wait depends on wind conditions and the terrain. A rule of thumb in

the aviation community is to wait at

least two minutes or keep a distance of three nautical miles.

• FAA guidelines recommend that pilots of aircraft weighing 41,000

pounds or less, which covers most

helicopters and small planes,

avoid operating within three main

rotor diameters of any helicopter operating in a slow hover taxi or a

stationary hover.

• Be aware of both main and tail

rotors on the ground. The potential

of someone walking into turning

rotors is significant. The tail rotor,

in particular, is hard to notice.

• Pay attention to any wind indicators, such as windsocks, flags,

and smoke.

Before flying, Colorado flight

instructor and pilot Jessica Meiris said

she considers whether the airport is

controlled or uncontrolled, how much

traffic she can expect, her mission, and

type of helicopter she’s flying.

“Generally speaking, I gather

weather information like ATIS or ASOS to plan for approach direction

and begin communications — either clear position reports or contacting

ATC — early enough to allow for

a change in specific landing site or

diversion if needed, ” she said. “I'm also

conscious about helicopter wake tur -

bulence and how my flight path might

affect other aircraft in the pattern

or on the ground. Remember, larger

helicopters generate bigger and more

dangerous vortices. ”

“If I'm landing direct to a ramp, I

scan the area and choose a site that is clear of debris, obstacles, and other aircraft if possible. As I approach the

intended landing zone, I keep scanning

the immediate as well as the general

area for obstacles in case I need to

respond to an emergency or go around, so I always have an escape. Takeoff

protocols are similar — maintaining

situational awareness, communicat-ing clearly, and being mindful of the

impact my actions have on others. ”

Meiris noted that safety is a team

effort.

“How you fly out there reflects on

the entire industry, ” she said. “Let’s operate in a way that leaves others with

the impression that helicopters are safe,

considerate, and resourceful machines. ”

Gene Trainor is a technical writer/editor in the FAA’s Aircraft

Certification Service.

September/October 2024 27

letters from the Safety Briefing mailbagFLIGHT FORUM

Check out our GA Safety

Facebook page atFacebook.com/groups/GASafety .

If you’re not a member, we encourage you to join the group of more than 16,000 participants in the GA com-munity who share safety principles and best practices, participate in pos-itive and safe engagement with the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), and post relevant GA content that makes the National Airspace System safer.

Approval After a

Disqualifying Condition

Thanks for this article [“Getting to

Y es, ” Jul/Aug 2024 bit.ly/3Lqnyvd].

It's been a long journey, espe-cially for those who live with these

diagnoses and have a first-person

view of their function and capabil-ity to perform safely in the NAS.

Let's continue to move forward

with diligence and good data. The

biggest obstacles are additional costs

(thousands of dollars per applicant, typically) and the amount of time

it takes to satisfy the FAA. If more

work can be done on these fronts

it would greatly help those aviators

who find themselves (typically due to no fault of their own) in these

situations. Thanks for the continued focus on getting capable and safe

pilots back in the air and keeping them there.

— Tim

Hi Tim. Thanks for your feedback and support! The FAA is committed to

data-driven risk assessments and con-

tinuous improvement of our medical

standards. In addition to adding

medications that are allowed for special issuance consideration for use

by pilots and air traffic controllers, we

recently amended the AME guidance on uncomplicated anxiety, depression,

and related conditions. AMEs can now

issue a medical certificate if a pilot

has been off medication for two years,

there are no issues raised by a question-naire, and the AME has no concerns.

And since it’s common to have more

than one mental health condition like anxiety and depression, or anxiety

and PTSD, your AME can now issue a

medical certificate for any class if you

have up to two mental health condi-

tions provided certain criteria are met. You can learn more at bit.ly/4ebnmgw.

Aviation Weather Under

the Microscope

Hello! "A Fresh Forecast" [Mar/Apr

2024 bit.ly/3vc1JLu] is one of the best articles I have read in any aviation

magazine. By starting with the basics of METARs and TAFs, the article

draws in pilots who have abandoned

checking the weather before flights.

The rest of the article explains

the 'METS, Doppler, etc. without

overwhelming the reader, but giving plenty of links to "Learn More."

I personally see pilots at local

airports do the 360GL approach (my abbreviation) to check the

weather. They stand on the ramp,

do a 360º ground look up at the sky

and climb into the pilot's seat. Or

they will "check the weather when I'm up there." Kudos to the authors.

Checking the weather takes time

measured in minutes. The average funeral lasts more than an hour.

— Pierre

Hi Pierre. Thank you so much for your comments, we’re thrilled you

found the information valuable! The

weather has a critical effect on safe

GA flying and should affect every

decision made in aviation. We hope all of our readers will use these vital

evaluation products to support an

exhaustive weather briefing and inform good judgment.

For more stories and news,

check out our blog

“Cleared for Takeoff” at

medium.com/FAA .

Let us hear from you! Send your

comments, suggestions, and questions

to SafetyBriefing@faa.gov . You can

also reach us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @FAASafetyBrief or on

Facebook at facebook.com/FAA.

We may edit letters for style and/or

length. Due to our publishing sched-

ule, responses may not appear for several issues. While we do not print

anonymous letters, we will withhold

names or send personal replies upon

request. If you have a concern with

an immediate FAA operational issue, contact your local Flight Standards

Office or air traffic facility.

28 FAA Safety Briefing

ON FINAL an editor's perspective

TOM HOFFMANN

TOP SIX TAXI TIPS

One of the first skills a fledgling pilot

learns is how to manage your aerial

steed safely on the ground. From

properly straddling the yellow line, to

attentively listening for your call sign,

to deciphering the array of multi-col-ored lines, letters, and numbers all

clamoring for your attention — it

can be overwhelming at times. Even veteran pilots occasionally struggle

with ground maneuvers, particularly

after a period of inactivity or when

visiting a new airport. Regardless of

your experience, it’s always a good time to shore up your ground game

and make runway safety a top priority.

Here’s a list of surface safety tips

that are sure to help:

1. Expect the Unexpected

With the excitement of the destination

in your head, the chatter of anxious passengers, and changes that crop

up, it’s understandable that pilots can

become distracted and sometimes

complacent during taxi. Throw in an

unexpected taxi clearance, some mar -

ginal weather, and/or a heavy amount

of aircraft activity, and you’ve got a

recipe for a potentially deadly runway incursion on your hands.

The good news is that by preparing

(study the airport diagram and any

relevant From the Flight Deck videos

before you taxi!), leveraging the tech-nology at your disposal (moving map

displays), and having a solid under -

standing of airport signage, you can significantly mitigate the risk in these

types of situations.

2. Don’t Get Burned at Airport

Hot Spots

An airport surface hot spot is a loca-

tion on an airport movement area with

a history or potential risk of runway incursions and is generally found in areas with confusing or complex geome -

try. It’s vital to check the airport diagram and know where the hot spots are before

you go to any airport. To help, the FAA

standardized hot spot symbology and now uses three shapes with two distinct

meanings: a circle or ellipse for ground

movement hot spots and a cylinder for wrong surface hot spots.

3. Remember: Wrong Surface Events

Happen More Often Than You Think

Wrong surface events can happen to

the best of us, and they occur more

frequently than you might think.

In fiscal year 2023, there were 103

attempted wrong surface operations

reported, a vast majority of which were attributed to general aviation.

The risks associated with a wrong

surface or wrong direction takeoff are serious, but thankfully, there are

several ways you can avoid being on

the wrong surface at the wrong time.

As we stated earlier, be aware of any

complex geometry or hot spots at your airport. Be sure to also listen to ATIS

for more than just wind and altimeter

settings. Y ou could be missing out on crucial construction notices, runway

closures, or runway misalignment

warnings.

Another tip is to set the heading

bug on your heading indicator to the assigned runway heading before you

taxi and verify the aircraft is heading

this direction when lined up on the

runway. Y ou can also set up a GPS user

waypoint on the assigned runway.

4. When in Doubt, Give ATC a Shout

While it might involve swallowing a

bit of pride, if you are ever in doubt as

to your position on the airport or your

taxi clearance, don’t be afraid to stop where you are and ask the tower for help and/or progressive taxi instruc-

tions. If you receive an instruction

from ATC that you’re uncomfortable

with or are unable to comply with,

simply state “unable. ” ATC can and will help you in both cases.

5. Don’t Cross the Line!

Literally, don’t cross the line. The hold

short line that is — unless you’ve been

specifically cleared to do so. Actually,

there are several types of hold short

position markings you may encounter while taxiing, all of which deserve

careful attention. But the runway

holding position marking is by far

one of the most critical markings on

the airport and the one which is most misunderstood or overlooked. Better

to hold short and ask if you are unsure

of your clearance. A helpful memory aid is to “stop for solid, dash through

the dashes. ”

6. Be Cool, Stay in School

There are tons of helpful resources

available to pilots that can help you

keep your taxi skills sharp. The arti-

cles in this issue highlight many of

them, but here are few worth noting:

• The FAA ’s Runway Safety page at

faa.gov/airports/runway_safety

• The FAA ’s From the Flight Deck video series at faa.gov/flight_deck

• FAASafety.gov has several runway safety-related notices, live seminars,

and online courses (e.g., Tarmac

Tales, ALC-670)

• FAA ’s Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge , Chapter

14, at bit.ly/AeronauticalKnowledge

FAA FACESFAA employee profile

PAUL CIANCIOLO

MATT PORTER

Manager, FAA Flight Standard Service’s Authorized and Certificated Operations Section

Working on the farm in Kansas

with his grandpa was Matt Porter’s

first “job. ” But it wasn’t until visiting

relatives in Tennessee that Matt found

his calling when a flight in a Cessna

172 out of Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT) instantly hooked him

into the world of aviation.

“I still remember the awesome feel-

ing of lifting off the ground for the first time and instantly knowing that flying

was my passion, ” he reminisces. “ And I

love sharing that passion with others. ”

After high school, Matt earned a

bachelor’s degree as a professional pilot and a master’s in aviation safety and

security management from Middle Tennessee State University. He also

served as a flight instructor at MTSU.

After college, he flew as an airline pilot

for Comair, operating as Delta Con-

nection in the Bombardier CRJ-200.

Airline furloughs shifted his flight

path to corporate flying for a large medical company in Nashville. There,

he eventually became the chief pilot for

a flight department with two Cessna Citations , a Piper PA-42 Cheyenne III,

and two Cessna 310s.

Matt joined the FAA as an aviation

safety inspector at the Nashville Flight

Standards District Office (FSDO) and

now serves as a remotely located man-

ager at the agency’s headquarters. His eight-person team in the FAA ’s Flight

Standards Service is responsible for the

operational policy related to part 91

business aviation and subpart K frac-

tional aircraft ownership operations,

part 133 rotorcraft external loads, part 137 agricultural aircraft operations,

restricted category aircraft operations,

investigation policy, and runway safety.

His section also helps produce

the From the Flight Deck video series

(detailed in the article “ A Front Seat

View of Runway Safety”), which

provides pilots with actual runway approach and airport taxiway foot-

age captured with aircraft-mounted

cameras.

Matt also notes that some general

aviation pilots may not fully appreciate the difference in operations at towered

versus non-towered airports.

“When we go through our primary

training as pilots, we typically train from either one or the other — towered

or non-towered — and that naturally

makes us less comfortable going to the

opposite type of airport.

He adds that this can lead pilots to

favor one type of airport over the other when planning trips, making them even less comfortable going to the

opposite type of airport we have more

experience and familiarity with. Then,

one day, you will inevitably need to go to the type of airport you are uncom-

fortable with. This is a likely place for a safety event or possible runway

incursion to occur.

Matt highly recommends that pilots

proactively address the bias by flying with a flight instructor to the more

unfamiliar airport type — towered

or non-towered. Flying regularly into

both airport types is vital to your pilot proficiency training.

Another way to avoid an incident on

the ground is to plan ahead.

“If the first time you are thinking

about your approach, landing, and taxi into a new airport is on your initial

descent, then you are setting yourself

up for failure, ” he explains.

Beyond safety promotion, the next

realm of increased surface safety for general aviation is data and technol-

ogy. This includes streamlining the

pilot deviation investigation process by improving root cause analysis and data

quality, sharing safety data, and lever -

aging technology already in the aircraft

to backup the pilot without increasing

workload.

Matt continues to fly regularly as

a GA pilot and a flight instructor.

When he is not at an airport, he is on the inland waterways sailing with his

family, experiencing both powered and

non-powered fun.

Matt Porter with his

family on a sailing trip.

U.S. Department

of Transportation

Federal Aviation

Administration

800 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20591

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LOOK WHO’S READING

FAA Safety Briefing

When she’s not walking the

runway as Miss America 2024,

Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh

makes time for runway safety

and FAA Safety Briefing .