Aerodrome Safety Workshop

ICAO
Aerodrome Operations under
Limited Visibility Conditions

Almaty, Kazakhstan – 18 to 22 November 2002

 History

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 History
 When there was a requirement to implement the
ICAO Strategy for introduction and application of
non-visual aids to approach and landing, the ICAO
EANPG established the All Weather Operations
Group to manage the transition
 During the first meeting of AWOG, the following
was presented:
- Information concerning the status of low visibility
procedures (LVP) in the EUR Region
- Variations in the application of LVP at various
aerodromes

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 History

 As a result, the AWOG established a Project

Team on Low Visibility Procedures
(PT/LVP) with the task:
- to review the procedures
- to identify areas where further
harmonization would be appropriate
 It was noted that existing guidance material
in ECAC-CEAC Doc No. 17 was out of date
in some respects
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 History

 Introduction of JAR-OPS (Subpart E) in

some States has reinforced the urgent need
to define such common and standardized
practices within the ICAO EUR Region
 ECAC-CEAC Doc No. 17 covered three
areas:
- aeroplane and flight crew
- aerodrome facilities
- ATS procedures
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 History

 It was felt that the requirements for

aeroplane and flight crew where
adequately covered in current
regulations
 The EANPG agreed that the AWOG
should develop guidance material for
aerodrome facilities and ATS
procedures

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 History

Draft
European Guidance Material
On
Aerodrome Operations under
Limited Visibility Conditions

Version 2
EANPG December 2002

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 Definitions

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 Definitions
Categories of
precision approach and landing operations:

CAT I:
DH not lower than 60 m, VIS not less than
800 m or RVR not less than 550 m

CAT II:
DH lower than 60 m but not lower than
30 m, RVR not less than 350 m
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 Definitions
Categories of
precision approach and landing operations:
CAT III A:
DH lower than 30 m or no DH, RVR not less than 200 m

CAT III B:
DH lower than 15 m or no DH
RVR less than 200 m but not less than 50 m

CAT III C:
No DH and RVR limitations

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 Authorization

Aerodrome Safety Workshop - Almaty, Kazakhstan - 18 to 22 November 2002 11

 Authorization
 At aerodromes where LVP are established, any
operation in Low Visibility Conditions is subject to
authorization covering the aeroplane and the flight
crew
 The suitability of an aerodrome for operations during
low visibility conditions should be assessed by the
State of the aerodrome
 As part of the certification process, States should
ensure that the aerodrome manual will include
operating procedures
 The general conditions under which Low Visibility
Procedures are applied must be published in the AIP

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 Safety Assessment

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 Safety Assessment
 When a RWY is to be upgraded to make it
suitable for operations during low visibility
conditions, it is to be appreciated that:
- the lower the visibility is, the less the pilot
is able to recognize and take action to avoid
hazardous situations
- in order to maintain the overall level of
safety, an appropriate level of facilities and
additional procedures may be required

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 Safety Assessment
 In a number of States it has been found
effective to form a working group, in order
to ensure that all the elements in the ground
environment are properly integrated into the
total system
 The working group should be composed of
representatives of all sections that are
concerned with the issue
 This should include the aerodrome operator,
ATS, MET services, aircraft operators, etc.

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 Safety Assessment
 The working group is tasked with:
- establishment of an appropriate
process for the upgrade of the
aerodrome
- proper installation of all visual and
non-visual aids
- development of procedures required to
ensure the safety of the operation
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Surface Movement Guidance
and Control Systems
(SMGCS)

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 SMGCS

 Visual aids
 Non-visual aids
 Facilities
 Procedures
 Regulations
 Management
 Information facilities

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 Examples of visibility
conditions definitions

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Example of Visibility Conditions definitions

 Visibility conditions 1:
- pilot able to taxi and avoid collision
- ATC able to control on visual reference
 Visibility condition 2:
- Pilot able to taxi and avoid collision
- ATC unable to control on visual reference
only
 Visibility condition 3:
- visibility less than 550 m (LVP)

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 Examples of visibility
conditions requirements

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 Example: Requirements in visibility condition 1

 No requirements additional to the present ICAO

SARPS and procedures in:
- Annex 11, 14
- PANS-ATM
 Aerodrome Design Manual, Part 4 “Visual Aids”
 SMGCS Manual
 Airport Services Manual Parts 1 and 8
- Rescue and Fire Fighting
- Airport Operational Services

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 Example: Requirements in visibility condition 2

 Measures dependent on dimensions of

manoeuvring area and position of control
tower
 Procedures and visual aids should enable
pilot to determine position and follow route
(signs, marking, lights)
 Lower visibility ranges: may limit movement
rate (airport lay-out, availability of SMR)
 Measures against undetected RWY intrusion
(limited routes, procedures, SMR, stop bars)
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Example: Requirements visibility condition 2 (cont)

 Visibility < 1000 m RVR

- withdrawal of vehicles and personnel
involved in non essential activities on
the manoeuvring area
(construction/maintenance)
- ILS sensitive area should be clear of
all traffic
 At RVR  550 m, measures shall be
completed
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 Example: Requirements in visibility condition 3

 ATC ensures ILS sensitive area clear before

issuing landing clearance
 At RVR 550 m all measures to protect RWY
and ground movement should be completed
 ATC responsible for movement of ground
vehicles in the entire movement area
 RVR < 350 m:
- Further restrictions for vehicles and
persons on the manoeuvring area
- ATC assists fire and rescue services
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Example: Requirements visibility condition 3 (cont)

 RVR < 200m:

- ATC increasingly responsible for collision
avoidance (shared responsibility)
- Procedures and equipment should be compatible
to meet this requirement
 Aircraft should be required to manoeuvre down to
100 m RVR; the following facilities should be
adequate to enable the pilot to taxi:
- TWY lights
- TWY markings
- route/information signs (location system)
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 Responsibilities
shared
RVR responsibility

0
responsibility responsibility
pilot ATC

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Example of Aerodrome Procedures

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 Example: Aerodrome Procedures
 TDZ RVR < 1500 m and/or CB < 300 ft. Sensitive
area operational RWY:
- free of obstacles/ vehicles
- no construction/maintenance activities
 Any RVR < 1000 m and/or CB < 200 ft
Movement area:
- all construction/maintenance actovites will be
terminated
 RVR < 1500 m
Aircraft towing:
- permission ground control

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 Examples of phases in
low visibility operations

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Example: Phases low visibility operations
 Phase A:
550 m < RVR < 1500 m
any RVR or CB between 300 ft and 200 ft
 Phase B:
350 m < RVR < 550 m
any RVR of operational RWY or CB < 200 ft
 Phase C:
200 m < RVR < 350 m
any RVR of operational RWY
 Phase D:
RVR < 200 m
any RVR of RWY 24 or 27

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 Initiation of
low visibility procedures

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Initiation of low vis. procedures
 Senior controller at TWR responsible for:
- initiation
- change
- cancellation
- exemptions
of the low visibility operations phases
 Information from TWR to:
- ACC
- Airport operator
- MET office
- FIO

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Example: Restrictions Phase A

 Feeder/arrival:
- preferential RWY 06/19R/27 01R
- no opposite use of RWY’s
- minimum separation on final approach 6 nm
 Ground control:
- no clearance for aircraft to RWY intersections
- change to TWR frequency at holding points in
departure sequence
- monitor ground traffic

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Example: Restrictions Phase A
 Start-up control:
- minimum RETD interval 3 minutes
 Tower:
- No opposite use of RWY’s
- No intersection take-offs
- no take-off RWY 19 L
- Co-ordinate take-off with departure control
- No take-off RWY 27 when approaching aircraft
< 6 nm from TDZ
- No landing clearance when traffic in sensitive area
- Monitor ground traffic by SMR

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Example: Restrictions Phase B
 Different from / in addition to phase A
 Feeder/Arrival:
- preferential RWY 06/19R/27
- Minimum separation on final approach
8 nm (landing interval 3,5 min)
 Tower:
- Take-off RWY 24/09/01L/27
 Start-up control:
- minimum RETD interval 4 minutes

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Example: Restrictions Phase B
 Ground control:
- Monitor ground traffic on SMR and give
instructions for the taxi route when required
- In conflict situations give traffic info and
positive instructions for actions
- Vehicles and towed aircraft in the
manoeuvring area after permission of the
control tower. Exempted are “follow me”
vehicles on some isolated aprons

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Example: Restrictions Phase C
 Different from / in addition to phase B
 Feeder/arrival:
- minimum separation on final approach
12 nm (min. landing interval 5 min.)
 Start-up control
- minimum RETD interval 5 minutes
- no start-up when RVR for applicable
aircraft is below take-off limits

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Example: Restrictions Phase C
 Ground control:
- No power back
- Permission to taxi; after push back team
reported free
- Monitor ground traffic: instruct pilots on taxi
route (ATC/pilots shared responsibility)
- Only positive instructions to pilot
- Limited possibilities for vehicles to cross
TWY’s to isolated ramps (controlled)
- fire fighting vehicles: ground control
- No vehicles and towing of aircraft (exemptions
at ground control discretion)

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 Example: Contingency procedures
Stop bar(s) of one RWY U/S

 Phase A:
No additional requirements
 Phase B:
No landing or take-off from this RWY
 Phase C:
No landing or take-off from this RWY

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 Example: Contingency procedures
Stop bars of more than one RWY U/S
 Phase A:
No additional requirements
 Phase B:
- Landing RWY 19R unrestricted
- Landing RWY 27 and 06 with minimum final
separation 15 nm; minimum landing interval 6 nm
- Take-off RWY 01L or 24
 Phase C:
- Landing on RWY 19 R only; separation on final
15 nm and minimum landing interval 6 min
- Take-off RWY 24 only

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 Example: Contingency procedures
Surface Movement Radar U/S

 RVR  550 m
- decision of senior ATC controller
 200 m  RVR < 550 m
- Landing RWY 19R only
- Landing interval > 10 min
- Take-off RWY 24 only
- Minimum RETD interval 10 min
- report on ATIS
- Start-up at gate only
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 Example: Contingency procedures
Surface Movement Radar U/S

 RVR < 200 m

- No air traffic control for departing/
arriving traffic
- ATIS: “ground radar U/S, aerodrome
is below operational limits”

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