Airport Operations / Markings

Related to Airspace, there are two main types of airports - Towered and Nontowered.  The main difference being that at towered airports, ATC is responsible for providing safe, orderly flow of traffic.  At nontowered airports, a Common frequency (CTAF) is provided to announce position.  While strongly recommended, it is not required.

Info for airport frequencies can be found on Aeronautical Charts, in the A/FD, or NOTAMS.

The following link goes to a set of flashcards for Airport Markings
http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/flashcards/RWcards_lo.pdf

Runway Markings
Basic VFR runways may just have centerline markings and a runway number.

•Runway numbers are referenced to magnetic north.
•Displaced Thresholds are to allow obstacle clearance
•Blast Pad is an area where propeller or jet blast can dissipate before causing a hazard

Signage
Signs fall into 6 categories
-Mandatory Instructions (white on red)
-Location signs (yellow on black)
-Direction signs (black on yellow)
-Destination signs (black on yellow)
-Information (black on yellow)
-Runway distance remaining (White on Black)

Airport Lighting
Beacons
Operated from dusk til dawn or sometimes in IFR conditions.
Green/White = Civilian Land Airport
White/Yellow = Water Airport
White/Yellow/Green = Heliport
Two White / Green = Military

Approach Lighting
VASI = clearance within 10º of extended runway centerline and to 4 NM from threshold.  Approach set at 3º on 2-bar VASI
3 bar VASI allows two glidepaths - one at 3º, the other 1/4º above lower glidepath

TRI-COLOR VASI = Red-Below Glidepath
Green-On Glidepath
Amber-Above Glidepath.  Also slightly below glidepath

PAPI = set at 3º with indications of slightly high/slightly low.  3.2º/2.8º

Pulsating VASI = single unit projecting two-color visual approach path.
Steady White = on glidepath
Steady Red = Slightly Below
Pulsating Red = below glidepath (pulsations increase as plane descends further below glidepath)
Pulsating White = Above glidepath

Runway Lighting
Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL) = Pair of synchronized flashing lights on each side of threshold.

Edge Lights = HIRL/MIRL/LIRL.  Lights are white unless on instrument runways when amber lights are used for last 2000 ft (or half of the runway) whichever is less.  End of runway are red.

In-Runway Lighting
Runway Centerline Lighting (RCLS) - spaced at 50 ft intervals.  Centerline white until last 3000 ft.  White/Red for next 2000 ft.  Last 1000 ft is red.

Touchdown Zone Lights (TDZL) - installed on some precision approach runways.  Two rows of transverse light bars.  White lights start 100 ft beyond landing threshold and extend to 3000 ft beyond landing threshold or to midpoint of runway, whichever is less.

Taxiway centerline lead-off lights - Alternate green/yellow lights beginning with green from runway centerline to beyond runway hold position or ILS/MLS critical area (whichever is more restrictive)

Taxiway centerline lead-on lights - Also Green/Yellow

LAHSO Lights - Row of pulsing white lights across the runway at hold short point.

Obstruction Lights
Red obstruction lights - flash or emit steady red color during night.  Painted orange/white during day.
White obstruction lights - flash high intensity white lights during daytime
Dual lighting - combination of flashing red beacons and steady red lights during night and flashing white during day.

Wind Direction Indicators
Generally weather recordings or ATC will provide you with wind or runway info, but in absence of this . . .

Wind Sock/Wind Cone, Tetrahedrons, or Wind Tees.   Wind Tees and Tetrahedrons can be positioned to indicate runway in use, and do not necessarily indicate wind.  Wind sock or cone will always show wind direction.

Segmented Circle shows direction of traffic pattern flow.  Prop aircraft generally have patterns at  600 ft AGL - 1500 ft AGL.  Higher performance aircraft have patterns from 1500 ft AGL and up.

Radar Services
ATC Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) - Secondary Surveillance Radar
Transponder = Airborne portion of secondary surveillance radar system.

Light Gun Signals

Runway Incursions
Can occur for any number of reasons
-Failure to heed ATC instructions
-Unfamiliar with airport layout
-Failure to check for landing or intersecting traffic
-Other factors such as vehicles on runway/animals