Operating in and out of a towered airport, as well as in a good portion of the airspace system, requires that an aircraft have two-way radio communication capability. For this reason, a pilot should be knowledgeable of radio station license requirements and radio communications equipment and procedures. Radio License There is no license requirement for […]
At airports without an operating control tower, a segmented circle visual indicator system, if installed, is designed to provide traffic pattern information. [Figure 1] Usually located in a position affording maximum visibility to pilots in the air and on the ground and providing a centralized location for other elements of the system, the segmented circle
It is important for a pilot to know the direction of the wind. At facilities with an operating control tower, this information is provided by ATC. Information may also be provided by FSS personnel either located at a particular airport or remotely available through a remote communication outlet (RCO), or by requesting information on a
The majority of airports have some type of lighting for night operations. The variety and type of lighting systems depends on the volume and complexity of operations at a given airport. Airport lighting is standardized so that airports use the same light colors for runways and taxiways. Airport Beacon Airport beacons help a pilot identify
There are markings and signs used at airports that provide directions and assist pilots in airport operations. It is important for you to know the meanings of the signs, markings, and lights that are used on airports as surface navigational aids. All airport markings are painted on the surface, whereas some signs are vertical and
When a pilot flies into a different airport, it is important to review the current data for that airport. This data provides the pilot with information, such as communication frequencies, services available, closed runways, or airport construction. Three common sources of information are: Aeronautical Charts Chart Supplement U.S. (formerly Airport/Facility Directory) Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs)
The definition for airports refers to any area of land or water used or intended for landing or takeoff of aircraft. This includes, within the five categories of airports listed below, special types of facilities including seaplane bases, heliports, and facilities to accommodate tilt rotor aircraft. An airport includes an area used or intended for
It is important for pilots to understand the realization that the derived safety benefits of data link depends heavily upon the pilot’s understanding of the specific system’s capabilities and limitations which are listed below. Product latency – be aware of the time stamp or “valid until” time on the particular data link information displayed in
Pilot Responsibility | Aviation Weather Services Read Post »
Many aircraft manufacturers now include data link weather services with new electronic flight display (EFD) systems. EFDs give a pilot access to many of the data link weather services available. Figure 1. Information page Products available to a pilot on the display pictured in Figure 1 are listed as follows. The letters in parentheses indicate
Electronic Flight Displays (EFD) /Multi-Function Display (MFD) Weather Read Post »
Although ATC systems cannot always detect the presence or absence of clouds, they can often determine the intensity of a precipitation area, but the specific character of that area (snow, rain, hail, VIRGA, etc.) cannot be determined. For this reason, ATC refers to all weather areas displayed on ATC radar scopes as “precipitation.” ARTCC facilities
