AVIA 4045 - Airport Management: Design & Construction

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering airfield design codes, runway/taxiway geometry, pavement types, terminal configurations, 14 CFR Part 77 imaginary surfaces, and airport construction processes.

Advisory Circular (AC)

A publication issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide guidance and recommendations for compliance with aviation regulations.

AC 150/5300-13A

The Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular that establishes standards and specifications for airport design.

Design Aircraft (Critical Aircraft)

The most demanding aircraft type intended to be accommodated by an airport runway, which planners use to establish dimensional, separation, and safety standards.

Substantial Use

The operational threshold that requires an airport to be designed to accommodate a critical aircraft, defined as $500$ or more annual itinerant operations.

Aircraft Approach Category (AAC)

A design grouping based on critical aircraft approach speed that governs runway length, approach aid requirements, and visibility minimums.

Airplane Design Group (ADG)

A classification based on aircraft wingspan or tail height (whichever is more restrictive) that dictates pavement strength and wingtip separation from obstacles.

Airport Reference Code (ARC)

A coding system signifying an airport's highest Runway Design Code minus the visibility component, used in planning to determine the dimensions of the Runway Safety Area (RSA).

Track-in Distance

The lateral distance the aircraft's main landing gear moves away from the taxiway centerline toward the inside of a turn as it negotiates a curve.

Runway Safety Area (RSA)

A defined surface surrounding the runway kept free of objects and surface variations to reduce damage risk for aircraft that undershoot, overrun, or veer off the runway (designed to contain $90\%$ of occurrences).

Obstacle Free Zone (OFZ)

A defined volume of airspace centered above the runway centerline extending $200\text{ feet}$ beyond each runway end to protect aircraft during takeoff and landing.

Runway Object Free Area (ROFA)

A ground area centered on the runway where above-ground objects protruding above the Runway Safety Area edge elevation are prohibited.

Clearway

An unobstructed airspace area beyond the runway end available for the completion of a takeoff run, allowing for increased allowable takeoff weight without adding paved runway length.

Stopway

A paved area centered beyond the takeoff runway end capable of supporting an aircraft during an aborted takeoff deceleration.

Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS)

A bed of crushable cellular cement material installed past a runway end (at least $600\text{ feet}$ in length) designed to reliably decelerate an overrunning aircraft.

Cockpit over Centerline Steering

A taxiway design configuration using curved centerlines so that pilots steering directly along the painted stripe keep the landing gear on pavement without leaving the surface.

Judgmental Oversteering

A taxiing maneuver required on uncurved taxiway intersections where pilots must steer the cockpit past the turn center before turning so the main landing gear stays on the pavement.

Acute-Angled Exit Taxiway

A high-speed turnoff taxiway angled at $30^\circ$ to the runway centerline that reduces runway occupancy time (ROT) and boosts runway operational capacity.

Rigid Pavement

Pavement constructed of Portland cement concrete that distributes concentrated aircraft wheel loads across a broad base primarily through slab flexural bending action.

Flexible Pavement

Asphaltic pavement layers that transmit wheel loads downward into subbase and subgrade soils primarily through compressive grain-to-grain bearing contact.

Transporter Terminal

A terminal layout where rubber-tired vehicles (such as mobile lounges) carry passengers across the apron between a central passenger building and remote aircraft positions.

Exclusive-Use Facility

An airport lease arrangement in which gates, counters, and terminal areas are dedicated solely to one airline, allowing specific carrier branding.

Preferential-Use Facility

A lease agreement giving a primary airline priority rights to designated gates or terminal space, while allowing others to use them when not in scheduled operation.

Common-Use Facility

An operational setup that maximizes airport resource efficiency by making gates, podiums, and check-in counters open to any carrier on an as-needed basis.

14 CFR Part 77

Federal regulations governing the safe, efficient use, and preservation of the navigable airspace, establishing imaginary surfaces used to determine obstructions and hazards.

FAA Form 7460-1

The Notice of Proposed Construction or Alteration submitted to the FAA at least $45\text{ days}$ in advance when planned structures exceed $200\text{ feet AGL}$ or occur near public airports.

Traverse Way Clearances

Standard vertical allowances added under Part 77 for passing vehicles: $17\text{ feet}$ for Interstates, $15\text{ feet}$ for public roads, $10\text{ feet}$ for private roads, $23\text{ feet}$ for railroads, and the highest mobile object for waterways.

Primary Surface (Part 77.19)

The only Part 77 imaginary surface located at ground level, longitudinally centered along the runway, extending $200\text{ feet}$ past each runway end with a width between $250\text{ and }1,000\text{ feet}$.

Transitional Surface (Part 77.19)

An imaginary surface sloping upward and outward at a $7:1$ ratio perpendicular to the runway centerline from the edges of the primary and approach surfaces up to $150\text{ feet AGL}$.

Approach Surface (Part 77.19)

An imaginary inclined surface starting $200\text{ feet}$ beyond the runway end that flares outward at slopes of $20:1$ (visual), $34:1$ (non-precision), or $50:1$ / $40:1$ (precision).

Horizontal Surface (Part 77.19)

A level imaginary plane $150\text{ feet}$ above established airport elevation, defined by connecting arcs swung from primary surface ends ($5,000\text{-foot}$ radius for visual/utility; $10,000\text{-foot}$ radius for all others).

Conical Surface (Part 77.19)

An imaginary surface extending outward and upward from the perimeter of the horizontal surface at a slope of $20:1$ for a horizontal distance of $4,000\text{ feet}$.

TERPS

Terminal Instrument Procedures; the standard FAA criteria and methods used to design and evaluate civil instrument flight approach and departure procedures.

Avigation Easement

An acquired property right securing the legal permission for aircraft to fly through airspace over a parcel, shielding the airport from future noise lawsuits.

Prebid Conference

A meeting held by the airport engineer approximately $10\text{ days}$ prior to bid opening to explain required construction methods, specs, and safety guidelines to contractors.

Construction Safety and Phasing Plan (CSPP)

A comprehensive airfield risk-mitigation strategy developed in compliance with AC 150/5370-2F to manage operational safety during construction on an active airfield.

Safety Plan Compliance Document (SPCD)

A document created by the construction contractor detailing how the contractor will comply with the airport sponsor's Construction Safety and Phasing Plan.

Notice to Proceed (NTP)

The formal written instruction issued by the airport sponsor to the contractor permitting airfield construction work to officially start.