CM Module 1 (v2025)

airport sponsor definition

Refers to the governing body of the airport

Usually elected officials or and appointed board

(airport and airway improvement act)

airport executive definition

refers to a particular individual, such as a director, airport manager, or CEO

airport operator definition

refers to the overall airport management structure, including the sponsor, the executive, and other personnel essential to the airport’s operation

Who were the earliest adopters of commercial aviation

The military during WW!

Describe the Air Mail Act of 1925 (Kelly Act)

The railroad accused govt of creating a monopoly w/air mail and The Kelly Act authorized the Postmaster General to contract for domestic airmail services w/commercial air services

What was the effect of the Kelly Act

• created commercial aviation industry

  • provided first aviation industry principle - industry should pay for itself

What is a fixed base operator (FBO)

established to provide fuel and temporary rest spots for pilots and passengers

What was the Air Commerce Act of 1926

established when the industry pushed for federal government regulations to improve safety standards

• created the Aeronautics branch in Dept of Commerce

Describe the responsibilities of the Aeronautics branch

fostering air commerce

• issuing/enforcing air traffic rules

• licensing pilots

• certifying a/c

• establishing airways

• operating and maintaining navaids

describe the Civil Aeronautics Administration (1930s)

previously the aeronautics branch

• ATC

• pilot and aircraft certifications

• safety enforcements

• airway development

What are the responsibilities of the Civil Aeronautics Board (1940s)

CAA split authority with them

• making safety rules

• conducting aircraft accident investigations

• economic regulation of airlines

• awarding new air routes

• approving airline operating certs

• regulating airfare

What was the Airline Deregulation Act or 1978

airlines were free to change prices and routes at will

• allowed hub and spoke to gain popularity

What is the Works Progress Administration (WPA)

assisted in funding numerous new airports and expansion of existing facilities

• provided on 50% of necessary funds

What is the Federal Aid to Airports Act (1946)

created the Federal Aid to Airports Program (FAAP) that stated that airports must be part of National Airport Plan (NAP) to receive funding

What is the sponsor (grant) assurance

states that the airport will be available for public use and without discrimination and the expectation that public use airports cannot deny civil aeronautics operations

What did the Federal Aviation Act of 1958

turned the CAA into the Federal Aviation Agency

Describe the responsibilities of the Federal Aviation Agency

• took over safety rulemaking from CAB

• responsible for developing a common military system of air navigation and air traffic control

• renamed to Federal Aviation Administration in 1966

What branch of government is the Federal Aviation Administration under

Department of Transportation

What was the point of the Airport and Airway Development Act (1970)

passed to continue the flow of grant money to airports

What is the Airport Development Air Program (1970)

provided funds for airport development projects

What is the Planning Grant Program (PGP)

provided funds for airport master plans and system plans

• later changed to Airport Improvement Program (AIP)

What is the Airport and Airway Revenue Act (1970)

Established the airport and airway trust fund which required collection of taxes or user fees from various segments of the aviation industry

What is the Airport and Airway Improvement Act (1982)

established the AIP and continued to expand the list of airport projects that are eligible for federal funding

• created the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS)

Why was the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) created

In response to 9/11

What is the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (2003)

endorsed the concept of next generation air transportation system

What is NextGen (GPS)

multifaceted series of initiatives designed to make air travel more efficient, secure, and safer overall

List some current trends in the aviation industry

• developments of spaceports

• sustainable fuels

• electric aircraft

• urban and advanced air mobility

who are the 4 major stakeholders of the airport

• government entities

• aeronautical users

• non-aeronautical users

• the community

who is the most significant stakeholder of the airport

airlines

List the types of aeronautical users (stakeholders)

• airlines

• FBOs

• specialized aviation service operators (SASOs)

• aircraft charter and related options

• Maintenance, repair and overhaul bases

• flight training

• airline fuel providers

• smaller private operators

What is a fixed fleet operator

private charter that operates under part 135 and conduct nonscheduled commercial flight ops

• people contact operator directly and rent entire aircraft including crew, fuel, maintenance, etc

what are aircraft management services

and existing aircraft owner seeks that services of a charter operator to manage their aircraft by overseeing maintenance and leasing the aircraft out to the public when the owner isn’t using it

• allows owners to make up ownership costs

what is fractional ownership

owner(s) sell shares of the total hours an airplane can fly per year and have the ability to upgrade/downgrade to other types of aircraft

• operates under subpart K of pt 91

what is a jet card program

providers sell blocks of retail flight hours on a specific type/class of aircraft

what is an on demand charter

providers do not operate/own an aircraft but instead function as a broker to provide planes to clients on a per year trip basis

what are cargo feeders

some charter both people and cargo, others subcontract to major cargo operators

What is the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS)

published every 2 years and is a 5-year forecast

identifies airports that are essential to the US, their roles, and the amount/types of airport development eligible for federal funding under AIP

What is the main criteria required to be included in the NPIAS

• publicly or privately owned and is either a commercial airport w/scheduled air service of at least 2,500 annual enplanements

• GA reliever airport

• receives scheduled air carrier transport to where a facility is under contract w/USPS

• public use airport where air national guard or reserve of armed forces operate aircraft and is based on or adjacent to airport

What are the three primary measurements to gauge airport activity

• enplanements

• operations (including instrument approach w/o landing)

• cargo tonnage

what is the criteria for commercial service

publicly owned airport that receives scheduled passenger services and has at least 2,500 or more enplanements per year

primary airport

10,000 or more enplanements per year

large hubs (primary)

serve at least 1% or more of total US passenger enplanements

medium hub (primary)

enplane 0.25% - 1% of US passenger enplanements

small hubs (primary)

enplane 0.05% to 0.25% of total US passenger enplanements

nonhub primary

less than 0.05% of all commercial passenger enplanements, but at least 10,000 annual enplanements

nonprimary commercial

between 2,500 and 9,999 enplaned passengers annually

general aviation airport

public use airports that do not have scheduled service or less than 2,500 annual passenger enplanements (must have at least 20 based a/c)

GA airport categores

• national

• regional

• local (backbone)

• basic

• unclassified

GA reliever airports

designated by the FAA to relieve congestion at commercial service airports and provide improved general aviation access to the community

what is the criteria to be a GA reliever airport

• open to the public

• have 100 or more based aircraft OR have 25,000 or more annual itinerant flight operations

what is a joint use airport

airport owned by the Department of Defense and military and civilian aircraft share the airfield - military leases out to civilians

what is a shared use airport

govt owned airport co located with civilian airport

what is a cargo service airport

are served by aircraft providing air transportation of only cargo with a total landing weight more than 100 million pounds

Title 14 CFR part 91

addresses the general operating and flight rules applicable to aircraft operating within the US (private flight ops)

direct air carrier

certificated domestic or foreign air carrier or air taxi that directly engages in the operation of aircraft under the DoT

indirect air carrier

uses commercial air transportation, but does not own or control the aircraft

any person that engages the devices of a direct air carrier in the transportation of people/things

Title 14 CFR Part 119

Air Carriers and Commercial Operators

identifies requirements for a/c operators engaged in commercial carriage

Title 14 CFR Part 121

Operating Requirements: Domestic, Flag, and Supplemental Operations

air carrier certification for scheduled passenger flights

scheduled air carrier operations

provides a schedule containing the departure location, time and arrival or flights offered

Title 14 CFR Part 135

Operating Requirements: Commuter and On Demand Operations and Rules Governing Persons on Board Such Aircraft

air charter/taxi (Unscheduled)

Title 14 CFR Part 380

airport leases a plane to a resort company to use the plane to fly its members to a destination (public charter)

Title 14 CFR Part 125

Certifications and Operations: Airplanes having a Seating Capacity of 10 or More Passengers or a Maximum Payload Capacity of 6,000 pounds or more; and Rules Governing Persons on Board Such Aircraft

Title 14 CFR Part 91.103 Pre Flight

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight before takeoff

flight dispatcher

certificated employee in charge of performing preflight research and providing it to pilots before takeoff

pilot in command

has final level of responsibility and “power of the parking brake”

pilotage

navigation based mainly on ground reference points

dead reckoning

navigation based on instruments

Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

pilot is operating an a/c w/visual references provided the weather meets VMC weather minima

VMC

visual meteorological conditions

clouds 1,000 AGL and 3 SM of visibility

see and avoid

continually scan the sky for obstacles and other planes

Instrument flight rules (IFR)

pilot is operating below VFR minimums at instrument meteorological conditions

IMC

instrument meteorological conditions

low altitude enroute chart

for operations below 18,000 MSL

Victor airways

high altitude enroute charts

for operations above 18,000 MSL

Jet routes

local weather stations provided at airports

ASOS, AWOS, ATIS

terminal instrument procedures (TERPs)

charts dictating standard arrival and departure paths into and out of airports

obstacle clearances starting at 1,000 ft

what criteria must be met for a visual approach to be made (3)

ATC approved

visibility 3 SM or more at airport

cloud ceiling at least 1,000 ft AGL

what is an instrument approach

procedure established by FAA that outlines routes/altitudes to be flown for safe flights from initial position for a landing

non precision approach

only provides lateral position information

precision approach

provides lateral and vertical position information

what is the standard glideslope for an approach

3 degrees

1 ft descent for every 20 ft over the ground

who determines the organizational structure of the airport

the airport sponsor

what is the airport sponsor’s responsibility for the airport

establish broad goals and objectives for management to accomplish - strategic leades

what is airport management’s responsibility to the airport

implement programs to achieve goals and objectives while operating the airport on a day to day basis

Part 1542

airport security

Part 77

obstructions and imaginary surfaces

Part 150

noise abatement

ACRP 10-21 managing compliance with federal regulations

attempts to encapsulate all of the federal regulations in operating an airport including planning and development

provide a tool for researching regulation applications

what is an enterprise fund

a government branch that is operated as a business

what does it mean for an airport to be self sustainable

airport revenues cover all airport expenses

what does the FAA say about revenue generated on airport property

it must be used for the airport operations

what is one of the potential disadvantages of private/public partnerships

can cause public outcry because of things like taxes and competition

what is the most common type of airport structure

municipality

what is a municipality

the city/county owns and operated the entire facility as a department/division of the municipality

what is the main advantage of a municipality

airport has better access to other city/county department resources

power to tax

what is the main disadvantage of municipalities

policymakers are often unfamiliar with airport ops and cannot devote enough time

economic crisis have larger impact

what do airport advisory boards do

reviews staff requests and prepare recommendations for the airport sponsor to consider

what is an airport authority

created through enabling legislation from municipality(s) that makes the authority the legal sponsor of the airport

what is the main advantage of an airport authority board/commission

provides focused leadership and specialized attention

what is the main disadvantage of an airport authority board/commission

resources and finances may not be readily available to quantities/levels necessary to support the airport