Airport Operations Flashcards
What should you use for taxiing if you’re unfamiliar with an airport?
Airport Diagram.
What are runway labels based on?
The magnetic heading.
If a runway is labeled 35, what magnetic heading is it?
350 degrees
What is the starting point of a runway called?
The threshold.
What do displaced threshold markings indicate?
Must land beyond this point.
White arrows displayed before the displaced threshold means…..
You can only taxi and takeoff in this area.
What is a blast pad area labeled with and what does it mean?
It is labelled with yellow chevrons and means that you cannot enter this area of the runway.
What are taxiways labeled with?
Letters
What color are taxiway edges defined by?
Blue
What color are runway edges defined by?
White
What color scheme are mandatory instruction signs?
Red background with white inscription.
What color scheme are location signs?
Black background with yellow inscription.
What color scheme are direction signs?
Yellow background with black inscription.
What color scheme are information signs?
Yellow background with black inscription.
What color schemes are distance remaining signs?
Black background with white inscription.
What color scheme are runway hold position signs?
Red background with white inscription.
What do location signs do?
Identify taxiways and other important areas at the airport.
What must occur for a land and hold short procedure?
Must precisely land and then stop and hold short of intersecting runway.
Should student pilots ever do a land and hold short procedure.
Hell no.
If you are unsure of where to taxi, what can you ask ATC for?
A progressive taxi.
How do you activate pilot-controlled lighting at an airport?
Pressing microphone button 7 times.
What color does a civil airport beacon light flash?
Alternating green and white.
What color does a military airport beacon light flash?
One green then 2 white lights.
How can you tell if an airport has a beacon light by a VFR sectional chart?
If there is a small star above the airport marking.
In a 2 bar VASI, what colors mean that you are on the proper glide slope?
2 red over 2 white lights.
Where are the position lights located on an aircraft?
Wings and tail.
What colors are the position lights on the wings?
Left wing is red while right wing is green.
Where is the beacon light located on an aircraft and what color is it?
On the tail and it is red.
Where are strobe lights located and what color are they?
On the wingtips and they are flashing white lights.
What are the legs of a traffic pattern (in order)?
- Upwind
- Crosswind
- Downwind
- Base
- Final
What is a segmented circle and what is it used for?
It is a traffic pattern indicator. It shows you if the pattern is left or right traffic.
What is usually placed inside of a segmented circle?
A wind sock.
What are 3 types of wind indicators used at airports?
Wind sock, Wind Tetrahedron, and a Wind Tee.
Where do a high percentage of mid-air collisions occur?
Within 5 miles of an airport, in the traffic pattern and below 3000 feet AGL.
What is the primary defense against mid-air collisions?
The “See and Avoid” concept.
What part of the eye sends clear and sharp images to the brain, and how much percentage of total vision does it cover?
The fovea, and it covers only 1% of total vision.
What part of vision is best for detecting motion?
Peripheral vision.
What concept occurs in the absence of something specific to in the distance to focus on?
Empty Field Myopia.
What is the effect of Empty Field Myopia?
The eyes naturally revert to a point roughly ahead of the aircraft instead of the distance.
What illusion is Autokinesis?
Occurs at night when you stare at a stationary light against a dark background. It causes the light to appear to move on its own.
What can night illusions cause a pilot to do?
Inadvertently descend or fly a lower than normal approach.
What things can alter physical condition and decrease mental and physical awareness?
Fatigue, alcohol, drugs, smoking and stress.
What is an effective visual scanning technique?
Scanning a series of short, 10 degree movements.
What does visual scanning at night depend on?
Peripheral Vision.
What is a great additional resource offered by ATC to avoid mid-air collisions?
VFR Radar Advisories (Visual Flight Following). (ATP requires us to request this whenever we are flying VFR and training).
What is Special VFR?
Special VFR is operation in below VFR minimums in a controlled airspace. Often to take off in non VFR weather if you know that you will quickly be in VFR weather.
How do you know if an airport allows special VFR?
On the VFR sectional chart, airports that don’t offer special VFR will have the letters “NOSVFR”.
