FODCOM 6/2004
Issued 23 March 2004
RUNWAY CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT MEASURES IN THE USA
The FAA is introducing runway capacity enhancing measures at aerodromes in the United States. This comprises ILS Precision Runway Monitor (ILS/PRM), Localiser type Direction Aid Precision Runway Monitor (LDA/PRM) also known as Simultaneous Offset Instrument Approaches (SOIA).
The FAA requires Part 129 operators (Foreign Air Carriers & Foreign Operators of US-registered aircraft engaged in common carriage) to complete certain training prior to conducting these approaches and for the national aviation authority to confirm this to them. Following the satisfactory FAA presentation of the PRM risk analysis, the CAA accepts that UK operators may conduct ILS/PRM and LDA/PRM (SOIA) approaches in the USA, on completion of the training requirements detailed below.
ILS Precision Runway Monitor (ILS/PRM) and Localiser Type Direction Aid (with glide-slope) Precision Runway Monitor LDA/PRM (Simultaneous Offset instrument Approach – SOIA)
ILS/PRM procedures enable simultaneous independent approaches in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to be made to parallel or near-parallel runways whose centre lines are spaced less than 4300 feet apart and more than 3000 feet apart.
LDA/PRM (SOIA) for staggered approaches to runways spaced between 3000 feet and 750 feet. This has all the protection of ILS/PRM up to the visual segment. It consists of one straight-in ILS/PRM approach and one aircraft on an offset approach that requires a cloud ceiling, based on the aircraft’s threshold speed, that will give a nominal 30 seconds to enable the crew to see and identify the landing runway, see the other traffic ahead making an ILS to the parallel runway and inform ATC prior to reaching the MAP. The crew then positions the aircraft visually to the runway centre line, maintaining visual separation from the preceding aircraft, to be stabilised by 500 feet.
Note: The trailing (offset approach) aircraft will always be the heavy, for wake separation purposes. This meansthat UK aircraft will be most likely to conduct the offset approach.
FAA plans:
ILS/PRM procedures - Minneapolis-St Paul, Philadelphia, San Francisco International, St Louis, Cleveland and New York/JFK. Other aerodromes will probably follow.
LDA/PRM (SOIA) - San Francisco International and St Louis.
When these procedures are fully implemented, operators flying to those airports who are not ILS/PRM and LDA/PRM (SOIA) approved are expected to contact the FAA Air Traffic Control System Centre (ATCSCC), prior to departure, to receive a pre-coordinated arrival time.
Note:Operators not able to accept a PRM clearance, who have not called for a pre-coordinated arrival time, can expect delays or to be requested to divert to their alternate airports.
ILS/PRM and LDA/PRM (SOIA) Approval
This approval will be granted by the FAA upon receipt of notification from the CAA of completion of operator training, and the Part 129 approval will be amended accordingly.
To gain approval, operators should introduce a training programme in accordance with the requirements found at
http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/hbat/hbat0303A.pdf
The video can be viewed or downloaded via links on the following page:
http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/prmtraining/
Full details:
FODCOM 06/04
Tudor Owen