This post/thread is a follow up on
this. For complete picture, one may want to have a look at the previous thread, however mucho information has been corrected hereunder, lot updated. Also please bear in mind, that the original posting was made about a week before the actual runway closure.
There is supposingly a week to go, so it may still be of interest.
At the moment, the whole situation is not as bad as feared at all, it is only the lack of correct information that is available to aircrew in the planning stage. For a frequent or knowledgeable operator it is not the hub-wannabe standard, but still a cake.
Once at it I have also included some bits that are not connected directly to the present state of affairs.
Now, what is available?
PRAHA/RUZYNE(LKPR)
-----
0404080600-0405161500 LKPR N LK
A0137/04
TRIGGER NOTAM:
DISTRIBUTED AIP SUP 4/04:
THR RWY 13 DISPLACED BY 300M AND RWY 13/31 SHORTENED TO 2950M.
DECLARED DISTANCES RWY 13/31:
RWY TORA TODA ASDA LDA
(M) (M) (M) (M)
13 2950 3100 2950 2950
31 2950 2950 2950 2950
LGT AND MARKING ACCORDING TO ANNEX 14, PAPI RWY 13 U/S.
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0404050600-0405161500 LKPR N LK
A0145/04
TRIGGER NOTAM
DISTRIBUTED AIP SUP 4/04 WEF 5 APR 04:
RWY 06/24 CLSD, WIP. DAY AND NIGHT MARKING.
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0405170600-0406131500 LKPR N LK
A0219/04
TRIGGER NOTAM
AIP SUP 6/04 (IN COURSE OF DISTRIBUTION)- EFFECTIVE DATE 17MAY04
TILL 13 JUN 04 CONTAINS:
- RWY 13/31 CLSD, WIP.
- IN CONNECTION WITH CLOSURE OF RWY 13/31, TWY G IN PORTION BTN RWY 13/31 AND TWY F, TWY P BTN RWY 13/31 AND TWY L, TWY R BTN RWY 13/31 AND TWY L, TWY L BTN RWY 13/31 AND TWY S WILL BE CLOSED.
TAXIING OF ACFT ACROSS THE INTERSECTION OF TWY F WITH RWY 13/31 ACCORDING TO TWR INSTRUCTIONS.
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0404090938-0405161500 LKPR N LK
A0245/04
ILS RWY 31 U/S, DO NOT USE..
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0404300741-0405161500 LKPR N LK
A0368/04
ALTERNATIVE PAPI FOR SHORTENED RWY 13 INSTALED REF AIP SUP 4/04,
TRIGGER NOTAM A0137/04.
LOCATION: LEFT 3 DEGREE, MEHT 17 M / 56 FT.
=====
ORIGINAL SENT TO LKPRWMAF
/TEXT
GOOD AFTERNOON RUZYNE ATIS INFORMATION ROMEO 1101
*
/ATS
ILS APPROACH RWY31 IN USE
*
METAR LKPR 071100Z 20015KT 9999 BKN023 08/04 Q0995 NOSIG RMK REG QNH 0991=
*
/ATS
ESSENTIAL LOCAL TRAFFIC LOCAL VFR TRAFFIC AIRPORT LKKL UP TO ALT 2000 FEET
*
/ATS
YOU HAVE RECEIVED ATIS INFORMATION ROMEO
Flights routed via BOMBI/EDDF to RWY31
OMELO FIR entry flights are planned to DOBEN, Doben2R. This circumnavigates the city of Prague from east. However, expect vectoring via south-west (leave DOBEN heading 090) or reroute via LIBSI point that serves for arrivals from south, i.e. approx 20 shorter track.
I check Doben2R in FMC that it is stored properly and available just in case, then resequence as follows: DOBEN - LIBSI - CF31 125(7)°/-5NM. Very close to the real daytime vectoring. Nights are even shorter. FMC offers LIBSI, KENOK trans to APCH 31, do not use. It has a straight in sector from KENOK that is way too (25NM) long, you won't be taken that far at all. Descent planning is not an issue really, due to ATC requirement FL 250 at OMELO, flights are usually cleared to FL100 by 28D OKL (APT VOR/D) FL150 would suffice from this direction.
Until you have spoken with the first director (Praha Radar (APP) 127.57) do not fall for Doben2R arrival routing. Even if you had been told repeatedly so (or your request for southern routing has been declined as was my case once) by the last ACC sector (who give you descent to FL150). Director can and will change, or you can still request, they are nice folk.
NDB/DME APCH RWY 31
As broadcasted on ATIS, as cleared by ATC. Do not forget the obey height restrictions when established on final track for a long straight-in and "cleared for the APCH descend 4000 ft"
ATC provide enough spacing and do not request speed control on final approach. (Opposite had been feared based on previous experience).
Available with OKL dme or PG (ex-ILS) dme. However, for the PG dme to work, the ILS is also on. Ident TEST 3x for the LOC and PG for the DME. Covered in previous thread also.
Remember this affects your planning minima, both arrival and departure and alternate also.
ILS APCH RWY 31
Yes, it is available. For unfavourable weather conditions, the construction equipment is removed and ILS is indeed put to use. If this happens on Friday, it may remain on until Monday easily, because no-one does a thing over the week-end.
As mentioned earlier we have received company notice regarding it, still there is
no NOTAM (see above) on this. May I suggest you do not plan for the ILS until perhaps, your dispatch/flight following call the tower to check for sure. However it is properly broadcasted on ATIS, and ATC will advise/clear accordingly. Full ident PG for LOC and DME is available.
Landing RWY 31
Gust and vertical windshear may be expected on short final on windy days. Covered in previous thread also. No TDZ lights, no CL lights. I include the RWY lights only because I cannot find it in Jepps myself, anyone please enlighten
me?
Plan to exit runway via G, it is not a problem at all. Exit via F is available, yet undesirable traffic-wise.
VOR DME APCHs RWY 13
Vigilant descent planning, no more to it.
Landing RWY 13
Threshold displaced by 300m.
Simple approach landing system, temporary PAPI put to operation about a week ago. Follow PAPI and aim for the displaced touchdown point properly to maintain safe separation to present men and equipment. No on works at night,
AFAIK.
Exit left via P is a great help for all during peak hours.
Taxiing
RWY 13/31 has a parallel taxiway designated "L". Sadly, upon leaving apron onto L and for holding position (see below)RWY 31, there is
no marking at all. Night lighting is at this spot is especially poor, L has no CL and (!) at the apron turn-off F has a green lit centreline that would take you across G (aircraft exiting runway) and onto RWY31 as there are no stop-bars.
Do not follow the greens that's not how it works here. Don't get me wrong, if you've been to Cairo at night, you will love Prague but it is just not AMS.
Unlike U.K., Germany or Switzerland, Czech Republic adopted the (new) ICAO phraseology i.e. "taxi holding position RWY nn" that stands for hold short of runway. I am sure this had been stirred up over and over somewhere on PPRuNe earlier. Just to keep my R/T shiny, which are the other countries that decided to keep "holding point"?
Just to keep this complete, it is also good idea to have the parking chart ready since cul-de-sac stand designators are not visible until you are already turning in (nothing like in MAN)
and ground marking is not always optimal (still much better than LHR stand 210
)
Outbound taxi times for RWY 31 reach 15 to 20 minutes during rush hours, however the flow management calculates on 10. It may be fairly simple to miss a slot.
Runway 22/04 is defunct but still has the relevant marking. For no apparent reason I personally insist on being specifically told to cross which is the standard ATC procedure.
Departures RWY 13
My favourite part of this post. Nothing to comment on really.
Departures RWY 31
Declared distances as per
AIP SUP. Normally no backtrack needed, use F intersection, runway remaining 2525 m.
But the noise abatement procedures are a
big mess.
[i]Jepp routing table: [i/] "climb rwy track 125°, at 1700' but not later than PR501 turn right direct PR502 ...." that is, at 450 ft AAL turn right approx. 45 deg, no later than some (can't remember now) DME OKL.
Very clear and simple, good noise abatement, all the non-FMC guys, mainly turboprop, fly it. I decide to fly (if allowed to) this way, DCT PR502 before take off, do not execute, HDG SEL 170° at 400', correct for drift, N1, CMD at 1500', EXE by PNF, LNAV, call departure by PNF.
Jepp plan: The PR501 is a fly-over WPT and the FMC is coded accordingly. Therefore if you punch in LNAV, you will fly straight-ahead to 1000' AAL or so (short haul 737) buzzing the neighbourhood turning late.
That's how the vast majority of jets fly.
AIP definition: "Straight-ahead (125°) to altitude 1700 ft AMSL or PR501 (fly−over) at the latest; turn right (direct to fix) to PR502 (fly−by)"
I think that the AIP is worded to allow both procedures described above.
Now the saddest part. AIP also says (typo included) "For noice abatement TODA and TORA reduced to 2500 m, climb gradient at
least 8%." The original RWY is 3250m long, so ok, I take it as 750 m shortening of the DERA.
Now this officially leaves you with only 1775 m from F intersection or 2200 from displaced THR, backtrack required. A tempo loop has been constructed by the displaced threshold RWY13 to facilitate turning (RWY normal width 45m). Not published anywhere, no strength info available, I wonder what use it really is.
With some good ideas from the experienced one I sort it out like this: Unless you improve climb, for 2 eng A/C it is a eng fail after V1 pref. question only. In that case, noise abatement is disregarded (now, is this because you only make half the noise on one engine
?). For normal take-off, the 750 m can be more than made up for by flying the first procedure described above. Also, shorter runway means higher thrust setting, larger flap setting and lower climb gradient thus not serving the noise abatement but vice versa instead. That is to say I completely disregard the requirement if allowed to.
Your comments?
For eastbound departures, you may get a short cut to the left very early after take-off, depending on the time of day/night , actual position and heading it may not always serve the noise abatement properly. Your call.
Pavement loading
PCN RWY 31/13 is 40/R/C/X/T, which is supposingly not enough for loaded 737-400, or A321. Hell-I-do-not-care!
Nearby future
By 17th May the RWY 24/06 will be put back to use, in line with the winds, CAT IIIB enabled, hooray for the boys!
At the same time tough,
RWY 31/13 and associated turnoffs will be closed due to WIP. Crossing for taxiing traffic available, nothing unusual at all. Check the link.
Perhaps one last thought, due to TMA structure the descent clearance below FL100 is usually issued only after passing 28D OKL (SLP1/250kt). For straight in 06 (arrivals from DOBEN, e.g. Frankfurt routing), this is quite tight depending on the altitude wind.
Disclaimer
This post only reflects my personal views. Take it for what it is, albeit feel free to re-post it, print it, alter it, copy-it, share it if you think it is any useful.
It is no more than an anonymous internet message although I put my best effort, knowledge, and spellchecker to putting it together.
I very much appreciate your views and comments!
Fly safe,
FD.