Well, here is a new brief by our company.
You will be the judge whether it's safe or not.
I think it's NUTS!!
All in the name of MONEY f***k safety!!
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We are, as you know about to commence operations into XXX which will
commence XXX.
This will involve operations into a military airfield at which the procedures and facilities are somewhat different to what we are used to. As such the airfield has been classified as a Category B, which requires self-briefing before operating into such an airfield.
As it says in Vol. Supplement; prior to operating to a Category B aerodrome, the commander should be briefed, or self-briefed by means of programmed instruction, on the category B aerodrome concerned and should certify that he has carried out these instructions by completion of an Aerodrome Competence Certificate.
Attached with this FCN is a copy of the XXX Cat B airfield brief which will also go into the Vol. 3 Supplement. All pilots, not just commanders, are urged to read the contents before flying to XXX. Commanders are required to read the brief before operating into XXX.
With this crew Notice, is a copy of the Aerodrome Competence Certificate which commanders must sign and return to XXX HQ at the XXX building in company mail, addressed to Capt. XXX Chief Training Captain.
GENERAL
XXX airport (RAF XXX) is a joint Military / Civil aerodrome operated by the MOD. ATC is provided by the military. The airfield is located on the north XXX coast close to the town of XXX and lies midway between XXX and XXX. Closest alternates are XXX and
XXX.
Note: Fuel is not readily available. It is company policy to tanker on all sectors into XXX
If fuel is required for operational reasons, refuelling can ONLY take place on the military side of the airfield. Plan to board pax at the terminal and then taxi to the refuelling area on the other side.
Adopt normal SOPs for refuelling with pax on-board. Pilot supervision will be required at the wing fuelling station.
TERRAIN
The airfield is adjacent to an area of high ground to the SE of the airfield with elevations rising to 500ft amsl. There is a spot height of 1320ft amsl approximately 7 nm SE of XXX with further spot heights of 915ft, 780ft and 820ft, between 4nm and 8nm SE of the airfield. This high ground has been heavily open cast-mined and being china clay results in large white exposed areas.
As there is a sharp visual contrast to the surrounding terrain these are visually much stronger cues than the runway, which makes early visual sighting of the runway difficult. Approximately 4 nm to the NE is another area of high ground with a spot height of 708ft amsl. To the SE leading up the threshold of XX, the ground rises sharply from a valley some 2-3nm long. To the NW, there is sharply rising terrain leading up to the threshold of XX from the sea to the runway; the runway threshold sits inland by 1 nm at the top of this terrain.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The airfield is equipped with RHAG (Rotary Hydraulic Arrestor Gear) arrestor cables at either end of the runway set in from the threshold of each main runway; for Rwy XX 1704 ft inset, and for Rwy XX 1402ft inset from the respective thresholds. The arrestor cables are there to arrest the rollout of military fast jets by means of engaging arrestor hooks on the aircraft.
The location of the cables is marked on the runway surface by a series of reflective discs, 10 feet (3m) in diameter painted “identification yellow”. These discs are laid out with 30ft (9.1m) between centres and extend the full width of the runway.
There also marker boards to the sides of the runway adjacent to where the cable lies across the runway. The boards (one on either side) consist of a large yellow dot painted on a black background.
The cables and marker boards are lit for night operations.
CAUTION: The reflective discs and yellow dot marker boards, delineating the cable location, are just visible from the approach but only from fairly close-in (depending on visibility) and invariably after descending below decision altitude.
The arrestor cables may be either “raised” or “lowered”. When “raised” the cable is supported at approximately 2m intervals length-wise by rubber “doughnuts” which hold the cable above the runway surface by approximately 11/2 to 21/2 inches. The doughnuts themselves are rubber discs (which the cable runs through) and are 6” in diameter.
The cable MAY NOT be crossed at any speed above taxi speed in the “raised” configuration due to possible tyre damage; particularly the nosewheel, striking the doughnuts. ATC will advise of the configuration of the cable system for both runway ends. On request ATC will arrange for the cable to be “lowered” flush onto the runway surface; this operation may take up to 15 minutes and delay therefore can be expected.
Usually for normal operations the cables will be in the “lowered”, flush configuration.
When the cable is in the “lowered” configuration it is permissible to cross the cable at any speed so long as the cable is under tension and with the following provisos:
Landing
Do NOT land on the cable itself – Flare and Touchdown should be arranged so that either, the aircraft touches down after passing the cable or that ALL the aircraft wheels are rolling along the surface prior to crossing the cable (i.e. nosewheel lowered onto the surface).
Brakes are not applied during crossing of the cable – braking should be commenced AFTER passing the cable on a landing roll.
This also means ALL landings are to be conducted with AUTOBRAKE off; manual braking to be applied after landing and after passing the cable.
(There is no performance decrement, without the use of Autobrake).
Reverse thrust is NOT permitted whilst crossing the cable.
After each landing involving crossing a cable in excess of taxi speed, a visual inspection of the tyre is required before the next departure.
Take-off
As a matter of company policy; Take-off on runway XX should be planned to commence from intersection “X”. The cable will therefore be crossed at only slightly in excess of taxi speed.
ONLY if performance restrictions preclude departure from “X”, will the full length of the runway be used for take-off. In these circumstances it IS permissible to cross the cable at greater than taxi speed.
Note: Rejected takeoffs are considered to be an abnormal or emergency situation,
and as such it is permissible to cross the cables at high speed with braking applied. A detailed inspection of the wheels and tyres (after a high speed RTO) will then need to be carried out before any subsequent take-off is attempted.
It is NOT permitted to Land or Take-off across any “raised” cable except in an emergency.
Runway
The runway is one of the widest in the country, at 285 ft. As such the visual aspect on approach is unusual and there is a visual illusion of the runway being extremely short and of being low on the approach. Make full use of the PAPIs and/or ILS glideslope to make sure you remain on the correct glidepath. On visual breakout from a non-precision approach at either end, monitor rate of descent closely to preclude getting too low or high.
The runway markings are also non-standard compared to civilian runways. The centreline markings are thinner and are less distinct. There are NO touchdown markings of any kind on either runway, runways have threshold bars but no numerical runway designators. Likewise there is NO Touchdown Zone lighting of any kind, hence the higher ILS minima.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
ATC is provided by the Military and as such you can expect non-standard phraseology and clearances. Caution is required. You may be offered approaches based on QFE. It is NOT permitted by company policy to use QFE for landing, see Part A. Preferential runway for take-off and landing is XX.
Military phraseology is different to civilian and expect controllers to ask on all approaches that gear is checked down. Response is “Gear Down – 3 Greens”. Failure to announce that gear is down will result in the military controller denying landing until he checks with that the gear is down.
Expect routings inbound via XXX Thereafter, crossing through Class G airspace until within the ATZ. Arrivals and Departures require transit through Class G airspace.
Adopt maximum speed of 250 kts. Expect VFR traffic when VFR conditions prevail. At times of military exercise expect high density uncontrolled fast jet traffic. Make maximum use if the AFDS to ensure good lookout and monitor TCAS at all times. There are no STARS to XXX.
Expect to be passed to London Military 126.075 after passing XXX. After XXX expect hand-over to XXX. ATC will ask what kind of service is required. Company policy is request Radar Advisory Service (RAS) at all times. Expect to contact XXX Director 20-30 nm from the field. Director will provide radar vectors to ILS XX or, NDB or SRA to XX
SRA approaches may be offered to 1 nm. Note; the approach track on RW XX will be offset to the right.
PAR and GCA approaches (talkdown) are NOT permitted by company policy.
There is no ATIS avail on VHF (UHF only). Inbound weather may be obtained for XXX only by calling direct to Approach or Director; caution, possible similar frequency interference at altitude. Diversion weather may be received for XXX on descent down to
at least 6000 ft with the use of “squelch”.
WEATHER
The airfield is subject to low cloud and fog in the spring to autumn period, due to a higher frequency of slack pressure gradients allowing moister air over the sea to spread inland, although XXX can be significantly better than other airfields during December and January.
Anticyclonic conditions in the winter often cause inland airfields to be fog/mist bound but
XXX can remain clear. However the months of June and July can give rise to visibility problems with the increased frequency of slack pressure gradients giving sea breezes bringing moisture inland with potential for sea fog/low cloud and a greater risk of mist/fog/low cloud overnight due to radiation cooling. March and April can be
problematical with the sea being cold after winter cooling with conditions remaining disturbed with high dew point warm sectors.
The prevailing winds are South Westerly and can give strong crosswinds. Severe winter Atlantic depressions can bring strong to gale force winds with driving rain.
When the wind is from the Southeast the high ground between XXX and the south coast
offers some protection from low cloud/mist/fog.
GROUND FACILITIES
Military operations are confined to the runway and military dispersals to the Southwest of therunway.
The civil terminal is located on the northern parallel taxiway. There is a civil apron under
construction but due to LCN problems is not yet useable by XXX aircraft. Aircraft have to park on the taxiway and passenger access is by foot across the apron. There is the potential for aircraft to be boxed in when more than one XXX-size aircraft is at the terminal.
Pilots should expect unusual taxi instructions to orientate the aircraft such the entry door is adjacent to the terminal.
Note: On no account taxi on any of the numerous small dispersal pans adjacent to the main taxiways, as they are not of sufficient LCN to support XXX category aircraft.
There is currently no airstart unit suitable for XXX aircraft; keep APU running on turnarounds and ascertain APU serviceability before departing for XXX.
De-icing facilities are also not sufficient to de-ice XXXs adequately. Consult Operations and consider diversion if snow showers/icing conditions are forecast or present at time of estimated arrival.
Fire cover category as stated in AERAD Flight Information supplement, is Cat 5. However XXX will
provide Military Cat 4A or 3A, which is equivalent to civil RFF Cat 7 and Cat 6 respectively.
CRAP INNIT? But money talks.
Poss briefing to pax before take off: Expect possible violent evasive action(s) before landing!!!