Bogota, Colombia. Runway opening.

[Otterman]

I found it hard to find the proper forum for this question. The latin american forum is pretty quiet. And it does not quite fit in tech log or others. So I choose this one.

So here we go:
We use Bogota as a contingency airport for ETOPS and also as a potential medical diversion airport. The times we fly by this airport or require it fall in the night time. The way I read our information on Bogota is that after 22:00 local time the airport is only left with one operating runway that being 31L which needs to be used for both take-off and landing (probably for noise abatement, this rule stays in effect until 06:00).
Runway 31L can only be approached using a circling procedure from a VOR or NDB approach. Far from desirable in this high terrain location, and for our use in combination with an engine out or other technical problem. Runway 13R (same surface) is equipped with an ILS or straight-in VOR/DME approach yet can't be used. Does anyone have experience operating in and out of Bogota, and knows if indeed the ATC is as rigid as suggested by our information, not allowing landings on runway 13R?

We make our own charts (I fly for a very large airline), and the night ban information comes from them. Does anyone have current Jeppessen charts for Bogota (specifically 10-9) as mine are from October 20, 2006. The ones that I have would suggest that runway 13L and 31R are open during the night. So apparently something might have changed for the worse in the last few years.

Thanks for any useful answers.

Regards, O.

[Boxshifter]

Check you PM please.

I can't find any restriction re. ops hours.

[DBate]

Just had a look at our manuals. Our list of authorized airports does not show any restrictions on the runway usage, however when looking at the charts and the according airport operating information, there is the following paragraph (times in UTC):

Operational RWY availability:

RWY 13L/31R:
- 1100-0300 no RESTR.
- 0301-1059 LDG RWY 13L

RWY 13R/31L:
- 1100-0200 no RESTR.
- 0201-0300 LDG RWY 13R
- 0301-1059 CLSD.

Prefential RWY
Configuration Oriente
- LDG RWY 13L/R

Configuration Occidente
- LDG RWY 31R/L

Configuration Enfrentada
- LDG RWY 13L/R

Between 0300-1100 Configuration Enfrentada is preferred. Otherwise Configuration Oriente or Occidente is preferred.

The way I see it, RWY 13L would be the one opened during nighttime (depending on the wind of course), offering an ILS approach.

Hope this helps.
Regards,
DBate

[Otterman]

Guys thanks for the replies. It looks like someone at my outfit isn't translating the AIP properly in our Aerodrome information it states:

– Runway use program
• RW13L/31R
- between 0600-2200 LT no restrictions.
- between 2200-2300 LT landing RW13L and take-off RW31R.
- between 2300-0600 LT landing and take-off RW31R for chapter 3 aircraft only.
• RW13R/31L
- between 0600-2100 LT no restrictions.
- between 2100-2200 LT landing RW13R.
- between 2200-0600 LT closed.

This would leave a circling on runway 31R during the night ban. Not very desireable with that terrain, and in our case when something not right on the aircraft. Mechanical or passenger wise since it would be a contingency aerodrome for us.

If your manuals state something else I would love the know the source.

Thanks for any effort, regards, O.

By the way we operate the B777-200ER (chapter 3) and B777-300ER (chapter 4) in the region.

[Boxshifter]

Colombian AIP

The route manual for my company is provided by Jeppesen as a tailored manual. The actual charts do not indicate any restrictions regarding runway configuration, not on the charts nor in the text pages, or maybe I just can't find it

After reading the replay of DBate I remember that the different configurations “Oriente”, “Occidente” and “Enfrentada” were mentioned in older issues of the Jeppesen charts for SKBO.

The Colombian AIP is available online here.

I checked the information provided for SKBO. As the AIP is only available in Spanish and as I dont't speak Spanish I just can guess, but I found something that looks to me like the restriction mentioned by DBate. It can be found on page 4 under “20 Reglamentacion Local”.

[DBate]

Ok, I took a quick look at the AIP, "page 4 - 20, Reglementacion local", as I do speak a bit spanish :

1. Pista 13L/31R:
- Entre las 1100- sin restricción
- Entre las 0301-1059 para aterrizaje Pista 13L y para despegue Pista 31R.

2. Pista 13R/31L:
- Entre las 1100-0300 sin restricción.
- Entre las 0201-0300 para aterrizajes Pista 13R.
- Entre las 0301-1059 no se autorizan operaciones salvo las contempladas en el Manual de Abatimiento de Ruido del Aeropuerto

Translation:

1. Runway 13L/31L
- Between 1100-0300 no restrictions
- Between 0301-1059 RWY 13L for landings, RWY 31R for takeoffs

2. Runway 13R/31L
- Between 1100-0200 no restrictions
- Between 0201-0300 RWY 13R for landings
- Between 0301-1059 no operations authorized except considerations(?) according to the airports Noise Abatement manual

So basically it is as mentioned in my post before (I had that information from our company charts): During nighttime the ILS 13L is available for landings.

Hope this helped.

Regards,
DBate

[Otterman]

It does. On the next page it mentions some other stuff. In Spanish below.

9. PISTAS PREFERENTES

Configuración ORIENTE
Llegadas pistas 13L/13R
Salidas pistas 13L/13R

Configuración OCCIDENTE
Llegadas pistas 31R/31L
Salidas pista 31L

Configuración ENFRENTADA
Llegadas pistas 13L/13R
Salidas pistas 31R/31L

La configuración ENFRENTADA tendrá preferencia sobre las configuraciones ORIENTE y OCCIDENTE entre las 0300 y las 1100 UTC por razones medioambientales o cuando la componente de Viento de cola sea superior a 10 kt y la visibilidad y techo de nubes sean inferiores a los mínimos publicados para las aproximaciones en circuito para las pistas 31R/31L, en este último caso el uso de las pistas 13L/13R para llegadas queda exclusivamente permitido a aquellas aeronaves cuya tripulación haya expresado que están en condiciones de aterrizar con las condiciones de viento
superiores a 10 KT y obtengan la autorización del ATC.

Para garantizar que se mantenga la capacidad operacional más favorable para el beneficio general, la configuración ORIENTE será preferente siempre que la componente de viento de cola NO exceda de 10 KT en pista seca, o pista mojada con acción de frenado buena, la unidad de flujo NO asignará horas de despegue a ningún operador que solicite el uso de una pista distinta a la correspondiente configuración en uso.

Los mensajes ATIS proporcionarán la información de la configuración de pistas en uso.

-----

Specifically the paragraph starting with "La configuración ENFRENTADA tendrá".

I had a translation made in English below:
The ENFRENTADA configuration will have preference over the configurations EAST (Oriente) and the WEST (Occidente) between the 0300 and the 1100 UTC for environmental reasons or when tailwind component is more than 10 kts and visibility and ceiling (meteorology) are less than the minimums published for the circling approaches for runways 31R/31L, in this last case the use of the runways 13L/13R for arrivals is exclusively allowed those aircraft whose crew has expressed that can they can land with the conditions of wind more than 10 kts and obtain the authorization of the ATC.

In order to guarantee that the more favorable operational capacity for the general benefit stays, the configuration EAST it will be preferred whenever the component of tailwind does not exceed 10 KT in dry track, or track wet with good delaying action, the flow unit will not assign take-off times to any operator who asks for the use of a track different from the corresponding configuration in use.

ATIS will provide the information for the configuration of runway in use.
-----

When it talks about the tailwind and circling minima I become confused it says that if the weather is below circling limits you can ask for runway 13L. It might be reaching but that is the kind of people I deal with in the office.

Thanks for all the assistance. I am making progress.

Kind regards, O.

[PA38-Pilot]

Otterman,

I routinely land there after 0500UTC, and it's always one of the 13s for landing, and one of the 31s for takeoff.

[Otterman]

Thanks for the feedback. PA-38 and the others. I will get this straightened out in our manuals.
Kind regards, O.