Runway Safety and Vehicle Drivers

Reducing the Number of Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviations at Your Airport

Vehicles and pedestrians operating on and adjacent to airport runways and taxiways without proper authorization can conflict with aircraft operations and may result in runway incursions. This brochure provides a brief overview of the actions that an airport operator can take to improve the safety of vehicle and pedestrian operations on its airfield. These Tri-Fold brochures can be reproduced using a printer with duplex capabilities.

• View (PDF)
• Download (ZIP)

Improving Runway Safety Through Airfield Configuration

Airfield configuration can be a contributing cause to runway incursions. This brochure identifies some airfield layouts that should be avoided when undertaking capital development at an airport. The brochure also offers some techniques that can be used to resolve runway safety problems at an airport. These Tri-Fold Brochures can be reproduced using a printer with duplex capabilities

• View (PDF)
• Download (ZIP)

Runway Safety Related Advisory Circulars

• AC 5210-20    - Ground Vehicle Operations on Airports
• Airports Advisory Circular Search Engine

Known 'Best Practices' for AIRFIELD SAFETY - Airport Personnel

1. Eliminate distractions in the operational area.
2. Air traffic and airport operations should meet following each snow removal day and/or any other unusual event to discuss lessons learned.
3. Eliminate confusing call signs for vehicles operating in the airport operations area.
4. Maintain a well defined mowing plan and procedures, including specific area “Designations”.
5. Use a patch, or spot system, for mowing and/or farming operations.
6. Use two vehicles for runway inspections to reduce “Time-on-Runway”.
7. Use high visibility vehicles to increase conspicuity for pilots, controllers and other drivers operating on the AOA (airport operations area).
8. All vehicle lights (high beams, flashers, beacons, and strobes) should be turned on when crossing or operating on runways, taxiways or the AOA.
9. Vehicle flashers and beacons help ATC, aircrews and other vehicle operators see vehicles in the AOA – especially during periods of reduced visibility and at night.
10. Airport authority should distribute current airport diagrams to all airport users – especially FBO’s for transient and student pilots and to other users within 50-100 miles of busy GA airports.
11. Airport authority should coordinate with local fire department, ARFF, and associated training for access to the airfield. Create a “Letter of Agreement” on staging points, alert drills, etc.
12. Re-designate confusing taxiways.
13. Eliminate problem runways.
14. Use current diagrams in all AOA access vehicles.
15. Carry a current airport diagram with all AOA personnel badges.
16. Obtain and use airport diagrams. Use the FAA runway safety website to find airport diagrams for all airports.
17. The airport authority is encouraged to share its driver’s training program. (Even FAA employees are required to take training if they are on the airfield.)
18. Utilize CD-based pilot and driver’s education training materials and electronic programs.
19. All AOA access authorized personnel, including taxi-qualified mechanics, should complete a driver’s training program – to include recurrent training.
20. Require and schedule FAA employee driver’s training and recurrent training/testing.
21. Ensure on-airport farming operators are trained and aware of airport operations and its inherent dangers. Ensure farmers know and adhere to agricultural leased boundaries.
22. Encourage inclusion of surface safety training in maintenance school curriculum for taxi and/or tow-qualified mechanics.
23. Offer training and awareness education to local contractors working on the airport, and monitor them.
24. Ensure drivers know where to look for traffic when a pilot isn’t talking to the tower or broadcasting on CTAF.
25. AOA access authorized personnel should have an awareness and understanding of the “uniqueness of helicopter operations”.
26. Conduct “Clearing Turns” prior to entering ANY runway.
27. Place signs and marking placards in all AOA access vehicles.
28. Know who has access to the airfield.
29. Maximize controlled access to the airfield, including wildlife.
30. Enforce a “No Tailgating” policy to ensure vehicles remain within proximity until gate is closed and secure to prevent unauthorized “Tailgating”.
31. Inform the public. Get signs up, “NO TRESPASSING”. Enforce “No Trespassing” through ordinance.
32. Keep the runway a runway, no racing.
33. Conduct opposite flow runway inspections. Runway inspections should be conducted toward the flow of aircraft landing and departing as much as possible.
34. Enforce maximum use of existing service roads; stay off of the runway as much as possible.
35. Build and maintain access roads to Navaids from service roads or taxiways, not from runways.
36. Use tunable radios.
37. Enforce a policy of “No Cell Phone” use for personnel while operating on the airfield.
38. Install and/or remove additional signs (including surface painted) and markings to eliminate confusion.
39. Create an airport sign plan and adhere to it.
40. Use lighted runway closure markers to warn pilots of a closed runway.
41. Install signs at the entry point to the AOA and runway safety areas.
42. Prevent potential obstructions.
43. Use standardized “12 inch” and highlighted hold position markings.
44. Maintain runway and taxiway markings.
45. Install elevated runway guard lights (ERGL’s) at known Hot Spots and/or high risk intersections.
46. For new construction, use in-pavement runway guard lights (RGL) at known Hot Spots and/or high risk intersections.
47. Update the airport remarks section in the Airport Facility Directory with all applicable data including runway safety information.
48. Determine and publish “line-of-sight” restrictions – can aircraft at opposite ends of the runway see each other?
49. Increase awareness and advertise of local wildlife issues.
50. Advertise seasonal crops, which might affect line-of-sight for pilots.
51. Issue NOTAMS for snow removal operations and mowing operations.
52. Designate and publish a “Calm Wind” runway at part-time and non-towered airports.
53. Advertise crop dusting operations in the area.
54. Encourage CTAF usage when the airport is “Non-Towered” in the AFD, Hot Spot Brochure, Airport Website, and Posters at ALL on-site facilities.
55. Encourage local flight schools to emphasize runway safety during initial and recurrent training & BFR’s.
56. Encourage pilots to have a “heads up” policy when taxiing.
57. Use follow-me vehicles when the ramp is unusually close to a runway and/or for a confusing taxiway route.
58. Attend and conduct safety seminars and programs on RUNWAY SAFETY.
59. Improve safety by teaching, advocating, stressing and understanding situational awareness.
60. Cite specific airport RUNWAY SAFETY web pages.
61. Use Hot Spot brochures.
62. Distribute RUNWAY SAFETY materials to every aviation entity.
63. Package and distribute runway safety materials to: Flight Schools, Flight Safety International, Maintenance Centers, Aircraft Manufacturers, etc.
64. Realize that every airport is unique and presents its own set of RUNWAY SAFETY challenges.
65. Stay alert; stay alive.
66. Declare war on errors; make it everyone’s responsibility.
67. Look for runway incursion potential when reviewing airport construction safety plans, especially for haul routes.
68. Always think SAFETY FIRST.