With warmer weather taking hold in many U.S. regions, pilots are getting ready once again to venture out to nearby airports. But, runway layouts change from time to time, and complex taxiway and runway intersections at busy airports can be confusing and even dangerous to someone unfamiliar with the airport layout. The statistics speak for themselves: Hundreds of runway incursions occur every year. But runway incursions and collisions on the ground are avoidable.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute, in conjunction with the FAA Runway Safety Program Office, has provided some 600 airport taxi diagrams for the busiest U.S. towered airports (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/taxi) to help pilots safely navigate them. But, in addition to having complex layouts, several airports are notorious for having “hot spot” areas. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines a hot spot as “a location on an aerodrome movement area with a history or potential risk of collision or runway incursion, and where heightened attention by pilots and drivers is necessary.”
With that in mind, ASI and the FAA Runway Safety Program Office have also made available additional hot spot diagrams for airports currently on the “hot spot” list. These special diagrams vividly depict the areas and describe the potential problems associated with the trouble spots. Check before each flight to be sure you have the most current layout (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/taxi), take the opportunity to study the diagram before you arrive and depart, and be aware of your position while moving on ramps and taxiways—especially at the more complex towered airports where you’ll be mixing with large aircraft and ground vehicles moving in close proximity.
You may also want to review ASI’s Runway Safety course (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/runwaysafety).
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