76
votes
Accepted
Explaining a "Great Circle Route" to young Civil Air Patrol cadets
I would recommend that you don't introduce the term first and then try to explain it verbally, but demonstrate it in an interactive, hands-on practical way instead.
Bring a globe, a flat map, and a ...
- 24.1k
49
votes
Accepted
What is significant about the number 8069 ft?
Apparently you aren't the only person who wondered this; the FAA actually has it in an FAQ:
What is the significance of a runway 8069 feet in length and why are two different aerodrome symbols used ...
- 71.5k
35
votes
What does the "DO NOT USE FOR NAVIGATION" indication mean?
Unless it's an obsoleted procedure chart, it usually means that it's not complete. The example you show has only the features pertinent to that approach, and its missing (for clarity) the features ...
- 1,066
33
votes
Accepted
What does the snowflake with temperature symbol on an approach plate mean?
From FAA INFO 15002:
A [snowflake] -XX°C icon will be incrementally added to airport approach plates, beginning Mar 5, 2015. The
icon indicates a cold temperature altitude correction will be ...
- 48.6k
29
votes
What does the "DO NOT USE FOR NAVIGATION" indication mean?
When an aviation chart is marked with "DO NOT USE FOR NAVIGATION", it means that ... umm ... it should not be used for navigation.
The question is why it should not be, because it appears that the ...
- 29.3k
26
votes
Accepted
What does "MERMA" mean on the Los Angeles TAC chart?
MERMA is an aviation waypoint
Waypoints used in aviation are given five-letter names. These names are meant to be pronounceable or have a mnemonic value, so that they may easily be conveyed by ...
- 31.1k
24
votes
What do these white on red words indicate on a London Heathrow taxiway chart?
They are named holding points; this allows them to say things like "taxi to RABIT" rather than "taxiway Bravo, hold short of taxiway Charlie". This saves a lot of time for ground controllers at busy, ...
- 27.6k
23
votes
Accepted
How do pilots refer to an aeronautical/aviation chart in casual terms?
For an Instrument approach chart:"Approach Plate/Chart."
For an IFR Enroute chart: "Enroute Chart."
For a Standard Instrument Arrival Chart: "STAR."
For a Standard ...
- 32.5k
18
votes
Accepted
What does 00 mean on a sectional below the airport runway information?
That is the elevation and length of the longest co-located water runway. Elevation of 00, and runway length 5000 feet.
This information is found on page 16 in the current Aeronautical Chart Users ...
- 2,809
18
votes
Can I transition the airspace (pictured below) without 2-way communication?
The class D airspace for Beverly Regional extends from the surface to 2600 ft. msl (inclusive). So, if you are flying at 2500 ft. msl, up to and including 2600 ft. msl, you would contact Boston ...
- 32.5k
18
votes
Accepted
While only RL will be sufficient at night for the aircraft to take off, both RL and RCLM are required to take off during the day. Isn't it illogical?
To me it makes perfect sense if you consider that at night there is high contrast between darkness and the lights. It is easy to make out the runway edge lights through the fog under darkness, so the ...
- 81.9k
17
votes
What is "(CFMCC)" on an ILS approach chart?
A point shown in parentheses like this is called a Computer Navigation Fix (CNF). If it didn't fall right at the end of the runway, it would be marked with a small X. It's defined in the legend on ...
- 71.8k
17
votes
What organisation owns intersection names?
The allocation of waypoint names is actually handled by each country's individual aviation authority. This means that there are actually duplicates in different countries or regions. The ICAO has made ...
- 12.8k
17
votes
Explaining a "Great Circle Route" to young Civil Air Patrol cadets
What would be an easily understood explanation of a "Great Circle Route"
The interest for great circle navigation is a great circle arc between two points is the shortest route between ...
- 69.9k
16
votes
How precisely are airspace borders defined?
The boundaries are defined more precisely than the chart can show. What you see on the chart is a visual representation of the text published in JO 7400.9Z (or the most recent version of it):
AWP ...
- 71.5k
14
votes
Accepted
What does the T in RVR-T stand for?
From page 5-1-7, contractions in the AIM:
RVRT . . . . . . . . . RVR Touchdown
The full list is:
RVR . . . . . . . . . . Runway Visual Range
RVRM . . . . . . . . RVR Midpoint
RVRR . . . . ....
- 58.5k
14
votes
Accepted
How many airport charts do airline pilots have in the cockpit?
In the 1990s I flew for two 747 carriers, the first primarily a freight carrier and the second primarily a passenger carrier. Both used Jeppesen for their airway manuals, and both supplied each pilot ...
- 39.1k
14
votes
Accepted
Where are the "Admitted Aircraft symbols" on Jeppesen VFR aerodrome charts defined?
With the help of Bianfable's answer I took it upon myself to email Jeppesen to get the correct answer.
- 12.2k
14
votes
Accepted
What is an "Alternate Airway"?
I found an old definition in the All-Weather Flight Manual published by the US Navy in 1957:
Alternate Airways
Alternate airways are occasionally used for
lateral separation when traffic conditions ...
- 53.6k
14
votes
Accepted
What does the letter "H" on the upper side of ADANA word and mean?
Customers have stated "We noticed an 'H' symbol next to an airspace
fix/navaid in the SID/STAR chart planview. Explain what this means?"
The "H" symbol serves as an indicator for ...
- 668
13
votes
Accepted
Why publish an unusable airway?
Short answer: only part of the airway is unusable, and even then it's usable with GPS.
Your image shows V522 between FAILS intersection and the ERI VOR but you have to look at the full airway, which ...
- 71.5k
13
votes
Accepted
What's a metering fix?
Definitions from this page.
Metering:
A method of time-regulating arrival traffic flow into a terminal area so as not to exceed a predetermined terminal acceptance rate.
Metering airport:
Airport ...
- 69.9k
13
votes
Accepted
Does the large 6-pointed star on a sectional warn of dangerous radar facility?
There are two stars:
The large multi-pointed Star (6 pointed in this case) is described in the Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide as an indicator of High Energy Radiation Areas. The Precision ...
- 16.5k
13
votes
What organisation owns intersection names?
As already said in HiddenWindshield's answer, the five letter intersection codes do not have to be unique worldwide. I thought it might be interesting to see how many times these codes are actually ...
- 53.6k
13
votes
Accepted
Symbol found on an IFR low chart
More context would be better. The screenshot you posted indicates that there is a navaid information box above and to the left of the symbol, but you cut it off so we cannot see what it says. If we ...
- 13.2k
13
votes
Accepted
What is the number in a closed box right below a victor airway?
Per the Chart Users Guide (which covers sectionals and TACs), that is the total mileage between navaids.
- 1,979
12
votes
What does the snowflake with temperature symbol on an approach plate mean?
It indicates a "temperature restricted" airport where precautions are required to calculate and set correct altimeter settings because the errors caused when the temperature is at the lowest recorded ,...
- 31.1k
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