PurpleFreight

This was buried in the "Heads Up Newletter" on FDX PFC. Could bite some people in the butt...





Coming soon: New taxi procedures

By AOPA Air Safety Foundation staff
Beginning June 30, air traffic controllers will be required to issue specific runway crossing instructions for each runway to be crossed. Controllers will no longer use the familiar “taxi to runway XX” phraseology, which currently allows an aircraft to cross all runways intersecting its route to the departure runway. The elimination of the “taxi to” phrase will apply only to departing aircraft. Arriving aircraft will still hear the phrase “taxi to” when instructed to taxi to the gate or ramp; however, controllers in these situations still will be required to issue specific crossing instructions for each runway encountered on the taxi route.

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After the change is enacted on June 30, taxi instructions will start with the assigned runway, then specify the taxi route and any initial runway crossing and/or hold short instructions. For example: “Cessna 4GA, Runway 36L, taxi via Alpha, Charlie, cross Runway 13, hold short of Runway 27.” If multiple runways intersect the route to the departure runway, the controller will not simultaneously issue all the crossing clearances. For instance, in the example above, the controller would not have cleared the aircraft to cross both Runway 13 and Runway 27 at the same time. However, an exception may be made in cases where the distance between two runway centerlines is less than 1,000 feet.

Prior to the changeover, pilots should take time to review the new procedures and phraseology. Here are a few real-world examples of the changes (click on the airport name to view the airport diagram):

Situation 1: Lincoln Airport, Lincoln, Neb., taxiing from the east ramp to Runway 14, no other traffic.

Old: Taxi to Runway 14 via Echo, Delta, Bravo.
New: Runway 14, taxi via Echo, Delta, Bravo, cross Runway 17, hold short of Runway 18.
Notes: Under the new system, the controller would wait until the aircraft has crossed Runway 17, then issue a subsequent clearance to cross Runway 18.

Situation 2: Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, Calif., taxiing from the terminal to Runway 30, traffic on approach to Runway 25L.

Old: Taxi to Runway 30 via Charlie, Lima, hold short of Runway 25L.
New: Runway 30, taxi via Charlie, Lima, hold short of Runway 25L.
Notes: In both cases, the controller would issue a subsequent clearance to cross Runway 25L.

Situation 3: Baltimore/Washington International, Baltimore, Md., taxiing from the GA ramp to Runway 22, no other traffic.

Old: Taxi to Runway 22 via Kilo.
New: Runway 22, taxi via Kilo, cross Runway 15L.
Notes: Under the new system, a specific clearance is given to cross Runway 15L.

Situation 4: Crystal Airport, Minneapolis, Minn., taxiing from the southwest ramp to Runway 24R, no other traffic.

Old: Taxi to Runway 24R via Echo, Alpha, Delta.
New: Runway 24R, taxi via Echo, Alpha, Delta, cross Runway 32L, cross Runway 32R.
Notes: Because the parallel runways are less than 1,000 feet apart, the controller may issue a single clearance to cross both.

Situation 5: San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio, Texas, after landing Runway 12L taxiing to the FBO on the far south part of the airport east of Runway 03.

Old: Taxi to parking via Romeo.
New: Taxi to parking via Romeo, cross Runway 12R, hold short Runway 3.
Notes: The controller will issue subsequent instructions to cross Runway 3. If you receive “taxi to parking” instructions and you approach the hold lines for a runway, you must have a clearance to cross a runway. If not, you are expected to stop at the holding position marking.

The bottom line is that whether an aircraft is inbound or outbound, controllers are required to issue a specific clearance for each and every runway crossed or operated on. If in doubt about whether to cross a runway, always stop and ask!

bleedairpacks

Guess that means I'll have to put my pants on prior to landing instead of during taxing.

MaydayMark

No doubt this is another of the FAA's attempts to reduce runway incursions ...

I really do appreciate the company attempting to get the word of these new ATC changes out to us "troops" any way possible but ... I'm not required to read the "Heads Up" publication (although I did read it). Was this the best way to get the word out?

In as much as this will affect our standard daily taxi to the active runway clearance for almost every takeoff from KMEM, maybe there should be a mandatory (Read: paid) CMI on the subject?

MEMFO4Ever

What the heck is "Heads Up"? Honestly, I've never heard of it.

Typical FAA response. More verbiage is "always" the answer. No confusion could possibly result from more words.

Nitefrater

Mountain out of a molehill...

At least at the airports we operate out of, I almost never hear a controller issue a taxi clearance to a runway without specific instructions on how to deal with any intervening runway (cross or hold short). On those few occasions where it's left unsaid, the crew will invariable ask for confirmation.

This seems to codify what most folks are doing anyway.

rev4life03

Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News update FAA Issues Runway Crossing Clearance Changes
Effective June 30, 2010, air traffic controllers will no longer use the term “taxi to” when authorizing aircraft to taxi to an assigned takeoff runway. With the change, controllers must issue explicit clearances to pilots crossing any runway (active/inactive or closed) along the taxi route. In addition, pilots crossing multiple runways must be past the first runway they are cleared to cross before controllers can issue the next runway-crossing clearance. One exception to the new rule is at airports where taxi routes between runway centerlines are fewer than 1,000 feet apart. In this case, multiple runway crossings may be issued if approved by the FAA Terminal Services Director of Operations.

The elimination of the “taxi to” phrase will apply only to departing aircraft. Arriving aircraft will still hear the phrase “taxi to” when instructed to taxi to the gate or ramp. However, controllers in these situations still will be required to issue specific crossing instructions for each runway encountered on the taxi route. For more information on the change, refer to FAA Order N JO 7110.528, which can be found at: http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/m.../N7110.528.pdf.

What do you guys think? Good idea/Bad Idea? Ridiculous/Necessary?

/discuss

DLax85

...or at least a required FCIF!

Ewfflyer

I think it's overkill, but we can only thank ourselves for creating the monster. Honestly, it doesn't fix stupid, and those that did the wrong thing before, probably will continue to do it, so we're just going to have to ride it out.

fallujahff

I received notice through a FAAST Blast--It comes direct from the FAA and sends you emails regarding policy issues, TFR's and other major safety issues. Really informative.

I forgot exactly how to sign up but it's part of the FAA's safety briefing.

Here's the linky--

FAA Safety Briefing


Hope that points you in the right direction.

JDFlyer

. . . after numerous failed attempts at a coherent read-back by a LOT (Polish Airline) crew at ORD . . . the inbound ground controller simply said "LOT 123 Heavy, taxi anyway you like to the international ramp, just don't hit anything along the way."

Everybody survived.

I absolutely love flying in and out of ORD, in my opinion, best controllers anywhere!!