#TAXILANE VS TAXIWAY CODE#

#TAXILANE VS TAXIWAY CODE#

However, the 747-8’s wingspan is much less than the maximum ICAO Code F wingspan of 80 meters. (The FAA Group V limit is up to but not including 214 feet.) The 747-8 wingspan is about 224.4 feet (68.4 meters), making it the first Boeing commercial airplane to be categorized as Code F (or FAA Group VI) (see fig. 2). The legacy 747 family has been categorized under ICAO Code E, which has a span limit of up to but not including 65 meters. ICAO airplane design codes (or groups, in the case of the FAA) are based primarily on wingspan. The 747-8’s pavement loading is similar to other current twin-aisle airplanes. The aircraft classification number describes the relative load intensity of an airplane’s main landing gear. The airplane’s higher gross weight increases the pavement loading approximately 18 percent but is still comparable to today’s twin-aisle airplanes (see fig. 1).įigure 1: 747-8 pavement loading comparison It builds on the current 747’s capability to fly into major airports worldwide, using the same pilot type ratings, and similar aircraft services and ground-support equipment (for specific details, please see Section 5 of the airplane planning manual). It has the same exterior dimensions as the 747-400, except for an 11.4-foot (3.5-meter) wider wingspan (fully fueled) and 18.4-foot (5.6-meter) greater length. This article provides an overview of airport design codes and how Boeing is using existing FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) processes to work with the world’s CAAs to demonstrate that the 747-8 airplane can operate safely on 747-400 taxiways, taxilanes, and runways.Īirplane dimensions were considered during the 747-8 design process so it could operate in today’s 747-400 airports safely and efficiently. Boeing is working with the FAA, Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs), and airports around the world to agree on clearances that would allow the 747-8 to operate safely and economically at today’s 747-400 airports. Hot spots will remain charted on airport diagrams until such time the increased risk has been reduced or eliminated.In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already approved the 747-8 for operations at airports with parallel runway and taxiway centerline distances that are the same as those required for the 747-400, which are aspects of airport compatibility.

and tabulated in the list below with a brief description of each hot spot. Hot spots are depicted on airport diagrams as open circles or polygons designated as 'HS 1', 'HS 2', etc.

The area of increased risk has either a history of or potential for runway incursions or surface incidents, due to a variety of causes, such as but not limited to: airport layout, traffic flow, airport marking, signage and lighting, situational awareness, and training. Typically it is a complex or confusing taxiway/taxiway or taxiway/runway intersection. The image below shows the list of taxiway hotspots at Chicago O'hare International Airport.Īn “airport surface hot spot” is a location on an aerodrome movement area with a history or potential risk of collision or runway incursion, and where heightened attention by pilot/drivers is necessary.Ī “hot spot” is a runway safety related problem area on an airport that presents increased risk during surface operations. This would therefore lead to very high risks of collisions or runway incursions. Aside from that, in reduced visibility, it is possible that pilots will not be able to spot other aircrafts present at the hot spot. One of the reasons why there is an increased risk is that pilots would tend to want to get to their intended positions at the fastest time possible to reduce costs, and in the moment of anxiety, may make incorrect judgements and decisions. It's a known fact that congestions often lead to a higher risk of collisions or any other kinds of unfavourable incidents. The problem with hot spots is that when the traffic flow at the time is high, there may be many aircrafts all congested at the same spot. Now, there is an addition 11 minutes buffer time in the flight schedule. Long taxi times increase aircraft's scheduled time in order to ensure aircrafts arrive on-time, masking problems such as taxi delays.īefore, the average scheduled time from Chicago to San Francisco was 4 hours and 32 minutes.

Taxilane vs taxiway