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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Three - Survey Results." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14261.
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9Surveys were sent to 105 different airports, of which 76 were completed and returned for a response rate of 72% (see Table 4). All commercial service airports that responded had some type of driver training program, as did 12 of the 13 respond- ing general aviation airports. Although the type of driver train- ing program varied among airports, it was encouraging that the vast majority of the airport operators had instituted a pro- gram. This is especially true of general aviation airports that may have a lot of activity and that allow pilots to drive onto the ramp and apron areas of the airport. SECTION 1. GENERAL Number of Drivers on Airfield Side of an Airport Non-Movement Area The number of drivers authorized to drive on the airfield side of an airport varies according to the size of the airport (see Table 5). It is common to have air carrier personnel, caterers, FBO personnel, airport personnel, government personnel, etc., driving on ramps and aprons. On some airports, these same types of personnel may also have driving privileges on runways and taxiways to a more limited extent. Over the years, the FAA has promoted perimeter roads around air- fields to keep the vehicular traffic limited on taxiways and runways to those individuals necessary for the maintenance and operation of taxiways and runways. This is helped to reduce the number of runway incursions and to provide a safer environment for ground personnel working on taxiways and runways and for passengers on aircraft. Based on the survey, the number of personnel autho- rized to drive on the ramps and aprons of airports varied significantly from airport to airport. At the large hub pri- mary airports, the number varied from 2,000 to 12,000, with an average of almost 8,000, based on the 7 airports that responded to this question. The eighth large hub primary airport did not have a count of the number of authorized personnel because it did not have a requirement in place to train those individuals that have access to the non-movement areas only. At the medium hub primary airports, the number of indi- viduals authorized to drive on the non-movement area ranged from 300 to almost 4,000. The average for the 13 airports was 1,875. For the small hub primary airports, the 16 responding airports reported a range from approximately 300 to 1,600. This resulted in an average for the small hubs of approxi- mately 767 individuals authorized to drive in non-movement areas. For the responding non-hub primary airports, the num- ber of personnel authorized to drive on non-movement areas ranged from a low of 30 to a high of 1,200, with an average of 244. For four of the non-primary commercial service air- ports reporting, the number of personnel ranged from a low of 18 to a high of 100, for an average of 56 drivers authorized to drive on the non-movement areas of the airfield. The fifth non-primary commercial service had no training program for the non-movement areas and, therefore, did not record these numbers. Finally, the 9 general aviation airports responding to this question indicated that as few as 100 individuals to a high of 2,200 had non-movement area driving privileges for an overall average of 654 drivers. This group of airports was more likely to allow vehicular access by pilots to the airside than the other groups of airports. Movement Area For the movement area, the numbers of authorized drivers dropped substantially, as one might have suspected. For large hub primary airports, the responding airport operators reported a low of 200 personnel authorized to drive on the movement area to a high of 2,500. The overall average for the large hub primary airports was 854. Although this appears high, the total number of people authorized in the movement area includes the airport operator’s personnel but, in some instances, FBO and air carrier personnel (see Table 6). At the medium hub primary airports, the number of per- sonnel authorized to drive on the movement area ranged from 50 to 1,500. For the 13 reporting medium hub primary airports, the average number of drivers on the movement area was 425. There were 16 small hub primary airports reporting any- where from 48 to 292 drivers authorized to be on the move- ment area, for an overall average of 132. For non-hub primary airports, 21 airports responded with a low of 8 authorized to drive on the movement area to a high of 603, an overall average of 95. For non-primary commercial service airports, 5 airports responded indicating a low of 8 to a high of 100 individuals were authorized to drive on the movement area, an average of 53. Of the 11 airport operators responding for the general CHAPTER THREE SURVEY RESULTS

10 aviation airports, there was a low of 14 people to a high 200, with an average of 84. English or Other Languages According to the results of the survey, only 4 of the 75 respon- dents taught driver training in a language other than English. None of the large hub primary airports that responded taught driver training in other than English. Two of the medium hub primary, one small hub primary, and one general aviation air- port taught driver training in Spanish. Three of four of these airports are located in the southwest and one is on the east coast. The general aviation airport started its Spanish pro- gram within the last 2 years, whereas the other three insti- tuted their programs within the last 4 years. Even though only 4 responders taught their driver training programs in Spanish, 21 of the 71 airport operators that responded “no” to the question on whether they taught the program in a foreign language did allow interpreters to assist employees whose primary language is not English. This number included three large hub primary, four medium hub primary, eight small hub primary, three non-hub primary, one commercial service, and two general aviation airports. Education Level of Training Programs The survey contained several questions seeking information in the education level that the training programs sought. Of the airport operators that responded (75) to the question asking at approximately what grade level the material in the driver training curriculum was aimed, the majority (38) responded “unknown.” This is probably because many of the driver training programs are put together by the airport operator personnel and not by professionals who prepare curriculum and test materials. There were 14 responders who answered that the training material was prepared for 5th to 8th grade comprehension and 23 responders who answered that it was prepared for 9th to 12th grade comprehension. No one who responded reported that the material was prepared for lower than 5th grade comprehension (see Table 7). Updating the Airport’s Driver Training Program It is not enough to develop an airfield driver training program and continue to use that program indefinitely. To be effec- tive, a program must be updated and revised to reflect the actual airport environment, such as new construction, new Airport Type Total Sent Total Responses % Large Hub Primary 9 8 89 Medium Hub Primary 14 13 93 Small Hub Primary 23 16 70 Non-hub Primary 33 21 64 Non-primary Commercial Service 10 5 50 General Aviation 16 13 81 Total 105 76 72 TABLE 4 NUMBER OF AIRPORT RESPONSES Responding Airports Minimum Maximum Average Large Hub Primary 3,098 12,000 7,957 Medium Hub Primary 300 4,500 1,875 Small Hub Primary 296 1,600 767 Non-hub Primary 30 1,200 244 Non-primary Commercial Service 18 100 56 General Aviation 100 2,200 654 TABLE 5 NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED DRIVERS—NON-MOVEMENT AREAS Responding Airports Minimum Maximum Average Median Large Hub Primary 200 2,500 854 340.5 Medium Hub Primary 50 1,500 425 262 Small Hub Primary 48 292 132 100 Non-hub Primary 8 603 95 49 Non-primary Commercial Service 8 100 53 50 General Aviation 14 200 84 75 TABLE 6 NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED DRIVERS—MOVEMENT AREAS

11 aircraft serving the airport, or the amount of traffic serving the airport. According to the survey, 54 responders indicated that they update the program whenever there is a need to do so, whereas 22 update their program at least once a year. Five responding airport operators said that they update their pro- grams approximately once every 2 years. One non-hub pri- mary airport operator updated its program every 6 months. On the survey, no airport operator selected “never” for their response. Another interesting item here was that many of the airports indicated that whereas they update their program on a scheduled basis, such as once a year, they also update it “whenever there is a need” (see Table 8). Owing to the emphasis on preventing runway incursions and surface incidents, many airports believe it is important to review the airport’s driver training program for correct- ing any shortcomings in the program when there has been a runway incursion or surface incident caused by a vehicle operator who has been approved to be in the movement area. Fifty-nine airports indicated that they do review the pro- gram when this happens. Fourteen airport operators do not review the program after such an incident. Initial Qualification of Drivers Seeking Airfield Driving Privileges When an individual applies for driving privileges on the air- field side of the airport, there has always been some question about the licensing of that person to drive a vehicle off the air- port. Is the applicant licensed or in possession of a valid driver’s license? Of 74 responses to a question on whether drivers are required to possess a valid driver’s license issued by a state, 72 respondents indicated that the applicant was required to possess a valid driver’s license. Two non-hub primary airports said that they did not have such a requirement (see Table 9). Although 60 responding airport operators maintained that the driving privileges on the airfield ceased automatically when the airport operator became aware that a driver had his or her state driving license suspended, only 19 reported that there was a mechanism in place for the airport authority to be made aware of this. Fifty-four of the responders said that they had no mechanism in place to be informed of the current status of a person authorized to drive on the airfield. Enforcement of Rules and Regulations Rules and regulations without enforcement are meaningless; there must be some type of enforcement that is fair and non- partial. Several questions on the survey were designed to elicit what type of enforcement policy airport operators used on their airports. There are many different types of enforcement poli- cies as well as many different combinations of these policies. Seventy-five airport operators had some sort of enforcement policy, whereas one general aviation airport did not have enforcement capabilities but rather relied solely on local police Comprehension Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-primary General Aviation Below 5th grade 0 0 0 0 0 0 5th to 8th grade 3 3 4 2 1 1 9th to 12th grade 1 3 5 9 2 3 Unknown 4 7 7 10 2 8 Updating the Training Program Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Every 6 Months 0 0 0 1 0 0 Once a Year 3 3 5 6 3 2 Once Every 2 years 2 1 2 0 0 0 As Needed 4 9 13 16 3 9 Never 0 0 0 0 0 0 Requires Valid Driver’s License Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Yes 8 13 16 19 5 11 No 0 0 0 2 0 0 TABLE 7 GRADE LEVEL COMPREHENSION TABLE 8 UPDATING THE DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM TABLE 9 REQUIRING A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE

12 enforcing county codes. Fully 71 responders or 91% can sus- pend or revoke the driving privileges on an airport. Although 31 responding airport operators or 41% indicated that they can levy a fine, only 18 (24%) maintained a graduated penalty system. Sixty-three airport operators reported that they require remedial driver training in case of violations of rules and regulations or in the case of a runway incursion (see Table 10). Who is responsible for enforcing the airport’s rules and reg- ulations varies from airport to airport. In some cases, airports do not have police forces of their own and, therefore, rely on local police agencies to enforce the rules and regulations. In some cases, the rules and regulations are not enforceable in munici- pal courts. In the majority of situations, airport operations per- sonnel are tasked with enforcement responsibilities along with the airport police. Several airports also employ dedicated ramp safety personnel who are tasked with, among other responsibil- ities, enforcement. Several airports, across the spectrum, use all three organizations (airport police, operations personnel, and dedicated ramp safety personnel) for enforcement purposes. Vehicular rules and regulations on an airport are impor- tant owing to the nature of the airfield with taxiing aircraft, cargo containers, baggage containers, trucks of all different sizes and shapes, conveyor belts, etc. One large hub primary airport admitted to 11 or more driving incidents of non- compliance with the airport’s rules and regulations during a one-week time period. Five airport operators (two large hub primary, two medium hub primary, and one small hub pri- mary) responded that they get anywhere from 6 to 10 non- compliance incidents a week. Fifty-nine reported only 1 to 5 noncompliance incidents a week (5 large hub, 11 medium hub, 14 small hub, 18 non-hub primary, 2 non-primary com- mercial service, and 9 general aviation). Four non-primary commercial service airports indicated that they receive less than 1 driving incident of noncompliance within a week’s time frame. SECTION 2. NON-MOVEMENT AREA REQUIREMENTS Based on one of the choices in Question 5, 11 of the 76 respond- ing airport operators do not have driver training requirements for non-movement areas. This includes one large hub primary airport, two non-hub primary airports, one non-primary com- mercial service, and seven general aviation airports. However, at the large hub primary airport, according to a representative from that airport, the air carriers, as well as the FBOs, have training programs for their personnel that include many of the driving requirements that are usually in an airport operator’s driving program. Sixty airport operators differentiate training requirements between the movement and the non-movement areas. Table 11 shows the breakdown of these airports. Twelve airport oper- ators responded that they do not differentiate between the training requirements. Of those airports that have non-movement area driver training programs, 13 do not issue any type of non-movement area driving permits. The remaining 51 airports issue a ramp drivers permit (11 responders) and 36 have some sort of nota- tion on the airport ID or color code the ID to indicate driving privileges or a combination of the two. Auditing Tenant Programs There are some airport operators who have opted to have the air carriers, FBOs, and other tenants perform the non-movement Differentiates Between Non-Movement and Movement Areas Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-primary General Aviation Yes 8 12 15 14 3 8 No 0 1 1 6 2 2 TABLE 11 DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-MOVEMENT AREA AND MOVEMENT AREA Enforcement Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-primary General Aviation Suspend or Revoke 7 13 16 21 5 9 Levy a Fine 3 5 6 11 0 6 Graduated Penalty 1 6 3 6 0 2 Remedial Training 7 13 15 20 1 7 Other 5 7 11 9 1 3 No Enforcement 0 0 0 0 0 1 TABLE 10 ENFORCEMENT MEASURES

13 area driver training. There were 66 responses to the ques- tion dealing with who does the initial driver training for non-movement areas. Nineteen airports (two large hub, two medium hub, three small hub, six non-hub, two non-primary commercial service, and four general aviation airports) indi- cated that they allow others to perform this type of train- ing. Approximately 63% (12 airport operators) of those that allowed other organizations to perform the training periodi- cally monitored and reviewed the training that was being pro- vided. This 63% consist of two medium hub, three small hub, five non-hub, one non-primary commercial service, and one general aviation airport. The two large hub primary airports that allow tenants to perform the training neither periodically monitored nor reviewed the training taking place. One of the questions in the survey asked how often the air- port operator monitored or audited the tenant’s or air carrier’s driver training program. Nine of the 12 airport operators mon- itored the program at least annually. One indicated that it monitors the program every two years, whereas one non-hub primary does this every 6 months. The 12th airport operator, a non-primary commercial service airport, indicated “other” on the survey. Non-Movement Area Driver Training The driver training programs for non-movement areas consist of several different methods, many of which are combined by the airport operator. In some cases, airport operators have prepared driver manuals for all perspective drivers to study, similar to manuals prepared by state motor vehicle admin- istrations. Fewer than half of the responders (46%) offer classroom instruction for non-movement area driver train- ing. Twenty-nine airports employed computer-based training. One airport uses a computer simulator for driver training pur- poses. The simulator differs from computer-based training in that it has a digitized map of the airfield that allows a student to maneuver around the airfield under varying conditions. Many of the airports surveyed also use on-the-job training (actual driving under the supervision of a qualified driver or trainer) (see Table 12). Forty-two airports that responded to the survey question on what constituted the driver training program for the non- movement area required the employees to take a written test for the non-movement area. Of the 19 airports that allowed tenants and air carriers to train their own employees, 5 admin- istered a written exam to the students, whereas 11 allowed the tenant or air carrier to administer the written test. Two air- port operators indicated that no test was given to the students and one airport operator did not answer the question. Additionally, there were five airports that also require a driving test that the employee had to pass before being able to receive a permit to drive on the non-movement area. No large hub primary airport required a driving test for the non- movement area. In some cases (5), the airport operator used oral exams to qualify employees for driving privileges. For the 35 airports that used classroom instruction, the length of the initial training generally lasted somewhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours. The length for most air- ports was one hour. However, there is a commercial service airport that has an 8-hour program for non-movement area driver training. The following subjects were covered in the non-movement area training: Airport rules and regulations, speed limits, the meaning of airfield signs and markings (including the non-movement area boundary lines and their locations), the dangers of aircraft jet blast, and right-of-way. Some airport operators taught the meaning of airfield signs and mark- ings even though the drivers would be limited to ramps and aprons (see Table 13). At today’s airports, it is not uncommon to see construc- tion taking place at many locations on the airfield, both in the movement area as well as the non-movement area. In the non-movement area, the types of construction can vary signif- icantly from the building of a hangar to rehabilitating aprons and ramps. Although the chances of a runway incursion may be low in an instance where the contractor is limited to the non- movement area, there is still a need to ensure that there is suf- ficient protection through training and/or through isolating Methods of Training Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Reading Manual 4 9 12 11 2 8 Classroom Instruction 1 6 7 14 3 4 Computer-Based Training 5 8 9 7 0 0 Computer Simulator 1 0 0 0 0 0 Written Test 5 8 12 12 2 3 Driving Test 0 1 1 1 2 0 Oral Exam 0 1 0 1 2 1 On-the-Job Training 3 6 6 8 3 2 Other 2 0 2 2 1 1 TABLE 12 METHODS OF NON-MOVEMENT AREA TRAINING

14 the construction area. Although some airports ensure that all contractors are escorted to and from the construction site, other airport operators will cordon off the worksite. Sixty-two survey responders indicated that they require all contractors that work in the non-movement area to attend a driver train- ing program. Eight responders (primarily small hub and non- hub primary airports) do not have such a requirement. In the majority of cases (58 of the 62) in which the contractor is required to attend an airfield driver training program, the airport operator is responsible for providing this training. Four airport operators require the contracting party to do the training. In several cases, even though the contractor’s drivers have gone through the airport operator’s driver train- ing program, they are still required to be escorted, even in the non-movement area. Non-Movement Area Recurrent Driver Training The survey also contained several questions on non-movement area recurrent driver training requirements. Although basic training for the non-movement area is an accepted practice at most airports, there has always been some question regarding the need for recurrent training. As mentioned previously in chapter one, there is no requirement at this time to provide recurrent training to personnel that are authorized to drive only on the non-movement areas. Of the 72 responses to the ques- tion of the requirement for recurrent training for the non- movement area, 36 airports responded that they did have such a requirement. The 36 airports included 4 large hub pri- mary airports, 8 medium hub primary airports, 9 small hub primary airports, 9 non-hub primary airports, 2 commercial service airports, and 4 general aviation airports. With regard to the frequency of the recurrent training programs, 15 airports required the recurrent training at least annually, 2 airports between 1 and 2 years, 18 airports every 2 years, and 1 airport more than 2 years (see Table 14). The length of time for these recurrent driver training programs, as with the length of time for the basic training, varied considerably from one airport to another. The shortest program was approximately 15 minutes in duration, with the longest program being 8 hours. The majority of recurrent driver training programs are between 1 and 2 hours long. The content of the recurrent driver training consists pri- marily of reviewing the driver manual (20 airports), classroom instruction (21 airports), discussion of past driving incidents in the non-movement area (16 airports), and on-the-job training at 4 of the responding airports. At four airports, the classroom training included computer simulators. SECTION 3. MOVEMENT AREA REQUIREMENTS Use of Perimeter Roads The greatest need for driver training programs on an airport is to prevent or reduce runway incursions. A vehicle on or crossing a runway at the wrong time can have devastating consequences. No airport operator wants this to happen and should take appropriate steps to ensure that the airfield remains safe at all times. Many airport operators have estab- lished perimeter roads around the airfield and require drivers to stay on these perimeter roads when moving from one side of the airfield to the other. This applies to employees of the airport operator when they have no immediate need to be on the taxiway and runways. The FAA has encouraged the building of perimeter roads to help reduce runway incur- sions; however, there are airports that have chosen to not Subject Areas Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Airport Rules and Regulations 7 13 16 16 3 9 Speed Limits 7 13 16 17 3 8 Meaning of Airfield Signs 5 13 9 10 3 6 Meaning of Airfield Markings 6 13 13 13 3 7 Aircraft Dangers 7 13 16 16 3 8 Right-of-Way 7 13 16 18 3 8 Others 5 7 14 12 1 6 Requires Recurrent Training Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-primary General Aviation Yes 4 8 9 9 2 4 No 3 5 7 9 2 5 TABLE 13 TYPES OF SUBJECTS FOR NON-MOVEMENT AREA TRAINING TABLE 14 REQUIREMENT FOR RECURRENT TRAINING FOR NON-MOVEMENT AREAS

15 construct such a road as well as airports where such a road cannot be built for various reasons. These airports, then, have not only airport personnel, but air carriers and other tenants crossing runways and taxiways many times a day. Although it is essential that the airport operator have its own personnel given access to the movement areas, it is not uncommon for FBOs, air carrier personnel, FAA technical operations per- sonnel, contractors, and other government agencies to seek authorization to drive on these areas. Access to the Movement Area It is incumbent on an airport operator to evaluate requests for various groups to access the movement area. In many cases, the airport operator has been able to restrict this access to those that absolutely need the access, such as its own opera- tions staff, the aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel, and maintenance personnel. Of the eight large hub primary air- ports surveyed, only 2 authorize the airport police to drive on the movement area, whereas 11 of 13 medium hub airport operators authorize the airport police to drive on taxiways and runways. There are non-primary commercial service airports and general aviation airports that do not have police stationed at the airport on a continuing basis. At many airports, FBOs and air carrier personnel are only allowed on the movement area while under escort, as are contractors (see Table 15). Who Conducts Movement Area Training For all the various categories of airports in the survey, the movement area driver training for the airport operator staff is primarily the function of airport operations. However, one of the large hub airports, one medium hub airport, three small hub airports, seven non-hub airports, and two general aviation air- ports also employ a public safety department as well. (A public safety department is usually under a public safety director and includes both the police and the fire fighters, who may or may not be cross trained as police and firefighters.) At one non-hub airport and two general aviation airports, the movement area training for the airport operator’s personnel was performed by a tenant or FBO. At times, as stated previously, it is necessary for tenants and air carriers to access the movement area on a recurring basis. Again, the primary instructors for non-airport staff are in airport operations (56 responding airports), followed by public safety personnel (11 responders). At seven of the responding airports, the FBOs or air carriers are responsible for the training. What Constitutes Movement Area Training Movement area driver training is more comprehensive than non-movements area training. It may incorporate the train- ing subjects included in non-movement area training but also include subjects that deal solely with the movement area environment. All responding airports include content on runway and taxiway markings and lighting, location of air navigation-critical areas, proper communications with Air Traffic Control, and runway incursion awareness. The great majority of responding airports also included radio-out procedures with their movement area training curriculum, although two medium hub primary airports did not include this type of training. Many airport operators also include a segment on nighttime driving (see Table 16). Airports that have land and hold short procedures included training in that area as did airports that have low visibility operations, known as surface movement guidance and control systems. Although not many airports have such a system, those that do or have partial systems know that driving in low visibility can be dangerous. In covering these different topics in the movement area training program, airport operators use a variety of different methods. Seventy-five percent of the responding airports had prepared a driver manual for their employees. Seventy-six per- cent use classroom instruction compared with the 46% that use classroom instruction for non-movement training. Computer- based training is also used by many airport operators, with Authorized Access to Movement Area Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Airport Police 2 11 12 13 2 6 ARFF 8 13 16 21 5 10 Airport Operations 8 13 16 20 5 10 Maintenance 7 13 15 21 5 11 FBO Employees 2 6 8 13 4 9 Air Carrier Employees 3 8 0 3 2 2 Airport Vendors 0 2 0 0 0 2 Contractors 2 6 11 10 5 5 FAA Tech Operations 7 13 15 21 5 9 Other Federal Government Agency Personnel 1 3 3 3 1 2 ARFF = Airport Rescue Fire Fighting. TABLE 15 AUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE MOVEMENT AREA

16 some using the computer-based training offered by trade organizations, such as the AAAE. Others use stand-alone systems. Some airport operators make these computer-based training programs available 24 hours a day. In some cases, the computer-based training is also combined with classroom training. One of the large hub primary airport operators uses a computer simulator for its driver training (see Table 17). Many airport operators require that employees take a writ- ten test on airfield driving. Approximately 80% indicated that they require a written test. This figure included 9 of the 13 general aviation airport operators. Forty-seven percent (35 of the responding airports) require a driving test as well as a written test. The use of on-the-job training for driver education is also a requirement of many of the airport operators for move- ment area training. Seventy-three percent of the respondents indicated that they require on-the-job training as part of the movement area training. All 8 of the large hub primary air- ports, 9 of 13 medium hub primary airports, 13 of 16 small hub primary airports, 16 of 21 non-hub primary airports, 4 of 5 non-primary commercial service, and 5 of 13 general avia- tion airports require such training for employees seeking to drive on the movement areas of an airport. Although 76% of the surveyed airports require classroom training, the length of the training varied considerably from air- port to airport. Overall, the length of time ranged from 30 min- utes to 8 hours. Most of the training sessions lasted from 1 hour to 3 or 4 hours. Driving on the movement area of any airport can be stressful. While trying to remember the location of the vehi- cle, the driver is also in communication with the air traffic controller. In many cases, there are aircraft simultaneously landing and taking off or moving between the terminal and the runway. When the environment is also added into the mix, be it rain, fog, snow, and/or nighttime, the problems are compounded. To assist new drivers in adapting to this dan- gerous environment, some airport operators have included nighttime familiarization as part of the training. This helps a driver to understand that an airfield as seen during the day- light hours is one thing, but as seen during the night is some- thing completely different, which can be disorienting. Of 74 airport operators responding to the question on training to include nighttime familiarization, 70% (52 respondents) indicated that such training was part of their curriculum. Once a driver completes the movement area driver training, 14 of the surveyed airport operators issue an airfield driver Course Content for Initial Movement Area Training Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Runway and Taxiway Markings 6 11 10 12 4 8 Runway and Taxiway Lighting 6 11 10 12 4 8 Land and Hold Short Procedures 1 5 5 3 1 0 SMGCS 4 6 1 3 0 0 Nighttime Driving Training 6 8 7 7 4 6 Location of Critical Areas for Navigational Equipment 6 11 9 11 4 7 Proper Communications with Air Traffic Control 6 11 10 13 3 7 Radio-Out Procedures 6 9 10 12 4 8 SMGCS = surface movement guidance and control system. TABLE 16 COURSE CONTENT FOR INITIAL MOVEMENT AREA TRAINING Methods of Training Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non- primary General Aviation Reading Manual 8 10 13 13 3 8 Classroom Instruction 6 7 12 19 4 9 Computer-Based Training 4 7 8 6 1 3 Computer Simulator 1 0 0 0 0 0 Written Test 7 9 14 18 4 9 Driving Test 7 5 8 9 2 4 Oral Exam 1 2 6 5 2 3 On-the-Job Training 8 9 13 16 4 5 TABLE 17 METHODS OF MOVEMENT AREA TRAINING

17 permit. Fifty-eight of the respondents issue either a notation on the airport identification badge or color code the badge in a way to identify such drivers. However, there are several airport oper- ators that do not issue any sort of movement area driving permit or identification. This is true of one large hub primary airport, one small hub, seven non-hub primary airports, two commercial service airports, and three of the general aviation airports. Movement Area Recurrent Driver Training During the last several years, the FAA has emphasized the importance of recurrent training for airfield drivers. The survey contained several questions on recurrent training both in the non-movement and movement areas. As mentioned in chap- ter one, the “Call to Action” workshop recommended that recurrent training for all personnel that accessed the move- ment area be initiated at all airports. For 74 airport operators that responded to the questions on recurrent training, 68 (about 92%) indicated that they do require recurrent driver training for drivers authorized in the movement area; 7 large hub primary, 12 medium hub, 15 small hub, 21 non-hub primary, 5 com- mercial service, and 8 general aviation airports (see Table 18). One of the commercial service airports indicated that the recur- rent training was for airport operator personnel only, not for tenants or air carrier personnel who may be authorized to drive on the movement area. The time between initial (or recurrent) training and recurrent training varied from “At least annual” for 59 of the airport operators, to “between 1 and 2 years” for four airport operators, to “every 2 years” for 5 airports. For the most part, it appears that recurrent driving training programs follow closely the type of programs used for initial training. At 39 of the responding airports, the drivers review the driver manual. Forty-three airports have classroom train- ing. Twenty-six use computer-based training in their recurrent training program. Forty-eight require their employees to take a written test and 13 require a driving test. Nine of the respond- ing airports indicated that they also require an oral exam and 11 airport operators use the on-the-job training as part of their recurrent training curriculum. The length of time dedicated to recurrent training is gener- ally less than that for initial training. The type of airport did not appear to make any difference in the length of time for recur- rent training anymore than it does for initial training. For the seven large hub primary airports that required recurrent train- ing, the length of time expended was from 1 to 4 hours. Two of the airports reported their recurrent training programs lasted about 1 hour; another two that their programs lasted approxi- mately 2 hours, and one indicated that its program for recurrent training lasted 4 hours. The remaining 2 large hub primary air- ports indicated that their program times varied. All seven of these airports required the recurrent training at least annually. For the medium hub primary airports, recurrent training programs lasted from 35 minutes to 3 hours. One airport oper- ator noted that its program was approximately 35 minutes, one 45 minutes, three reported the time as 1 hour, two indi- cated their programs lasted for 1.5 hours, two have designed their programs for 2 hours, and one for 2.5 hours. The remain- ing two airport operators’ recurrent training programs were 3 hours. Eleven of the 12 airports required recurrent training at least annually, whereas the 12th airport put its at “between 1 and 2 years.” Fifteen small hub primary airports require recurrent training programs for the movement area. One of the airports has the drivers view a video that takes approximately 30 minutes. Eight of the airports indicated that their recurrent training programs last for 1 hour, one that its program was about 45 minutes, three that theirs lasts 1.5 hours, with the remaining two air- ports lasting 2 hours. All 15 airports required their employees to undergo recurrent training at least annually. All 21 non-hub primary airports reported that they require recurrent training for drivers authorized in the movement area. One of the programs lasts for 30 minutes, 16 for 1 hour, and 4 last for 2 hours. Whereas 17 of the non-hub primary airports require annual recurrent training, 2 require the training every 1 and 2 years. The remaining two airports require recurrent training every 2 years. Methods for Recurrent Training Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-primary General Aviation Reviewing Driver Manual 3 9 8 9 4 6 Classroom Instruction 2 5 10 15 3 8 Computer-Based Training 6 7 7 5 1 0 Computer Simulator 1 0 0 0 0 0 Written Test 5 8 10 15 4 6 Driving Test 1 1 3 5 2 1 Oral Exam 0 2 2 3 1 2 On-the-Job Training 0 1 2 6 2 0 Discussion of Past Driving Incidents 2 5 8 13 2 4 Other 0 1 3 5 2 0 TABLE 18 METHODS OF RECURRENT MOVEMENT AREA TRAINING

18 Of the 5 non-primary commercial service airports respond- ing to the questionnaire, all 5 required recurrent driver train- ing for movement areas. Three of the five programs are for 1 hour and one for 2 hours; however, the fifth program is 8 hours in duration, which is the same time as that airport’s initial training for movement areas. All five of these airport operators require annual recurrent training. Of the 13 general aviation airports that responded to this question, eight require recurrent training for drivers in the movement area. The length of the training program, as with the other categories of airports, varied from 1 hour (for three of the responding airports) to 1.5 hours (for two of the air- ports) to 2 hours (for the three remaining airports). Four of the eight airports have a requirement for annual recurrent train- ing, one airport for between 1 and 2 years, and three airports require it every 2 years. Communications Between the Airport Traffic Control Tower and Drivers on the Movement Area At controlled airports, there is a requirement that anyone in the movement area must be in contact with the airport traffic con- trol tower at all times. If the airport is certificated under 14 CFR Part 139, Airport Certification, there is an explicit requirement to establish and maintain communications with the tower while anywhere in the movement area (see 14 CFR 139.329). This has historically been done by two-way radio communica- tions on published frequencies. There are also procedures set out between Airport Traffic Control and the airport operator for using emergency procedures when there is an interruption of radio communications. Under rare circumstances, light gun signals may be used when radios are not working properly. However, today’s technology has evolved to allow for better and more reliable communications. In this light, the survey posed a question regarding the permissibility, on an airport, to use cell phones in place of normal communications. Of 71 tow- ered facilities, 15 airport operators, or 21%, had agreements that allowed their drivers on the movement area to communi- cate with Airport Traffic Control by means of cell phones (see Table 19). The remaining 56 airports, or 79%, did not have any such agreement. Of those that were allowed to use cell phones, one is a large hub primary airport, four are medium hubs, three are small hubs, four are non-hub primary, two are non-primary commercial service, and one is a general aviation airport. Contractors Working in the Movement Area Today, construction is very common place in and around the movement areas of airports. Some airports are com- pletely reorienting their runway and taxiway configurations for greater efficiency. Others are building new runways or extending existing ones to handle newer, larger aircraft. The result of this is that there are contractors and subcontractors who need to be in the movement areas of these airports. There are hundreds of pieces of construction equipment being used, some small and some very large. For many of these drivers, it may be the first time they have been on an airfield in some capacity other than as a passenger on an air- craft. To ensure that these drivers do not cause any problem- atic situations, many airports require them to be trained to drive on the airfield. Some contracts call for the prime con- tractor to train its employees, as well as the employees of all the subcontractors. Some airport operators require the con- tractors to be escorted at all times when on the airfield and to cordon off the area where the work is to take place. In many cases, these different methods are used in combination. Based on the survey results, 51 airport operators, of the 74 that responded to Question 52, require contractors who work on the movement area to attend an airport driver training pro- gram even if the area that they are restricted to is cordoned off. Twenty of the respondents indicated that they do not require such training (see Table 20). This is probably because the operators require the construction area to be cordoned off at all times. In 49 of 51 responses, the airport operator is responsible for the training; however, there are several air- ports that place that responsibility on the contractor. Some airport operators maintain that the contractor is always under escort; therefore, there is no need to train them. Allows Cell Phones with ATC Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-Primary General Aviation Yes 1 4 3 4 2 1 No 7 9 13 16 1 10 ATC = Air Traffic Control. Requires Contractors Training Large Hub Medium Hub Small Hub Non-hub Non-primary General Aviation Yes 5 11 11 13 3 8 No 3 1 3 8 2 3 TABLE 19 USE OF CELL PHONES FOR COMMUNICATIONS WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TABLE 20 CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS FOR DRIVER TRAINING IN THE MOVEMENT AREA

19 Equipping Vehicles with Airport Diagrams In response to a question on whether the airport operator required that all vehicles operating in the movement area have a diagram of the airport accessible to the vehicle oper- ator, only 24 respondents indicated that there was such as requirement at their airport (49 airport operators did not require an airport diagram). The distribution of the 49 air- ports that indicated it was not a requirement is as follows: 7 large hub primary, 7 medium hub primary, 9 small hub primary, 15 non-hub primary, 3 non-primary commercial ser- vice, and 8 general aviation airports. The thinking behind this is that a driver should always be aware of his or her location, day or night, and many of the driver training programs train specifically for this. The distribution of those airports that did require an airport diagram is: one large hub primary, six medium hub, six small hub, six non-hub, two non primary commercial service, and three general aviation airports. SECTION 4. OTHER Included in the survey were several questions that did not lend themselves to a clear distinction between requirements in the non-movement area and the movement area. Emergency Responders There are situations that occur on an airport to where emer- gency responders from off the airport may be called. Whereas in most situations these emergency personnel respond to the street side of the airport, there are occasions where they are needed on the airfield side. An example of this would be the need for an ambulance with paramedics. For a general avia- tion airport, it may be a call for the local fire department to respond to a fire in a piece of equipment on the airfield or on an aircraft. Many of these airports do not have emergency responders or may have them only on a part-time basis. The questions then are how can they get on the airfield and have they been trained to drive on the non-movement or movement areas. Twenty-six airports answering the question concern- ing emergency responders reported that there is a training program for such responders. However, 51 of the airports noted that escorts were always provided for such respon- ders. Many of these 51 airports also trained the emergency responders as part of the mutual aid agreements they enter into with the local communities. Although seven airport operators answered that they did not have such a training pro- gram for emergency responders, they also answered that they did provide escorts for them. Pilots and Access to the Airside of the Airport Many of the large primary airports control access for pilots through the FBOs on the airport. Additionally, there are not that many non-air carrier pilots at the top 75 busiest facilities. As the size of the air carrier airport gets smaller, the number of private pilots increases. Many of these pilots want access to their aircraft or hangar with few to no limitations. This includes being able to drive their vehicle out to their aircraft. Of the 74 airports responding to the question of pilot access, 49 airport operators allowed pilots to drive vehicles onto the airside to go to their hangar or to their aircraft; 25 indicated that pilots were not allowed to drive on the airside. The group of airport operators that did not permit pilots to drive on the airside is broken down as follows: seven large hub primary, seven medium hub, six small hub, and five non-hub primary airports. Of the 5 non-primary commercial service and 13 gen- eral aviation airports, not one prohibited pilots from driving their vehicles to their hangar or aircraft. This is not to imply however that the pilots were allowed to drive onto the move- ment area. Each airport has its own rules and regulations dealing with access to various parts of the airfield. Those airports that allowed pilots to drive onto the airfield are broken down as follows: 1 large hub primary, 6 medium hub, 10 small hub, 16 non-hub, 5 non-hub commercial service, and 11 general aviation airports. When asked whether the airport operator required these pilots to take the airfield driver training course, 22 of the 49 airports answered in the affirmative, with the remaining 27 indicating that it was not a requirement. Those airports that did require pilots to take the driver training course con- sisted of one large hub primary, two medium hub primary, six small hub primary, seven non-hub primary, one non- primary commercial service, and five general aviation airports. Not requiring pilots to take the driver training course were four medium hub, four small hub, nine non-hub primary, four non- primary commercial service airports, and six general aviation airports. At 18 of the 22 airports that require pilots to take the driver training program, the airport operator does the training. At 7 of these 22 airports, FBOs are allowed to train the pilots. Some of these airports use both the airport operator and FBO. Training Programs for Pedestrians The last two questions dealt with training programs specifi- cally designed for pedestrians that must be undertaken before they are allowed into the respective areas. Forty-nine airport operators do not have a specific program for pedestrians that are allowed in the non-movement areas. Twenty-one airport operators consider such a program as part of the Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) training. Four airports have stand-alone programs for pedestrians that are not part of the SIDA program. Fifty-six airport operators do not have a specific program for pedestrians accessing the movement area, with 14 airports having a program for pedestrians that is part of the SIDA train- ing program. Lastly, four airports have a stand-alone program for pedestrians that is not part of the SIDA program.

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Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields Get This Book
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TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Synthesis 15: Identification of the Requirements and Training to Obtain Driving Privileges on Airfields explores information on the requirements and training required to obtain driving privileges on airport airfields, and the differences and similarities among the various airports throughout the country. The report also examines information on the types of training programs available to airport employees based on where the employees were authorized to drive.

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