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Suggested Citation:"Chapter One - Introduction." 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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Page 3
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter One - Introduction." 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.
×
Page 4
Page 5
Suggested Citation:"Chapter One - Introduction." 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.
×
Page 5
Page 6
Suggested Citation:"Chapter One - Introduction." 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.
×
Page 6
Page 7
Suggested Citation:"Chapter One - Introduction." 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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3BACKGROUND Over the years, as airports have become more complex and busier, there has developed a need to train all personnel who have the need to drive on the airfield side of the airport. As air- craft have increased in size, and speeds of these aircraft have increased significantly, there is an ever decreasing amount of time for pilots or vehicle drivers on taxiways and runways to make split second decisions when on a collision course. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of runway incursions involving not just aircraft, but, in many cases, vehi- cles, pedestrians, and aircraft. Even on ramps and aprons with aircraft of all sizes moving to and from parking positions, it is essential for all personnel to be ever observant, whether walk- ing or driving in the vicinity of aircraft. Although it has been recognized that airport operators need to train personnel who are required to be on runways and taxiways, it has not always been acknowledged that drivers on ramps and aprons needed to be trained as well. However, this perspective is beginning to change as airport operators and air carriers realize that the congestion on ramps and aprons can be a primary cause of accidents involving vehicles and aircraft. As part of their training, pilots are required to know the meaning of markings and signs found on runways and taxi- ways. In 1990, as a result of an accident in Detroit, Michigan, the FAA, along with private industry and the airport commu- nity, revamped the airfield signing system and modified some airfield markings. The purpose of these changes was to help pilots maintain situational awareness, especially in certain weather conditions when visibility is limited. As a result of the new signing system requirements, in particular, the airport community spent millions of dollars in the early to mid-1990s to meet the new requirements. Although the emphasis was on pilot situational awareness, there was little to no emphasis on training airport employees, airport tenants, and others whose jobs took them onto runways and taxiways, sometimes under adverse conditions, except for on-the-job training, which they may or may not have received at some point in their career. The airport community has gradually begun to realize that there is a need to train its employees because of the inherent dangers associated with working on runways and taxiways, ramps, and aprons. Since 1990, with the air carrier accident in Detroit, Michigan, the FAA, in conjunction with the aviation indus- try, has placed a major emphasis on the reduction of the risk of runway incursions. Table 1 and Figure 1 show the number of runway incursions that occurred from 2004 through 2007. The FAA’s June 2008 Runway Safety Report defines a pilot deviation as an action of a pilot that violates any Federal Aviation Regulation, and an operational deviation as an occur- rence attributable to an element of the air traffic system in which applicable separation minima were maintained, but an aircraft, vehicle, equipment, or personnel encroached upon a landing area that was delegated to another position of operation without prior coordination and approval. Finally, the report defines a vehicle or pedestrian deviation as one that includes pedestrians, vehicles, or other objects interfering with aircraft operations by entering or moving on the movement area with- out authorization from air traffic control. Vehicle or pedes- trian deviations account for approximately 15% to 20% of the annual number of incursions. Airport operators have the overall responsibility for deter- mining who receives driving privileges on the airport oper- ational areas; that is, the airside, and therefore are directly connected to efforts to reduce vehicle or pedestrian devia- tion. Organizations, such as the AAAE and ACI–NA, as well as the FAA, have begun a major effort to push training of airport personnel to improve safety on the airfield side of the airport. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY The first objective of this study was to identify the require- ments that airport operators place on airport personnel to receive permission to drive on the airfield side of an airport. The second objective was to review the similarities and the differences in the various airfield driver training programs. The airport operator is responsible for the overall operation of the airport and all of its environments. It is very much like governing a small city with all of the inherent problems. It is incumbent on airport management to adopt rules and regula- tions to ensure that the airport remains safe for the passen- gers, as well as the employees of the airport operator and the tenants and other operators at the facility. One of the primary areas that currently require attention is on the airfield side and involves the control of ground vehicles. Today, owing to the size and types of aircraft, there is more ground equipment moving around the ramps and aprons, including catering trucks, baggage tugs, fueling trucks, lavatory trucks, and air carts. In addition to the air carrier and fixed-base operator (FBO) CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

4equipment, there are vehicles that belong to the airport oper- ator, such as aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles, police vehicles, and maintenance vehicles travelling to and from their work sites. How is all this controlled and handled safely? Each airport is different and unique. Some very large airports have training programs for drivers on ramps and aprons in addition to pro- grams for drivers on runways and taxiways. Some airports use computer-based training as part of their curriculums. Some small airports require pilots who have aircraft based on its air- port to undergo driver training if they wish to drive to their hangar. Although there are many differences in the types of training programs used by airport operators, there are also many similarities to be found throughout the programs. LITERATURE AND DATA SEARCH An Internet search revealed little information on airfield driver training requirements, but did reveal many specific airport driver manuals. Many of the manuals are the basis for obtaining an airport driving permit. There also can be found the changes and improvements that airport operators are taking to improve safety. As an example, the web contained an article on an airport operator that procured and was installing a computer-based system for airfield driver training, which was to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The system consists of workstations where employees can access several computer programs administered using touch screen moni- tors for individualized training, including security training that is necessary to complete identification badging require- ments. The system automatically records and stores results in a centralized database that authorized personnel can access at any time. Also available on the Internet are FAA documents that air- port operators have used to modify airfield driver training programs for their use. One of the major documents is Advi- sory Circular (AC) 150/5210-20, Ground Vehicle Operations on Airports, June 21, 2002, and change 1 to the AC, dated March 31, 2008. Additionally, there are several CertAlerts on the FAA site. A CertAlert is an informational bulletin aimed at airports certificated under 14 CFR Part 139. It carries no reg- ulatory status and is not enforceable. Some of the CertAlerts found on the FAA site concerned with the subject of air- field driver training and requirements include CertAlert 07-10, Vehicle Pedestrian Deviation Runway Incursions; CertAlert 07-02, U.S Government Employees/Contractors Seeking Unescorted Motor Vehicle Access to the Movement Area at a Part 139 Certificated Airport Are Required to Meet the Spe- cific Airport’s Movement Area Access Requirements; and CertAlert 02-05, Driver Training Simulators (see Appendix D). The FAA’s airports line of business website is: www.faa.gov/ airports_airtraffic/airports. SURVEY A survey was developed in concert with the ACRP topic panel. It contained 60 questions on driving requirements adopted by airport operators. The purpose was to determine what differ- ences and similarities exist among the various airports through- out the country. There were also questions on the type of train- ing programs available to airport employees to see if there were differences in these programs based on where the employees were authorized to drive. Other questions dealt with initial training programs as well as recurrent training program require- ments. A copy of the survey can be found in Appendix A. A draft of the survey was reviewed by the topic panel. Incor- porating their comments and suggestions, a final survey was developed and then validated by a separate airport operator. One hundred and five airports were selected to participate in the survey. These airports included large, medium, and small commercial service airports, and general aviation air- ports. Driver training programs are more associated with air- ports certificated under Part 139, Airport Certification, which requires that certain airports meet specific safety standards. General aviation airports, depending on the size and the num- ber of operations, would be less likely to have driver training programs. However, several general aviation airports were included to get an overview of what these airports may do to Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviations Operational Errors Pilot Deviations16% 55%29% FIGURE 1 Runway incursions 2004–2007. TABLE 1 RUNWAY INCURSIONS FISCAL YEARS 2004 THROUGH 2007 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total % Pilot Deviations 173 169 190 209 741 55 Operational Errors 97 105 89 105 396 29 Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviations 56 53 51 56 216 16 Total 1353 100 Source: Runway Safety Report (June 2008).

5train employees. The survey was distributed electronically to each of the airport operators with an introductory letter from ACRP. Those airport operators that did not respond initially were sent a reminder with a second copy of the survey. Of the 105 surveys transmitted, 76 were returned (72%). A com- plete list of the respondents can be found in Appendix B. The responses were aggregated and can be found in Appen- dix E. In some cases, respondents did not answer all questions; in others, they may have selected several answers depending on the circumstances of their individual airports. The survey did not inquire about the cost of the various training programs or the comparison of the effectiveness of classroom training versus computerized training. It also did not consider the content of air carriers, FBOs, and other tenants’ driver training programs that may go beyond that required by the airport operator. CLASSIFICATION OF AIRPORTS Driver training varies from airport to airport although there are common features, as well as major differences, to each program. However, it is difficult to compare these programs unless one has a basic knowledge of airport classification. This synthesis uses the following classification of airports, because the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Sys- tems (NPIAS) already defines the airport universe and it is widely accepted (see Table 2). Basically, there are two types of airports: commercial service airports and general aviation airports. Commercial service airports are defined as public airports receiving scheduled passenger service and having 2,500 or more enplaned passengers per year. Airports that do not meet the criteria of commercial service are considered general aviation (including those general aviation airports considered reliever airports). Commercial service airports, of which there are 522, are further defined into primary airports and non-primary air- ports. Of the 522 commercial service airports, 383 have more than 10,000 annual passenger enplanements (also referred to as boardings) and are classified as primary airports. Primary airports receive an annual apportionment of a certain amount of Airport Improvement Program funds, with the amount determined by the number of enplaned passengers (i.e., cal- endar year 2006 enplaned passengers determined fiscal year 2008 passenger apportionments). Primary airports are grouped into four categories: large, medium, and small hubs, and non-hub airports. The FAA uses the term “hub” to identify very busy commercial service airports. • Large Hub Airports—those airports that each account for at least 1% of total U.S. passenger enplanements. There are 30 large hub airports. • Medium Hub Airports—airports that each account for between 0.25% and 1% of the total passenger enplane- ments. There are 37 medium hub airports. • Small Hub Airports—airports that account for 0.05% to 0.25% of the total passenger enplanements. Seventy-two airports are considered small hub airports. • Non-hub Primary Airports—commercial service air- ports that account for less than 0.05% of all commer- cial passenger enplanements, but that have more than 10,000 annual enplanements are categorized as non- hub primary airports. There are 244 non-hub primary airports. • Non-primary Commercial Service Airports— commercial service airports that have from 2,500 to 10,000 annual passenger enplanements. There are 139 non-primary commercial service airports. • General Aviation Airports—airports that are not com- mercial service airports. Although the NPIAS includes only 2,834 general aviation airports (total of reliever and general aviation airports), there are approximately 5,190 that are open to the public in the United States. The NPIAS can be found on the web at www.faa.gov/airports_ airtraffic/airports. AIRPORTS AND PART 139, AIRPORT CERTIFICATION In addition to the classification of airports as contained in the NPIAS, there is also classification of airports based on the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, Part 139. This regulation, No. of Airports Airport Type Percentage of All Enplanements 30 Large hub primary 68.7 37 Medium hub primary 20.0 72 Small hub primary 8.1 244 Non-hub primary 3.0 139 Non-primary commercial service 0.1 270 Relievers 0.0 2,564 General aviation 0.0 Source: 2009–2013 NPIAS (National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems). TABLE 2 DISTRIBUTION OF NPIAS ACTIVITY (2009)

614 CFR Part 139, Airport Certification, defines the safety requirements that airports with commercial air carrier service must meet. This regulation requires certain airports to have safety areas, aircraft rescue and fire fighting personnel and equipment, and a self-inspection program, to name a few. Although there is reference to access to movement areas by vehicles and pedestrians, it does not, in and of itself, require a driver training program. However, it is generally accepted that the only way to comply with this Part 139 requirement is to implement a driver training program (see Appendix C for Section 139.329). Under Part 139, commercial service airports are classified by the type of air carrier service that exists at that airport (see Table 3). To understand the organization of this regulation, one must understand the differences between large and small passenger air carrier aircraft, as defined in Part 139, as well as the definition of unscheduled operation. Section 139.5 notes that “Air carrier aircraft means an aircraft that is being oper- ated by an air carrier and is categorized as either a large air carrier aircraft if designed for at least 31 passenger seats or a small air carrier aircraft if designed for more than 9 passenger seats but less than 31 passenger seats.” Unscheduled operation means any common carriage passenger-carrying operation for compensation or hire, using aircraft designed for at least 31 pas- senger seats, conducted by an air carrier for which the departure time, departure location, and arrival location are specifically negotiated with the customer or the customer’s representative. It also defines the categories of air carrier airports: For example, an airport that receives scheduled passenger air carrier service with large and small air carrier aircraft and unscheduled (charter) passenger air carrier service with air carrier aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats is clas- sified as a Class I airport. An airport that receives scheduled passenger air carrier service with small air carrier aircraft and unscheduled (charter) passenger air carrier service with air carrier aircraft with more than 30 passenger seats is clas- sified as a Class II airport. An airport that receives only scheduled passenger air carrier service with small air car- rier aircraft is classified as a Class III airport. Finally, an air carrier airport that receives only unscheduled air carrier air- craft with more than 30 passenger seats is classified as a Class IV airport. The Class I, II, and III airports are subject to the require- ments of Section 139.329, with such airports required to limit access to movement areas and safety areas to those vehicles and pedestrians needed for airport operations. These airports are also required to establish and implement procedures for the safe and orderly access to, and operation in, movement areas and safety areas by pedestrians and ground vehicles, including provisions identifying the consequences of non- compliance with the procedures by an employee, tenant, or contractor. One of the ways that airport operators use to meet the requirements of this section is to implement a driver training program. To assist airport operators in developing a driver training program, the FAA issued Advisory Circular 150/5210-20, Ground Vehicle Operations on Airports. This circular provides information and encourages airport opera- tors to establish driver training programs on their airports for safety and for runway incursion prevention. Title 14 CFR Part 139, Airport Certification, can be found at: www.faa.gov/ airports_airtraffic/airports/airport_safety/part139_cert. NON-MOVEMENT AND MOVEMENT AREAS Section 139.305 (14 CFR Part 139) defines Movement Area as “an area that means the runways, taxiways, and other areas of an airport that are used for the taxiing, takeoff, and Type of Air Carrier Operation Class I Class II Class III Class IV Scheduled Large Air Carrier X Unscheduled Larger Air Carrier X X X Scheduled Small Air Carrier X X X TABLE 3 PART 139 AIRPORT CLASSES Class IV airport means an airport certificated to serve unscheduled passenger operations of large air carrier aircraft. A Class IV airport cannot serve scheduled large or small air carrier aircraft. Class I airport means an airport certificated to serve scheduled operations of large air carrier aircraft that can also serve unscheduled passenger operations of large air carrier aircraft and/or scheduled operations of small air carrier aircraft. Class II airport means an airport certificated to serve scheduled operations of small air carrier aircraft and the unscheduled passenger operations of large air car- rier aircraft. A Class II airport cannot serve scheduled large air carrier aircraft. Class III airport means an airport certificated to serve scheduled operations of small air carrier aircraft. A Class III airport cannot serve scheduled or unsched- uled large air carrier aircraft.

7landing of aircraft, exclusive of loading ramps and aircraft parking areas.” In the Pilot/Controller Glossary of the Aeronautical Information Manual (2007), Movement Area is defined as “the runways, taxiways, and other areas of an airport/heliport which are utilized for taxiing/hover taxiing, air taxiing, take- off, and landing of aircraft, exclusive of loading ramps and parking areas. At those airports/heliports with a tower, specific approval for entry onto the movement area must be obtained from ATC.” The same Pilot/Controller Glossary defines non-movement area as “. . . taxiways and apron (ramp) areas not under the control of air traffic.” For purposes of this study, then, the movement area of an airfield contains the runways, taxiways, and other areas under the control of air traffic. Non-movement areas include ramps and aprons and some taxiways not under the control of air traffic. Letters of Agreement between the airport oper- ator and the FAA may further define the boundary between movement and non-movement areas. Based on comments from the topic panel, there appears to be some confusion as to the requirements for recurrent training for persons authorized only in the non-movement area and for persons authorized in the movement area. This confusion stems from the interpretation of Section 139.303, Personnel, paragraph (c), which states that each certificate holder must “train all personnel who access movement areas and safety areas and perform duties in compliance with the requirements of the Airport Certification Manual (ACM) and the requirements of this part. This training must be com- pleted prior to the initial performance of such duties and at least once every 12 consecutive calendar months . . .” Several airport operators interpret this to mean that all ramp personnel must have initial and recurrent training because they tech- nically have access to the movement areas. Based on the wording in the preamble to Part 139 and because the regu- lation indicates “personnel who access movement areas” and not “personnel who have access to the movement areas,” Section 139.303 applies only to the airport operator’s person- nel. For air carriers’ and other tenants’ employees who access the movement area within their job function, recurrent train- ing is also not required under Part 139 unless the employee performs duties in compliance with the airport’s Airport Certification Manual, such as those contracted to perform self-inspection. There has been some discussion to amend Part 139 to require recurrent training for all personnel (not just airport operator personnel) that access the movement area. Currently, however, this does not prevent an airport operator from adopting a rule or regulation requiring such training. In August 2007, the FAA sponsored a “Call to Action” workshop to improve airport safety resulting from runway incursions. More than 40 leaders of the aviation industry met and agreed on an ambitious plan that included providing additional airport surface movement training to everyone who works on the airport taxiways, runways, and other oper- ational areas. All certificated airports were asked to volun- tarily develop plans to require annual recurrent training for all individuals with access to movement areas such as run- ways and taxiways. According to the FAA Runway Safety Report (June 2008), 91% of certificated airports agreed to step up to the “Call to Action” challenge. Additionally, the FAA issued a change to AC 150/5210-20, Ground Vehicle Operations on Airports, which strongly rec- ommends regular recurrent training to all personnel who access the movement area.

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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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