Page 22 - InterPilot 2019 Issue 1

PAGE 22

Assessment and

Reporting of Runway

Surface Conditions

BY ALEXIS CLINET
ICAO Airport Operations Officer

WITH CAPTAIN JUSSI EKMAN
IFALPA Subject Matter Expert

Runway safety related accidents,
notably runway excursions, remain
aviation’s number one safety risk cat-
egory. Among the top contributing
factors are poor braking action due
to contaminated runways combined
with shortfalls in the accuracy and
timeliness of runway surface condi-
tions. Consequently, ICAO has called
for the widespread deployment of its climates, when timely decisions may report their own observations confir-
new methodology for assessing and be required. It comprises an evaluation ing the RWYCC or provide an alert of
reporting runway surface conditions. of a runway through human observa- changing conditions based upon their
tion and a consequent assignment of own experience of actual braking ac-
This new methodology, commonly a Runway Condition Code (RWYCC). tion or directional control.
known as the Global Reporting For- This code is complemented by a de-
mat (GRF), will become applicable in scription of the surface contaminant The importance of training to ensure
November 2020. The GRF targets the based upon its type, depth, and cover- a global and harmonized implementa-
standardized reporting of runway sur- age for each third of the runway. This tion of this new methodology should
face conditions on wet and contami- evaluation should be performed by not be underestimated. To help ad-
nated runways, the impact of which trained runway assessors. dress this need, a joint ICAO/ACI sym-
is then directly correlated with an air- posium will be hosted in Montreal
craft’s performance, enabling a bet- The outcome of the evaluation and 26-28 March 2019. Event website and
ter flight crew prediction of take-off associated RWYCC are then used to registration at:
and landing performance as well as complete a standard report called the www.icao.int/Meetings/GRF2019
an improved situation awareness. For Runway Condition Report (RCR) which
an in-depth review of GRF please see is forwarded to air traffic services and The principal objectives of this event
https://UnitingAviation.com/GRFre- the aeronautical information services will be to ensure international aware-
view. for dissemination. ness and knowledge of the GRF, in-
cluding the training required and re-
The GRF is intended to cover con- The RWYCC, correlated with perfor- sources available. This symposium will
ditions found in all climates and it mance data from aircraft manufactur- be followed-up by regional seminars
provides a means for aerodrome op- ers, provides a consistent means for focussing on local stakeholders and
erators to rapidly and correctly assess pilots to perform landing and take-off regional particularities such as weath-
runway surface conditions, whether performance calculations for wet or er conditions, airport characteristics,
they are exposed to wet runway con- contaminated runways. and stakeholder expectations. These
ditions, snow, slush, ice, or frost. It is regional seminars will take place be-
designed to tackle rapidly changing Another important element of the GRF tween March 2019 and November
weather conditions such as those ex- is a process that enables a pilot to 2020.
perienced during winter or in tropical