FAR Part 77 is one of the most important aspects that must be considered when operating an airport. A duty of airport operations is to keep a close eye on what is happening around the field. It is very common to see unauthorized cranes just boom up. They must have an airspace study performed. If construction is planned within 20,000 ft of an airport or exceeds 200 ft in height, a study must be performed. The form a contractor is required to fill out for this study, FAA form 7460-1 can be downloaded here.

For those interested in how the primary and transitional surfaces around an airport are designated and defined I have provided two videos that I received in an e-mail from AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives), enjoy.

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Honestly, the current iPad is not for me. I have an Apple Macbook Pro that I can not do without, but it has a keyboard and more features like USB ports and a CD/DVD drive that are essential in my mind. However, I finally found a use for the iPad that has made it more attractive. FAA/NOS charts in their typical paper form can be burdensome to flip through while flying a single-pilot aircraft. Although I’m used to using Fltplan.com to print out the charts I’ll need for each individual flight for easier access, I believe downloading charts to the iPad would be very efficient and they can be permanently stored for future use.

An application called ForeFlight is currently available for immediate use. Not only are the approach plates available, but VFR/IFR charts, airport maps, and flight rules are as well.

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In a previous post, Part 139 Airport Certification, I explained what defines an airport as Part 139 by the Federal Aviation Administration. This post will elaborate on Section 305 of FAR Part 139, which entails pavement management. The condition of taxiways and runways is of the utmost importance to the safety of passengers. For this reason, Airport Operations employees inspect these surfaces several times daily for discrepancies. This is one of the most important aspects of a job in Airport Operations and one that is taken very seriously. Every year, the FAA audits all Part 139 airports to ensure the airport is taking every step possible to maximize safety by staying on top of holes, cracks and other pavement variations.

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For those that have ever been offered a discounted wash and wax at an FBO (Fixed Based Operator), be skeptical. FBOs that do this are desperate for your business, which is not a bad thing in itself. However, the person that will be waxing, and even worse, polishing your airplane is the same one fueling it. More often than not, they lack the proper training to treat your paintwork with care. In fact, that person is likely being forced to do this service when things are slow. Do you really want to take a chance of someone burning your paint? More importantly, never let an FBO do bright work on your multi-million dollar aircraft unless they have a dedicated detailing department with a good reputation. I have worked at two FBOs that have offered this service to customers, including a Gulfstream that was a potential based customer.

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