In this week’s show we are going to saddle up with the Lone Ranger and break out a lasso, I mean, LAHSO. I know, we should quit horsing around and get down to business.
Speaking of business. You have a very important business decision to make for me. Do we go forward with the Aircraft Radio Simulator, or should we short circuit the program and let it vaporize? You make the call, and I’ll tell you how to do it in this week’s show.
We’ve got masked heroes on horseback; we’ve got fireworks and exploding software; we’ve got your question of the week. I ask you, where else can you go for such fired-up enthusiasm over something as routine as talking on the aircraft radio. Right here, that’s where. Hi-yo Silver! Away!
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Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for all those who were injured in the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214. It’s tragic that 2 people died in the crash and 168 people were injured. Focusing on the positive: It is impressive that the flight attendants were able to guide the evacuation more than 300 people from the Boeing 777.
One bit of trivia from the Asiana crash. San Francisco Tower talked to the captain on radio after the crash. Tower used the call sign Asiana 714 Heavy.
ATC adds “Heavy” to the call signs of aircraft that are capable of taking off at weights of 300,000 pounds or more. The term is a reminder that a heavy aircraft produces exceptionally strong wake turbulence. ATC lengthens the spacing between a heavy aircraft and the aircraft that follow it during departures and arrivals.
There is a complete replay of the San Francisco Tower radio communication during and after the Asiana Airlines crash. You can find a link to it at my Twitter feed. Go to Twitter.com/atc_jeff. If you have not already signed up for my Twitter feed, you can do so by clicking the Twitter icon in the upper right margin of ATCcommunication.com.
ATC’s Land and Hold Short (LAHSO) program is designed to improve traffic flow at busy tower-controlled airports. When used, it allows air traffic control to land aircraft on a runway and slow to a stop or exit the runway prior to reaching a designated intersection.
When an aircraft lands and holds short of an intersection, it allows ATC to cross other airplanes through that intersection without concern for a traffic conflict with the landing aircraft.
You do not have to accept a LAHSO clearance if you are not familiar with the LAHSO procedure, the airport layout, including any signs, runway markings, or lighting associated with the procedure.
You also do not have to accept a LAHSO clearance if either you or your aircraft is not capable of stopping prior to the intersection named in the LAHSO clearance. To make this determination, you have to know how much runway distance is available from the threshold of the runway to the intersection you are expected to hold short of.
If you are familiar with the LAHSO procedure for the runway in use, and if you and your airplane are capable of stopping prior to the named intersection, you should accept the LAHSO clearance.
Once you accept a LAHSO clearance, you are required to comply with the clearance unless you are able to get an amended clearance prior to landing.
A LAHSO clearance will include a clearance to land and the words, “Hold short of,” along with the runway, taxiway, or point you are expected to hold short of.
Compliance with a LAHSO clearance does not necessarily mean you will land and stop on the runway prior to the named intersection. It only means you will not cross through that intersection. It is perfectly acceptable, and usually expected that you will slow to a safe taxi speed and exit the runway prior to intersection named in the LAHSO clearance.
I have a very important task for you. I need you to take 1 to 2 minutes to complete a survey that will be a make or break decision on the future of the Aircraft Radio Simulator. This is it. It’s all up to you. Radar Contact Show has all of the details. The survey is below.
Your Question of the Week is listed below the survey.
The survey you see below closes on July 27, 2013. It will be removed from this page after that date.
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Your Question of the Week:
You are on a 7-mile final approach at a tower-controlled airport. The airport’s ATIS broadcast said Land and Hold Short operations are in effect for Runway 22. that You are lined up with to land on Runway 22. You are flying a large aircraft that requires a minimum runway length of 4,700 feet for landing. Runway 22 is longer than 4,700 feet. The tower controller says to you, “November 338 Golf Lima, Runway 22, cleared to land. Hold short of Taxiway Charlie.”
You know there was a LAHSO program published for this runway because you read about it in your preflight planning session. You also learned in your preflight study that the available landing distance on Runway 22 from the threshold to the intersection of Taxiway Charlie is 4,400 feet.
Here’s your question. What is the radio transmission you would make in reply to Tower’s clearance?