Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) — Page 364, Lesson 491

Let’s start with the colour coding of UK AICs, because that’s a classic exam favourite and it’s a clean way to get into the AIS world. An AIC is an Aeronautical Information Circular. Annex 15 to ICAO recommends that these circulars are colour-coded according to their topic, so that a pilot or a flight operations officer can instantly tell what kind of content they’re dealing with just by looking at the paper. In the UK, the scheme is as follows. Pink means matters relating to safety. That’s the one you really must not miss — anything pink is a safety issue. Yellow means operational matters, including ATS facilities and requirements. ATS stands for Air Traffic Services, so yellow covers things like changes to air traffic service provision or operational procedures. White means administrative matters, for example exam dates and fees. So the purely bureaucratic stuff goes on white. Mauve, which is purple, means UK airspace reservations imposed in accordance with applicable regulations. So when airspace is reserved — for example for a specific operation — that comes out in mauve. Green means maps and charts. So the five colours are pink for safety, yellow for operational, white for administrative, mauve for airspace reservations, and green for maps and charts. Now let’s move to pre-flight and post-flight information, starting with pre-flight information at 18.39. At any aerodrome normally used for international air operations, aeronautical information essential for the safety, regularity and efficiency of air navigation — and relative to the route stages originating at that aerodrome — must be made available to flight operations personnel. That includes flight crews and the services responsible for pre-flight information. So the duty is on the aerodrome to provide this material to the people who need it before departure. What must that pre-flight information include? Two things. First, the relevant elements of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package. Second, maps and charts. The Integrated Aeronautical Information Package is the complete set of AIS products — the AIP, the AIP supplements, NOTAMs, AICs, and so on — all the standardised documents that together give you the full picture of the aeronautical environment. Now there’s a practical allowance here. The documentation provided at the aerodrome may be limited to national publications and, when practicable, those of immediately adjacent states. But there’s a condition attached: a complete library of aeronautical information must be available at a central location, and there must be means of direct communications between the aerodrome AIS unit and that library. So the aerodrome doesn’t have to hold every state’s documents on site, but it must have access to the full library elsewhere, and the AIS unit at the aerodrome must be able to reach it directly. Then at 18.40 we get to aerodrome information — the additional current information relating to the aerodrome of departure that must be provided. Let me list these carefully, because each one is a distinct item. Construction or maintenance work on, or immediately adjacent to, the manoeuvring area. The manoeuvring area is the part of the aerodrome used for the take-off, landing and taxiing of aircraft, excluding aprons. So any building work there, or right next to it, must be reported. Rough portions of any part of the manoeuvring area, whether marked or not. For example, broken parts of the surface of runways and taxiways. So even if the rough patch isn’t marked, it still has to be reported. The presence and depth of snow, ice or water on runways and taxiways, including their effect on surface friction. So it’s not just “there’s snow” — you need the depth, and you need the effect on friction, because that’s what determines your braking performance. Snow drifted or piled on, or adjacent to, runways or taxiways. That’s a separate item from the snow depth — drifted or piled snow is its own hazard. Parked aircraft or other objects on, or immediately adjacent to, taxiways. So anything sitting near a taxiway that could obstruct or endanger you. And finally, the presence of other temporary hazards, including those created by birds. So bird activity is explicitly called out as a temporary hazard that must be reported. So to summarise that list: construction work, rough portions, snow/ice/water with depth and friction effect, drifted or piled snow, parked aircraft or objects near taxiways, and other temporary hazards including birds. Now, one thing I want to make sure you’ve got clearly: the distinction between the two levels of information. The pre-flight information at 18.39 is the general package — the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package plus maps and charts, covering the route stages from that aerodrome. The aerodrome information at 18.40 is the specific, current, local detail about the departure aerodrome itself — the hazards and conditions on the manoeuvring area. Both must be provided, but they serve different purposes. The first gives you the overall navigation picture; the second tells you what’s actually happening on the ground where you’re departing from. That’s the core of this section