Airports are not designed based on the most demanding aircraft but on the critical aircraft operating there. The critical aircraft dictates many design criteria for airport geometry and is typically determined by planners as part of the airport master plan process. However, sometimes fleet changes at an airport require engineers to reevaluate the critical aircraft for a project eligible for FAA Airport Improvement Program grant funding.     

This virtual webinar on Critical Aircraft from Identification to Implementation will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of critical aircraft determination methods and application. During the workshop, attendees will learn about how the critical aircraft is defined, where to find data for both towered and non-towered airports to facilitate a determination, the design criteria that it impacts, review frequently asked questions from consultants in completing determinations, and review case studies of real-life examples.  

PRESENTERS

• Johnathan Limb, PE, CM, Principal and Texas Aviation Infrastructure Practice Lead, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Moderator)
• Kent Duffy, Operations Research Analyst, Federal Aviation Administration 
• Michael Lawrance, Airport Planning Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration
• Andrew Scanlon, ACE, SMS, Senior Project Manager, Kimley-Horn

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this ACC webinar, participants will be able to:
• Identify resources that provide aircraft types and operational frequency for an airport.
• Define and determine the critical aircraft at an airport per FAA Advisory Circulars and Orders.
• Recognize the impact of critical aircraft on design criteria and which criteria it does not influence.
• Distinguish when changes to airport surfaces can occur when critical aircraft changes and the level of FAA participation.