FAA introduces animated runway safety messages
A new pilot expects to wait a few minutes before being cleared for an intersection takeoff but gets the clearance early. Surprised by the change, the pilot takes off in the wrong direction and the aircraft runs off the runway into the grass. What can other pilots learn from this event?
The free online educational resource that contains these safety insights is the Runway Safety Pilot Simulator. Pilots navigating to the website will find a variety of resources, animations, and scenarios to study and work through to replicate situations that they might encounter in their real-world flying.
How realistic are the dramatizations?
“The Animation library contains a number of animations that are recreated using actual, de-identified, events of runway incursions, excursions or surface incidents driven by data and recent Pilot Deviations,” says a notice about the website posted by the FAA Safety Team.
“Learning from actual events, or ‘hangar talk,’ is a valuable resource for pilots to gain knowledge outside of the cockpit and classroom, and get tips on best practices,” it says.
Other topics covered by animations in the resource library deal with using airport diagrams, eliminating distractions, remaining vigilant while taxiing, and avoiding wrong-surface operations.
After spending some time with the material, pilots should acquire a better understanding of navigating airport surfaces, identifying airport markings and signs, avoiding common errors, and using advisory circulars as reference material.
Pilots participating in the FAA Wings Pilot Proficiency Program can receive credit for using the Runway Safety Pilot Simulator.
AOPA has been a participant in the FAA’s joint Runway Safety Council—which focuses on enhancing safety through technology and education—since its inception, and encourages pilots to avail themselves of the opportunity to sharpen their situational awareness.
The FAA urges users to tell their fellow pilots about the resource, to keep checking back for new animations as they are developed, and to provide user feedback.
Pilots’ input “has been a crucial part of the development of this free tool,” the FAA said.
