AAAE ACE Airfield Operations Certification Exam
Preparation Guide (2026–2027): Comprehensive Practice
Test with Module 1 Review Questions and Verified Correct
Answers
How many airports are in the NPIAS and what three types are included? - Answer - 3,380
airports; 1) commercial service, 2) reliever, 3) select GA
What are the three defining characteristics of commercial service airports? - Answer - 1) open to
the public 2) receive scheduled passenger service 3) 2,500 or more enplaned passenger per year
What type of airport has commercial service and over 10,000 annual enplanements? - Answer -
Primary airport
Primary airports are split into 4 categories, what are they and how are they defined? - Answer -
Large Hub (>1% of all US annual enplanements); Medium Hub (0.25% to 1%); Small Hub
(0.05-0.25%); Non-Hub (10,000 to 0.05%)
How many enplanements characterize a non-primary commercial service airport? - Answer -
between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year
What characterizes a reliever airport? - Answer - 1) open to the public; 2) 100 or more based
aircraft or 25,000 annual operations
General aviation airports can be included in the NPIAS under what circumstances? - Answer - If
they have at least 10 locally based aircraft and are at least 20 miles from a NPIAS airport
What plan provides guidelines for an airport's capital development over a 20-year timeframe? -
Answer - Master Plan
What is the set of drawings that shows the airport's long-term development, updated in
accordance with grant assurance number 29? - Answer - Airport Layout Plans
,Runway design standards are based on what three primary factors? - Answer - 1) airplane design
group (wingspan); 2) aircraft approach category (approach speed); 3) approach visibility
minimums
Taxiway and taxilane design standards are based on what primary factor? - Answer - airplane
design group (wingspan)
How is airplane design group determined and categorized? - Answer - Based on the aircraft's
wingspan and tail height whichever is most restrictive; 6 categories, I thru VI, where I is the
smallest/shortest and VI is the largest/tallest
How is aircraft approach category determined and categorized? - Answer - Based on aircraft
approach speed; 5 categories, A thru E, where A is the slowest and E is the fastest
What are the 6 categories of airplane design group? - Answer - I (tail height <20', wingspan
<49'); II (tail height 20 - <30', wingspan 49 - <79'); III (tail height 30 - <45'), wingspan 79-
<118'); IV (tail height 45 - <60', wingspan 118 - <171'); V (tail height 60 - <66', wingspan 171 -
<214'); VI (tail height 66 - <80', wingspan 214 - <262')
What are the 5 aircraft approach categories and the criteria for each category? - Answer - A (<91
knots); B (91 - <121 knots); C (121 - <141 knots); D (141 - <166 knots); E (>166 knots)
When is a cross-runway recommended? - Answer - When a runway orientation provides less
than 95% wind coverage for any aircraft forecasted to use the airport
What are some of the factors affecting the location and orientation of runways? - Answer - wind,
available airspace, environmental factors, obstructions, topography, ATCT visibility, wildlife
hazards
To ensure water run-off, what is the normal grade of a runway and runway shoulder? - Answer -
1 - 1.5% cross-section grade for the runway and 1.5 - 5% for the runway shoulder
, What is the purpose of a runway shoulder? - Answer - resist runway erosion, passage of vehicles
and surface for aircraft that veer off the runway
How is runway width determined and what is the range of standard widths? - Answer - ARC and
approach visibility minimums; 60 - 200'
What is the range of widths for a runway safety area (RSA)? - Answer - 120 - 150'
What is the term for an area formed by imaginary lines connecting the visibility points of two
different runways? - Answer - Runway Visibility Zones (RVZ)
What is the term for the beginning or end of the full-strength runway pavement available for
takeoff and landing? - Answer - Runway threshold
When a runway threshold is not located at the start of the full-strength pavement what is it called
and why would this occur? - Answer - Displaced threshold; it is used to identify the first point
for landing aircraft to avoid an airspace obstruction, to mitigate environmental considerations, or
to lengthen an RSA or OFA
What use is the portion of runway behind a displaced threshold? - Answer - It can be used for
takeoffs in either direction, and landing from the opposite direction.
Taxiways are designed to allow aircraft taxi at what speed? - Answer - 20mph
How are taxiway widths determined and what is the standard range of widths? - Answer - Based
on wingspan and wingtip clearance (ARC); 25 - 100'
What are the standard widths of the taxiway safety area? - Answer - 49 - 262'
What are the three primary determinants for optimum airport apron design? - Answer - available
space, aircraft mix and terminal configuration
Preparation Guide (2026–2027): Comprehensive Practice
Test with Module 1 Review Questions and Verified Correct
Answers
How many airports are in the NPIAS and what three types are included? - Answer - 3,380
airports; 1) commercial service, 2) reliever, 3) select GA
What are the three defining characteristics of commercial service airports? - Answer - 1) open to
the public 2) receive scheduled passenger service 3) 2,500 or more enplaned passenger per year
What type of airport has commercial service and over 10,000 annual enplanements? - Answer -
Primary airport
Primary airports are split into 4 categories, what are they and how are they defined? - Answer -
Large Hub (>1% of all US annual enplanements); Medium Hub (0.25% to 1%); Small Hub
(0.05-0.25%); Non-Hub (10,000 to 0.05%)
How many enplanements characterize a non-primary commercial service airport? - Answer -
between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year
What characterizes a reliever airport? - Answer - 1) open to the public; 2) 100 or more based
aircraft or 25,000 annual operations
General aviation airports can be included in the NPIAS under what circumstances? - Answer - If
they have at least 10 locally based aircraft and are at least 20 miles from a NPIAS airport
What plan provides guidelines for an airport's capital development over a 20-year timeframe? -
Answer - Master Plan
What is the set of drawings that shows the airport's long-term development, updated in
accordance with grant assurance number 29? - Answer - Airport Layout Plans
,Runway design standards are based on what three primary factors? - Answer - 1) airplane design
group (wingspan); 2) aircraft approach category (approach speed); 3) approach visibility
minimums
Taxiway and taxilane design standards are based on what primary factor? - Answer - airplane
design group (wingspan)
How is airplane design group determined and categorized? - Answer - Based on the aircraft's
wingspan and tail height whichever is most restrictive; 6 categories, I thru VI, where I is the
smallest/shortest and VI is the largest/tallest
How is aircraft approach category determined and categorized? - Answer - Based on aircraft
approach speed; 5 categories, A thru E, where A is the slowest and E is the fastest
What are the 6 categories of airplane design group? - Answer - I (tail height <20', wingspan
<49'); II (tail height 20 - <30', wingspan 49 - <79'); III (tail height 30 - <45'), wingspan 79-
<118'); IV (tail height 45 - <60', wingspan 118 - <171'); V (tail height 60 - <66', wingspan 171 -
<214'); VI (tail height 66 - <80', wingspan 214 - <262')
What are the 5 aircraft approach categories and the criteria for each category? - Answer - A (<91
knots); B (91 - <121 knots); C (121 - <141 knots); D (141 - <166 knots); E (>166 knots)
When is a cross-runway recommended? - Answer - When a runway orientation provides less
than 95% wind coverage for any aircraft forecasted to use the airport
What are some of the factors affecting the location and orientation of runways? - Answer - wind,
available airspace, environmental factors, obstructions, topography, ATCT visibility, wildlife
hazards
To ensure water run-off, what is the normal grade of a runway and runway shoulder? - Answer -
1 - 1.5% cross-section grade for the runway and 1.5 - 5% for the runway shoulder
, What is the purpose of a runway shoulder? - Answer - resist runway erosion, passage of vehicles
and surface for aircraft that veer off the runway
How is runway width determined and what is the range of standard widths? - Answer - ARC and
approach visibility minimums; 60 - 200'
What is the range of widths for a runway safety area (RSA)? - Answer - 120 - 150'
What is the term for an area formed by imaginary lines connecting the visibility points of two
different runways? - Answer - Runway Visibility Zones (RVZ)
What is the term for the beginning or end of the full-strength runway pavement available for
takeoff and landing? - Answer - Runway threshold
When a runway threshold is not located at the start of the full-strength pavement what is it called
and why would this occur? - Answer - Displaced threshold; it is used to identify the first point
for landing aircraft to avoid an airspace obstruction, to mitigate environmental considerations, or
to lengthen an RSA or OFA
What use is the portion of runway behind a displaced threshold? - Answer - It can be used for
takeoffs in either direction, and landing from the opposite direction.
Taxiways are designed to allow aircraft taxi at what speed? - Answer - 20mph
How are taxiway widths determined and what is the standard range of widths? - Answer - Based
on wingspan and wingtip clearance (ARC); 25 - 100'
What are the standard widths of the taxiway safety area? - Answer - 49 - 262'
What are the three primary determinants for optimum airport apron design? - Answer - available
space, aircraft mix and terminal configuration
