Module 3 - Airport Operations, Security, and Maintenance
1. What are the components of a safety conscious organization and how does SMS fit
into this?<Ans> 1) Set of standards
2) Investigations and resolution of incidents or hazards
3) an internal reporting system
4) individuals trained to recognize unsafe conditions
An SMS - Safety Management System provides safety oversight and helps manage safety ris
through systematic procedures, practices, and policies.
2. What are SMS - Safety Management System's Key Components?<Ans> 1) Safety
Policy - Management's written policy of their commitment to safety (accountable
executive - responsible party)
2) Safety Risk Management - Identification of Hazards / risk assessment and tracking
3) Safety Assurance - Internal and external auditing and corrective actions (audits, safety
issues, reports)
4) Safety Promotion - Establishing a "culture of safety" (people in org. inherently
knowing what's safe)
3. What is Part 139 and which airports does it apply to?<Ans> Safety standards
for COMMERCIAL service airports which evolved from the Airport and Airway
Development Act of 1970.
Primary objective is to ensure SAFETY in air transportation by regulating the
operation and maintenance of airports serving scheduled air carrier operations.
,Part 139 addresses the minimum safety and maintenance standards for airports and requires a
number of accident prevention measures to be followed (Snow and Ice Control Plan, wildli
hazard mgmt program, etc)
Part 139 also is designed to help PREVENT accidents and, in the event of an accident,
mitigate injuries
4. What are the 4 classes of commercial service airports?<Ans> Class I - Scheduled
large & Small + unscheduled large (large = over 30 seats)
Class II - Scheduled small (10- 30 seats) + unscheduled large Class III -
Scheduled small (10- 30 seats)
,Class IV - Unscheduled large
5. Explain Exemption, Limitations, and Deviations<Ans> 1) DEVIATIONS from
Part139 regulations are allowed during an emergency. Need to notify FAA within 14 Days
(ex - allowing an air carrier to use a runway that does not meet the safety requirements of
the Airport Certification Manual)
2) LIMITATIONS identifies an unusual operational characteristic of an airport, such as
limiting air carrier operations to aircraft of certain weight due to pavement strength. (Not
ALL parts of airport need to be 139)
3) EXEMPTION - is a rulemaking action and necessitates a review by FAA legal staff. Ex -
An exemption to the ARFF requirements is allowed in the regulations to airports enplaning
less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the total US enplanements in a year.
6. What is the ACM, how is it developed, and what is its function?<Ans> ACM =
Airport Certification Manual
It describes to the FAA, HOW a particular airport complies with FAR Part 139. Airport
Owner writes this, explaining how their airport meets EACH section of Part 139.
FAA signs and dates every page / approves. Once approved, the ACM becomes the
regulations/"Part 139" for that specific airport. A violated of an airport's own ACM is
treated as a violation of Part 139.
The ACM requirement is a mechanism by which the FAA can fulfill its safety oversight
function without having to monitor all airports holding a Part 139 certificate on a daily basis.
The central purpose of the ACM is to be a reference document for airport personnel on
maintaining a safe airport and complying with federal regulations.
, Example, these plans are included in the ACM:
-Wildlife Hazard Plan
-Airport Emergency Plan
-Snow and Ice Plan
-Vehicle and Pedestrian Plan
-Signs-Lights-Markings Plan
*These then become the regulating documents for your airport. So basically you (Airport
Operator) write your own regulations
1. What are the components of a safety conscious organization and how does SMS fit
into this?<Ans> 1) Set of standards
2) Investigations and resolution of incidents or hazards
3) an internal reporting system
4) individuals trained to recognize unsafe conditions
An SMS - Safety Management System provides safety oversight and helps manage safety ris
through systematic procedures, practices, and policies.
2. What are SMS - Safety Management System's Key Components?<Ans> 1) Safety
Policy - Management's written policy of their commitment to safety (accountable
executive - responsible party)
2) Safety Risk Management - Identification of Hazards / risk assessment and tracking
3) Safety Assurance - Internal and external auditing and corrective actions (audits, safety
issues, reports)
4) Safety Promotion - Establishing a "culture of safety" (people in org. inherently
knowing what's safe)
3. What is Part 139 and which airports does it apply to?<Ans> Safety standards
for COMMERCIAL service airports which evolved from the Airport and Airway
Development Act of 1970.
Primary objective is to ensure SAFETY in air transportation by regulating the
operation and maintenance of airports serving scheduled air carrier operations.
,Part 139 addresses the minimum safety and maintenance standards for airports and requires a
number of accident prevention measures to be followed (Snow and Ice Control Plan, wildli
hazard mgmt program, etc)
Part 139 also is designed to help PREVENT accidents and, in the event of an accident,
mitigate injuries
4. What are the 4 classes of commercial service airports?<Ans> Class I - Scheduled
large & Small + unscheduled large (large = over 30 seats)
Class II - Scheduled small (10- 30 seats) + unscheduled large Class III -
Scheduled small (10- 30 seats)
,Class IV - Unscheduled large
5. Explain Exemption, Limitations, and Deviations<Ans> 1) DEVIATIONS from
Part139 regulations are allowed during an emergency. Need to notify FAA within 14 Days
(ex - allowing an air carrier to use a runway that does not meet the safety requirements of
the Airport Certification Manual)
2) LIMITATIONS identifies an unusual operational characteristic of an airport, such as
limiting air carrier operations to aircraft of certain weight due to pavement strength. (Not
ALL parts of airport need to be 139)
3) EXEMPTION - is a rulemaking action and necessitates a review by FAA legal staff. Ex -
An exemption to the ARFF requirements is allowed in the regulations to airports enplaning
less than one-quarter of 1 percent of the total US enplanements in a year.
6. What is the ACM, how is it developed, and what is its function?<Ans> ACM =
Airport Certification Manual
It describes to the FAA, HOW a particular airport complies with FAR Part 139. Airport
Owner writes this, explaining how their airport meets EACH section of Part 139.
FAA signs and dates every page / approves. Once approved, the ACM becomes the
regulations/"Part 139" for that specific airport. A violated of an airport's own ACM is
treated as a violation of Part 139.
The ACM requirement is a mechanism by which the FAA can fulfill its safety oversight
function without having to monitor all airports holding a Part 139 certificate on a daily basis.
The central purpose of the ACM is to be a reference document for airport personnel on
maintaining a safe airport and complying with federal regulations.
, Example, these plans are included in the ACM:
-Wildlife Hazard Plan
-Airport Emergency Plan
-Snow and Ice Plan
-Vehicle and Pedestrian Plan
-Signs-Lights-Markings Plan
*These then become the regulating documents for your airport. So basically you (Airport
Operator) write your own regulations
