FAA 13A Runway Protection Surfaces (Aviation)

Available with Aviation Airports license.

Available with Aviation Charting license.

Summary

Generates runway protection surfaces based on FAA Advisory Circular 150/5300-13A.

Safe and efficient landing and takeoff operations at an airport require that certain areas on and near the airport are clear of objects or restricted to objects with a certain function, composition, or height. These clearing standards and criteria are established to create a safer environment for the aircraft operating on or near the airport.

Usage

• This tool generates runway protection surfaces based on design matrices defined by the FAA. A design matrix consists of an approach category and approach design group. You can choose the design matrix to use for your surfaces by setting the Approach Category and Approach Design Group parameters.

  Some design matrices only apply to aircraft under 12,500 pounds. You can use the Small Aircraft parameter to specify the design matrix for a small aircraft.

  Learn more about FAA Advisory Circular 150/5300-13A standards

• The Input Runway Features parameter value must be z-enabled.

• The Output OIS Features parameter value must be z-enabled.

• This tool creates the runway protection area surface in an existing polygon or multipatch feature class. If a feature class is used for the Target OIS Features parameter value, it must have a vertical spatial reference. It should have Name and Description text attributes, which will be populated in the output features. Suitable Target OIS Features parameter values can be the following features classes from the Airports 18B schema(Airports18B_NAD83_GX.xml): Airspace\ObstructionIdSurface, ObstructionIdSurface_MP, or RunwayProtectArea.

• If the Runway End Features parameter is specified, the corresponding field values in this layer will override the values specified in the Approach Category, Aircraft Design Group, and Approach Guidance. parameters. This is useful for providing specific input per runway end. The Airfield\RunwayEnd feature class is suitable input for this parameter with the following fields populated: Approach Category, Approach Guidance, and Design Group.

Parameters

Dialog

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Input Runway Features	The input runway dataset. The feature class must be z-enabled and contain polylines.	Feature Layer
Target OIS Features	The target feature class that will contain the generated obstruction identification surfaces.	Feature Layer
Surface Generation (Optional)	Specifies the type of surface that will be generated. Runway Safety Area—A runway safety area (RSA) will be generated. Runway Object Free Area—A runway object free area (ROFA) will be generated. Runway Obstacle Free Zone—A runway obstacle free zone (ROFZ) will be generated. Precision Obstacle Free Zone—A precision obstacle free zone (POFZ) will be generated. Approach Runway Protection Zone—An approach runway protection zone (RPZ) will be generated. Departure Runway Protection Zone—A departure runway protection zone (RPZ) will be generated.	String
Visibility Minimums	Specifies the visibility minimums that will be used for the runways. Visual—Visual flight rules will be used. Not lower than 1 mile—Visibility minimums will not be lower than 1 mile. Not lower than 3/4 mile—Visibility minimums will not be lower that 3/4 mile. Lower than 3/4 mile—Visibility minimums will be lower than 3/4 mile.	String
Approach Category	Specifies the approach category that will be used to generate surfaces. A—The approach category A will be used. B—The approach category B will be used. C—The approach category C will be used. D—The approach category D will be used. E—The approach category E will be used.	String
Aircraft Design Group	Specifies the approach design group that will be used to generate surfaces. I—The approach design group I will be used. II—The approach design group II will be used. III—The approach design group III will be used. IV—The approach design group IV will be used. V—The approach design group V will be used. VI—The approach design group VI will be used.	String
Small Aircraft (Optional)	Specifies whether surfaces will be generated with the small aircraft design matrix. Note: This parameter only applies when the Approach Category parameter is set to A or B. Checked—Surfaces will be generated with the small aircraft design matrix. Unchecked—Surfaces will not be generated with the small aircraft design matrix. This is the default.	Boolean
Approach Guidance (Optional)	Specifies the type of approach guidance that will be used at the end of the runway. Precision Category I—Precision Category I approach operations will be used for the runway. Precision Category II—Precision Category II approach operations will be used for the runway. Precision Category III A—Precision Category III A approach operations will be used for the runway. Precision Category III B—Precision Category III B approach operations will be used for the runway. Precision Category III C—Precision Category III C approach operations will be used for the runway. Precision Category III D—Precision Category III D approach operations will be used for the runway. Non-vertical—Nonvertical approach operations (nonprecision approach category) will be used for the runway. Vertical—Vertically guided approach operations will be used for the runway. Visual—Only visual approach operations will be used for the runway.	String
Runway Direction (Optional)	Specifies the end of the runway where the approach surface will be created. High end to low end—The approach surface will be created from the high end of the runway to the low end. If a displaced threshold point exists at the high end of the runway, that point will be honored when creating the OIS. Low end to high end—The approach surface will be created from the low end of the runway to the high end. If a displaced threshold point exists at the low end of the runway, that point will be honored when creating the OIS. Both ends—The approach surface will be created from both the low end and high end of the runway.	String
Airport Elevation (Optional)	The highest elevation on any of the runways of the airport. The value should be in the vertical coordinate system linear units of the target feature class. If no value is provided, the highest point from the Input Runway Features parameter value will be used.	Double
Input Airport Control Point Feature (Optional)	The point features containing an Airport Elevation parameter feature, displaced threshold features, or both. Values provided for the Airport Elevation parameter will take precedence over these point features.	Feature Layer
Runway End Features (Optional)	The input runway end point features associated with each runway. The corresponding field values in this layer will override the values specified in the Approach Category, Aircraft Design Group, and Approach Guidance parameters.	Feature Layer
Last Low End Approach Light (Optional)	The distance in feet of the Approach Lighting System (ALS) from the end of the low end of the runway. If no value is provided, it is assumed that there is no ALS at the low end of the runway.	Double
Last High End Approach Light (Optional)	The distance in feet of the Approach Lighting System (ALS) from the end of the high end of the runway. If no value is provided, it is assumed that there is no ALS at the high end of the runway.	Double
Custom JSON File (Optional)	The import configuration, in JSON format, that creates the custom OIS.	File

Derived Output

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Output OIS Features	The output obstruction identification surface (OIS) features.	Feature Layer

Python

arcpy.aviation.FAA13ARunwayProtectionSurfaces(in_features, target, {surface_generation}, visibility_minimums, approach_category, approach_design_group, {small_aircraft}, {approach_guidance}, {runway_direction}, {airport_elevation}, {airport_control_point_feature_class}, {runway_end_features}, {last_low_light}, {last_high_light}, {custom_json_file})

Name	Explanation	Data Type
in_features	The input runway dataset. The feature class must be z-enabled and contain polylines.	Feature Layer
target	The target feature class that will contain the generated obstruction identification surfaces.	Feature Layer
surface_generation [surface_generation,...] (Optional)	Specifies the type of surface that will be generated. RUNWAY_SAFETY_AREA—A runway safety area (RSA) will be generated. RUNWAY_OBJECT_FREE_AREA—A runway object free area (ROFA) will be generated. RUNWAY_OBSTACLE_FREE_ZONE—A runway obstacle free zone (ROFZ) will be generated. PRECISION_OBSTACLE_FREE_ZONE—A precision obstacle free zone (POFZ) will be generated. APPROACH_RUNWAY_PROTECTION_ZONE—An approach runway protection zone (RPZ) will be generated. DEPARTURE_RUNWAY_PROTECTION_ZONE—A departure runway protection zone (RPZ) will be generated.	String
visibility_minimums	Specifies the visibility minimums that will be used for the runways. VISUAL—Visual flight rules will be used. NOT_LOWER_THAN_1_MILE—Visibility minimums will not be lower than 1 mile. NOT_LOWER_THAN_3_4_MILE—Visibility minimums will not be lower that 3/4 mile. LOWER_THAN_3_4_MILE—Visibility minimums will be lower than 3/4 mile.	String
approach_category	Specifies the approach category that will be used to generate surfaces. A—The approach category A will be used. B—The approach category B will be used. C—The approach category C will be used. D—The approach category D will be used. E—The approach category E will be used.	String
approach_design_group	Specifies the approach design group that will be used to generate surfaces. I—The approach design group I will be used. II—The approach design group II will be used. III—The approach design group III will be used. IV—The approach design group IV will be used. V—The approach design group V will be used. VI—The approach design group VI will be used.	String
small_aircraft (Optional)	Specifies whether surfaces will be generated with the small aircraft design matrix. Note: This parameter only applies when the approach_category parameter is set to A or B. SMALL_AIRCRAFT—Surfaces will be generated with the small aircraft design matrix. NOT_SMALL_AIRCRAFT—Surfaces will not be generated with the small aircraft design matrix. This is the default.	Boolean
approach_guidance (Optional)	Specifies the type of approach guidance that will be used at the end of the runway. PRECISION_CAT_I—Precision Category I approach operations will be used for the runway. PRECISION_CAT_II—Precision Category II approach operations will be used for the runway. PRECISION_CAT_IIIA—Precision Category III A approach operations will be used for the runway. PRECISION_CAT_IIIB—Precision Category III B approach operations will be used for the runway. PRECISION_CAT_IIIC—Precision Category III C approach operations will be used for the runway. PRECISION_CAT_IIID—Precision Category III D approach operations will be used for the runway. NON_VERTICAL—Nonvertical approach operations (nonprecision approach category) will be used for the runway. VERTICAL—Vertically guided approach operations will be used for the runway. VISUAL—Only visual approach operations will be used for the runway.	String
runway_direction (Optional)	Specifies the end of the runway where the approach surface will be created. HIGH_END_TO_LOW_END—The approach surface will be created from the high end of the runway to the low end. If a displaced threshold point exists at the high end of the runway, that point will be honored when creating the OIS. LOW_END_TO_HIGH_END—The approach surface will be created from the low end of the runway to the high end. If a displaced threshold point exists at the low end of the runway, that point will be honored when creating the OIS. BOTH_END—The approach surface will be created from both the low end and high end of the runway.	String
airport_elevation (Optional)	The highest elevation on any of the runways of the airport. The value should be in the vertical coordinate system linear units of the target feature class. If no value is provided, the highest point from the in_features parameter value will be used.	Double
airport_control_point_feature_class (Optional)	The point features containing an airport_elevation parameter feature, displaced threshold features, or both. Values provided for the airport_elevation parameter will take precedence over these point features.	Feature Layer
runway_end_features (Optional)	The input runway end point features associated with each runway. The corresponding field values in this layer will override the values specified in the approach_category, approach_design_group, and approach_guidance parameters.	Feature Layer
last_low_light (Optional)	The distance in feet of the Approach Lighting System (ALS) from the end of the low end of the runway. If no value is provided, it is assumed that there is no ALS at the low end of the runway.	Double
last_high_light (Optional)	The distance in feet of the Approach Lighting System (ALS) from the end of the high end of the runway. If no value is provided, it is assumed that there is no ALS at the high end of the runway.	Double
custom_json_file (Optional)	The import configuration, in JSON format, that creates the custom OIS.	File

Derived Output

Name	Explanation	Data Type
derived_outfeatureclass	The output obstruction identification surface (OIS) features.	Feature Layer

Code sample

FAA13ARunwayProtectionSurfaces example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the FAA13ARunwayProtectionSurfaces function.

import arcpy

arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Aeronautical")

arcpy.env.workspace = "D:/data.gdb"

in_features = "RunwayCenterline"
target = "ObstructionIdSurface_MP"
surface_generation = ["RUNWAY_SAFETY_AREA", "RUNWAY_OBSTACLE_FREE_AREA"]
visibility_minimums = "VISUAL"
approach_category = "A"
approach_design_group = "I"
small_aircraft = True
approach_guidance = "VISUAL"
runway_direction = "BOTH_END"
airport_elevation = 97.2
airport_control_point_feature_class = "AirportControlPoint"
runway_end_features = "RunwayEndPoints"
last_low_light = 0.0
last_high_light = 0.0
custom_json_file = "D:/config.json"

arcpy.aviation.FAA13ARunwayProtectionSurfaces(in_features, target, visibility_minimums, approach_category, 
                                              approach_design_group, small_aircraft, approach_guidance, 
                                              runway_direction, airport_elevation, airport_control_point_feature_class, 
                                              runway_end_features, last_low_light, last_high_light, custom_json_file)

arcpy.CheckInExtension("Aeronautical")

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

• Basic: No
• Standard: Requires Airports or ArcGIS Aviation Charting
• Advanced: Requires Airports or ArcGIS Aviation Charting