ICAO Annex 4 Surfaces (Aviation)

Available with Aviation Charting license.

Available with Aviation Airports license.

Summary

Creates obstruction identification surfaces (OIS) based on the ICAO Annex 4 specifications for either a Take-Off Flight Path Area or a Precision Approach Terrain Area.

A Take-Off Flight Path Area is used on ICAO Aerodrome Obstacle Charts, Type A and Type B. These surfaces are defined to identify the area coincident with the runway Take-Off Flight Path where obstacles should be identified in compliance with the operating limitations of ICAO Annex 6, Part I, Chapter 5, and Part III, Section II, Chapter 3. The Take-Off Flight Path Area is defined pursuant to ICAO Annex 4, Chapter 3, 3.8.2.

A Precision Approach Terrain Area is used in ICAO Precision Approach Terrain charts. These surfaces aid in the analysis of the terrain and features in a defined portion of the final approach that is depicted on the Precision Approach Terrain chart type pursuant to ICAO Annex 4, Chapter 6, 6.5.1.

To generate the surfaces, a runway centerline is needed as a reference for the surfaces. Optionally, a threshold point feature class can be input to supply the locations of displaced thresholds, if any. This tool generates the surfaces as polygon or multipatch features.

Usage

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

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

  • The Target OIS Features parameter value must have a vertical spatial reference.

  • OIS tools are flexible and accept a variety of input and output feature class types. For more information, see the OIS Input and Output schemas.

  • The Input Threshold Point Feature parameter can be used to supply x-, y-, and z-geometry for displaced threshold features. If displaced thresholds are included, surfaces will be constructed based on their x-, y-, and z-geometry instead of their corresponding runway feature endpoint.

  • To create a .json file for the Custom JSON File parameter, use the CustomizeOIS.exe utility included in the Aviation Airports Product Data download available from My Esri.

  • High Runway End refers to runway direction identifiers 19 through 36. Low Runway End refers to runway direction identifiers 01 through 18.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData 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 OIS.

Feature Layer
Surface Generation

Specifies the types of surfaces that will be created.

  • Precision approach terrain area A surface that is 60 meters either side of the extended runway centerline to a distance of 900 meters from the threshold, with a 3 percent slope rising outward from the threshold will be created.The surface will be created pursuant to ICAO Annex 4, Chapter 6, 6.5.1.
  • Takeoff flight path area A surface with a 180 meter width at its point of origin (end of runway or clearway), which increases at a rate of 0.25D to a maximum of 1800 meters, where D is the distance from the point of origin that will be created. This surface extends to a distance of 10 kilometers and has a 1.2 percent slope ascending outward from the point of origin. The surface will be created pursuant to ICAO Annex 4, Chapter 3, 3.8.2.
String
Runway Direction
(Optional)

Specifies the end of the runway where the approach surface will be created.

  • High end to low endThe approach surface will be created at 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 endThe approach surface will be created at 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.
String
Length of Clearway
(Optional)

The length of the area beyond the runway in meters.

Double
Input Threshold Point Features
(Optional)

Supplies x-, y-, and z-geometry for displaced threshold features. If displaced thresholds are included, surfaces will be constructed based on their x-, y-, and z-geometry instead of their corresponding runway feature endpoint.

Feature Layer
Custom JSON File
(Optional)

The import configuration, in JSON format, that will be used to create the custom OIS.

To create a .json file for this parameter, use the CustomizeOIS.exe file that is part of the ArcGIS Aviation data package available from My Esri.

File

Derived Output

LabelExplanationData Type
Output OIS Features

The updated feature class containing the generated OIS.

Feature Layer

arcpy.aviation.ICAOAnnex4Surfaces(in_features, target_ois_features, surface_generation, {runway_direction}, {clear_way_length}, {threshold_point_feature_class}, {custom_json_file})
NameExplanationData Type
in_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 OIS.

Feature Layer
surface_generation
[surface_generation,...]

Specifies the types of surfaces that will be created.

  • PRECISION_APPROACH_TERRAIN_AREA A surface that is 60 meters either side of the extended runway centerline to a distance of 900 meters from the threshold, with a 3 percent slope rising outward from the threshold will be created.The surface will be created pursuant to ICAO Annex 4, Chapter 6, 6.5.1.
  • TAKEOFF_FLIGHT_PATH_AREA A surface with a 180 meter width at its point of origin (end of runway or clearway), which increases at a rate of 0.25D to a maximum of 1800 meters, where D is the distance from the point of origin that will be created. This surface extends to a distance of 10 kilometers and has a 1.2 percent slope ascending outward from the point of origin. The surface will be created pursuant to ICAO Annex 4, Chapter 3, 3.8.2.
String
runway_direction
(Optional)

Specifies the end of the runway where the approach surface will be created.

  • HIGH_END_TO_LOW_ENDThe approach surface will be created at 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_ENDThe approach surface will be created at 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.
String
clear_way_length
(Optional)

The length of the area beyond the runway in meters.

Double
threshold_point_feature_class
(Optional)

Supplies x-, y-, and z-geometry for displaced threshold features. If displaced thresholds are included, surfaces will be constructed based on their x-, y-, and z-geometry instead of their corresponding runway feature endpoint.

Feature Layer
custom_json_file
(Optional)

The import configuration, in JSON format, that will be used to create the custom OIS.

To create a .json file for this parameter, use the CustomizeOIS.exe file that is part of the ArcGIS Aviation data package available from My Esri.

File

Derived Output

NameExplanationData Type
derived_outfeatureclass

The updated feature class containing the generated OIS.

Feature Layer

Code sample

ICAOAnnex4Surfaces example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the ICAOAnnex4Surfaces function.


# set gp environment
import arcpy

# Check out extensions
arcpy.CheckOutExtension(Airports)

# Set local variables
in_features = r"C:\data\ois.gdb\RunwayCenterline"
target_ois_features = r"C:\data\ois.gdb\ObstructionIdSurface"
surface_generation = "TAKEOFF_FLIGHT_PATH_AREA"
runway_direction = "HIGH_END_TO_LOW_END"
clear_way_length="900"
threshold_point_feature_class = r"C:\data\ois.gdb\AirportControlPoint"
custom_json_file = r"C:\data\customOIS.json"

# Run the ICAOAnnex4Surfaces tool 
arcpy.aviation.ICAOAnnex4Surfaces(in_features, target_ois_features, surface_generation, runway_direction, clear_way_length,
 threshold_point_feature_class, custom_json_file)

#Check in extensions
arcpy.CheckInExtension(Airports)

Environments

Licensing information

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

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