The FAA’s new winter operational safety video series on advisory circular AC150-5200-30C (pertaining to airport snow operations) was released last week to airport operators. The series also provides a valuable tool for pilot training. The first video covers pre-season planning, best practices and lessons learned, including the need to review an airport’s current snow- and ice-removal plans. The goal is to keep the highest-traffic runways clear of snow and ice as much as practical with available equipment and personnel. The video reminds operators that “nil” braking reports always mean the runway should be closed until the surface has been treated.

The FAA is also assessing new ways of expressing runway conditions focused around the new contaminant list in joint order JO 7930.2. The agency plans soon to release a new runway condition assessment matrix (RCAM) that brings together runway contaminants, braking action and aircraft performance data. The digital Notam system slated to be updated by 2016 will replace traditional runway friction measurements with RCAM numbers, essentially a shorthand for runway conditions.