Page 144 - Planning and Design of Airports

Air Traf fic Management 113

IFR (Wake Vortex) Trail
VFR* Trail Aircraft Type Aircraft Type
Lead
Aircraft Type Heavy Large Small Heavy Large Small
Heavy 2.7 3.6 4.5 4.0 5.0 6.0
Large 1.9 1.9 2.7 3.0 3.0 4.0
Small 1.9 1.9 1.9 3.0 3.0 3.0

∗These are shown to appropriately represent these operations and are not regulatory in
nature.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [18].
TABLE 3-1 Horizontal Separation in Landing for Arrival-Arrival Spacing of Aircraft
on Same Runway Approaches in VFR and IFR Conditions (nautical miles)

aircraft is 5 nm. The spacing between two heavy aircraft following
each other is 4 nm. The spacing between a heavy aircraft and a pre-
ceding large aircraft is 3 nm.
For landing aircraft when wake turbulence is a factor, the longitu-
dinal separation is increased between a small aircraft and a preceding
large aircraft to 4 mi and between a small aircraft and a preceding
heavy aircraft to 6 mi.
The IFR separation rules for consecutive arrivals on the same run-
way which are used when wake vortices are a factor are shown in
Table 3-1. The VFR and IFR separation rules for consecutive depar-
tures from the same runway are expressed in terms of time and these
are shown in Table 3-2.

Lateral Separation in the Airspace
The minimum en route lateral separation below 18,000 ft MSL is 8 nm,
and at and above 18,000 ft MSL the minimum en route lateral separation

VFR* Trail Aircraft Type IFR Trail Aircraft Type
Lead
Aircraft Type Heavy Large Small Heavy Large Small
Heavy 90 120 120 120 120 120
Large 60 60 50 60 60 60
Small 50 45 35 60 60 60

∗ These are shown to appropriately represent these operations and are not regulatory in
nature.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [18].

TABLE 3-2 Separation for Same Runway Consecutive Departures in VFR and IFR
Conditions (seconds)