FAA

Southern Region Airports Division

Regional Guidance Letter (RGL) 05-1A

Commissioning and Flight Inspection of Non-Fed Visual Glide Slope 

Indicators (VGSIs) 

Line of Business: Airport Planning 

Date issued: August 17, 2005 

Purpose 

This Regional Guidance Letter (RGL) establishes regional policy on coordination of non-fed

Visual Glide Slope Indicator (VGSI) flight inspections. 

Policy 

In accordance with the latest standard flight inspection manual, Order 8200.1C all visual glide 

slope indicators (VGSIs), including temporary VGSIs, are required to be flight inspected prior to 

commissioning if part of a precision instrument approach or on a runway where circling is 

authorized. VGSIs include Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs), Visual Approach Slope 

Indicators (VASIs), Pulse Light Approach Slope Indicator (PLASIs), etc. However, there is no 

requirement for Flight Inspection of VGSIs for visual runways. 

VGSIs meeting the criteria outlined in paragraph 2 of this RGL, but installed prior to June 21, 

2004 were grandfathered. The grandfathered VGSIs may remain in service without a 

commissioning-type flight inspection until reconfigured to new systems or the addition of 

electronic vertical guidance to that runway. The term reconfigured means, the addition of new 

VGSI boxes, conversion from VASI to PAPI, and relocations. 

In conjunction with guidance contained in AC 150-5340-30, Design and Installation for Airport 

Visual Aids the airport sponsor should follow the following procedure to obtain non-fed VGSI 

flight inspections: 

1. Identify non-fed VGSI projects meeting the criteria for flight inspection outlined in 

paragraph 2 of this RGL that have not been flight inspected. 

2. Be aware of the requirement to flight inspect VGSIs prior to commissioning. 

3. As flight inspection requires data, submit the VGSI data using the attached form. 

Point of contact for data questions: 

NFDC West (OKC) AJV-21 

405-954-4630, -7937, -8927, or -5482 

Email: 9-AMC-AVN-AVN210-DATA@FAA.GOV 
Regional Guidance Letter 05-1A Last updated on May 22, 2014 Page 2 of 3 

Southern Region Airports Division 

4. For scheduling and to discuss funding contact: 

Scheduling: 

James Field 

Operations Specialist 

ATO-AJW-391

Phone No.: 405-954-9318 

Cell No.: 405-646-6530

Email: james.d.field@faa.gov

Funding: 

Georgia Hines 

Agreement Coordinator 

ATO-AJW-392

Phone No.: 405-954-8545 

Email: georgia.hines@faa.gov

Douglas Vaz 

Manager, Flight Program Services Group 

ATO-AJW-39

Phone No.: 405-954-2479 

Cell No.: 405-250-2799

Email: douglas.vaz@faa.gov

 

Flight inspections required for maintenance of existing VGSI that have been commissioned will 

be provided by the Agency Operations Appropriation. Flight Inspection required for new 

installations, (commissioning) and reconfigurations must be funded by the sponsor. This could 

be via an agreement with Flight Inspection Services, or F&E appropriation (Ref. FAA Order 

8240.32). 

Flight Inspection Services continues a surveillance program to monitor existing VGSI. 

Southern Region Point of contact 

Terry Washington, 

ASO-610W, 

404-305-6722

/Signed by/ 

James Castleberry 

Manager, Planning & Programming Branch
DATA INFORMATION FOR VGSI FACILITIES 

Date Facility Installed: If Not Installed, Estimated Installation Date:

REQUIRED DATA 

Airport Name: Location: 

Runway: Airport Identifier: Owner of VGSI: 

Type of VGSI: 

Number of Light Boxes. Indicate Left or Right side of Runway (L/R): 

__________ 

___________

__________ 

Distance from the Runway Reference Point (RRP) to the runway threshold (or the 

displaced threshold if one exists). Enter distance to the nearest foot.

feet 

Angle to which the VGSI is set. Enter to the hundredth of a degree. degrees 

Threshold Crossing Height at threshold (or displaced threshold if one exists). Enter 

to the tenth of a foot. feet 

Elevation of the runway centerline at the RRP. 

Enter to the tenth of a foot. (Ex. 750.2) 

Submit elevations in NAVD88 vertical datum (may be in EGM-96 if military) 

feet 

PROVIDE FOLLOWING DATA IF AVAILABLE 

Coordinates for both ends of the runway and all displaced thresholds.

Use NAD/83 horizontal datum (may be in WGS/84 EGM-96, if military). 

Data on record at flight check can be viewed at: http://webdatasheet.faa.gov/

Runway # Latitude 

(hundredth of a second)

Longitude 

(hundredth of a second)

Elevation 

(tenth of a foot)

Pilot Control Lights (PCL) (Y/N): If yes, frequency: 

Hours of Ops: to

SUBMITTED BY 

Name:

Title:

Organization:

Date: 

Phone: 

E-mail:

Send data forms to AJV-213 by e-mail to 9-AMC-AVN-AVN210-DATA@FAA.GOV

Questions? Call (405) 954-4630, -7937, -8927, or -5482