Vanquishing the V/PD 

4th Quarter 2014
 

A quarterly publication from the
 

Safety Section
 

Federal Aviation Administration Airports Division
 

Western-Pacific Region
 

This publication is directed primarily towards airport management to be disseminated to 

all levels of personnel working at your airfield. Vanquishing the V/PD can be 

accomplished through a solid partnership between the FAA and airport management. The 

responsibility of making sure that the proper safeguards are in place; however, lies 

squarely on the shoulders of airport management. Please use this information and all that 

follows as a guide by which to produce a safer environment at your airfield. 

A thorough driver training program is a good driver training program. But a balanced 

driver training program, however, is an effective driver training program. A thorough 

driver training program includes a wide variety of topics that are covered in detail. The 

information presented is accurate and up to date. A balanced driver training program, 

however, means that important concepts are taught, emphasized and reinforced. 

Comprehending important concepts is often more practical than mastering esoteric 

information. 

A few important concepts warranting emphasis and reinforcement that will keep you safe 

on or about the runway environment are: 

 The Runway is Sacred Territory. Perhaps the most important concept in a 

balanced driver training program. When drivers understand the concept that the 

runway environment must be treated in an inviolate manner because of the 

disastrous effects of carelessness, fewer runway incursions will occur. 

 Specific Runway Clearances. Pilots and vehicle drivers alike routinely become 

involved in runway incursions because they do not understand that most runway 

clearances are very specific in nature. A specific clearance will include your call 

sign and a specific clearance to enter a specific runway. If you are driving an 

operations vehicle the specific clearance will be “Airport 1, proceed on Runway 

Vanquishing the V/PD - 4th Quarter 2014
26R.” The language of the clearance is unmistakable. If you report holding short 

of a runway and the ATCT replies “Roger”, the word “Roger” is not an implied 

clearance to enter the runway. In this case “Roger” means that the ATCT has 

received your last transmission. It is not a clearance of any kind. Likewise, if the 

ATCT replies “Expect two minutes” this is not a clearance to enter the runway 

for a period of two minutes. It means expect requested clearance in two minutes. 

 Non-specific Runway Clearances. Occasionally, the ATCT may issue the 

vehicle a non-specific clearance to enter the runway. For example, if you are 

holding short for a runway inspection and your transmission to the ATCT is 

“International Tower, Airport 1 at taxiway B8, request inspection of Runway 

26R.” Your clearance might be “Airport 1, proceed as requested.” The clearance 

is non-specific in wording only but specific relating to your request. 

 When in doubt, don’t go out. This precautionary practice is an invaluable safety 

net when operating on or about the runway environment. If you question a 

clearance, a condition, a situation, a transmission or have an intuition, hold your 

position and do not enter the runway. The world will not come to an end if you 

hold your position and decline your clearance to enter the runway environment. 

You have elected to engage on the side of caution and no one can fault you for 

that. 

 Expectation Bias. We often hear what we want to hear. Unfortunately, it is very 

common for a pilot or a vehicle driver to receive instructions to hold short of a 

runway, read back the instructions to hold short of the runway, and then enter the 

runway. This so called “assumption mistake” occurs when a pilot or vehicle 

driver is not engaged in active listening. When driving on the airfield, 

particularly on or near the runway environment, listen carefully. Do not assume 

that a clearance is exactly what you expected or wanted to hear. 

Your driver training program can be so thorough that it becomes ineffective. Teaching 

drivers the nuances of the ILS Critical Area marking makes no sense if drivers are not 

taught the basic principles of the Runway Holding Position marking. Review your driver 

training program and make sure that the important concepts are taught, emphasized and 

reinforced. 

Column written by: 

Steven Oetzell 

Lead Airport Certification Safety Inspector, AWP-620.6 

Reproductions of this, past and subsequent issues of Vanquishing the VPD are available 

on FAAWebsite: 

http://www.faa.gov/airports/western_pacific/airports_resources/newsletter/ 

Vanquishing the V/PD - 4th Quarter 2014 

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