Lesson 15: All about airports 

It’s time to learn about a useful airport guide called the Chart Supplement!

We call it the Chart Supplement U.S., but back in the day, we called it the Airport / Facility Directory.

Actual airplane pilots use the Chart Supplement it all the time – let’s learn about why it’s useful for us remote pilots!

Think about it as an airport cheat sheet! There are physical copies of them around, but most drone pilots find them online on a VFR Map.

Let’s play around with one! But first, do you remember what airspace classes look like on a sectional chart?

Great! You can find airports by clicking on the tiny squares that are inside a circle of an airspace class.

And once you click on that square, you can find its chart supplement! Every airport in the US has one.

Chart Supplement U.S.

Today’s 🔑 Word!

The Chart Supplement is a detailed guidebook that contains important information about airports, heliports, and seaplane bases. You can think of it as an airport directory or cheat sheet that pilots use to plan their flights and stay safe.

To find a chart supplement on a VFR Map:

1. Go to vfrmap.com

2. Click on any square inside of an airspace

3. Read about it on the right!

And when you click on an airport in VFRMap, you’ll see tons of cool info!

Most of the info in a chart supplement is way more useful for airplane pilots, but there are a few things that drone pilots should know about, too.

Here are the three parts that are the most important:

What to Know on Chart Supplements 

1. What class of airspace the airport is in! You should be able to tell from the airspace circles, but sometimes it can be nice to know for sure.

What class of airspace is this?  

It’s Class C! But you can double check here. 

2. The positions of the runways. You want to avoid flying in a direction that an airplane might be taking off in!

3. What radio frequencies pilots use! 

Did you know that pilots use special radio frequencies to communicate with air traffic control and other pilots? It's how they stay safe and aware of their surroundings in the sky.

To find that specific radio frequency, you can find it under the part labeled “communications.”

Did you see the word UNICOM? We’ll go over radio in later lessons, but for now, just know that it’s almost like a radio station just for pilots that tells them important updates about an airport.

They’re special frequencies that pilots listen to that tell them about incoming aircraft, wind directions, weather, and the best runways to take.

Today’s 🔑 Word!

UNICOM Frequency

A radio frequency that provides airport information. It lets incoming aircraft know about traffic advisories, wind directions, weather, and preferred runways.

Click on an airport in VFRMap. Can you find an airport’s UNICOM frequency?

We have a whole chapter on radios later on! UNICOM is an important one to know for now.

What other useful information does the Chart Supplement contain?

Weird, but on a chart supplement, you can see places where parachutists or parachuted supplies are going to land (or “parachute drop zones”). Kinda cool, right?

Chart supplements also tell you how to keep noise levels low near airports (this is called “noise abatement”). This can include things like recommended routes for aircraft to take, or altitude restrictions.

Why might a drone pilot need to know all this information?

When we’re aware of what’s going on around airports, we make sure we can avoid larger aircraft (and parachutists!) and plan our flights safely. We can also follow any restrictions that might be in effect in that area.

Basically, chart supplements are awesome tools to help us learn about a lot of different things that don’t fit on a beautiful sectional chart.

Keep chart supplements in your back pocket (or on your phone) when doing airspace research and flight mission planning.

Airport runways are long, flat, and usually paved strips of land where airplanes take off and land.

If you’re flying next to an airport, you should definitely be aware of manned aircraft traffic and how the runways are positioned.

Chart Supplements also tell us about runways and air traffic patterns around airports!

In order to understand how runways work, we’re going to need to know a bit of geometry.

Let’s look at a circular compass face. It starts at Zero and has 360 degrees!

If we start at 0 degrees at the top, and then move clockwise to the right, we will reach 90 degrees at the edge of the first quarter.

If we move 90 more degrees to the right, we get to 180 degrees!

Then, if we go 90 degrees after 180, we get to 270 degrees.

And finally, if we go 90 degrees after 270, we get to 360 degrees, and you’re at the top again! That’s a full circle.

Did you know that all airport runways have numbers, and they’re labeled just like the numbers on a compass?

That’s right! Each runway has a number, from 1 to 36, which shows the direction it points to on a magnetic compass!

The runway number tells us the direction the runway is facing, just like a compass would. Pretty cool, right?

Why do you think the highest number is 36?

Correct! There’s 360 degrees in a circle!

To figure out this direction, simply add a zero next to the number.

Today’s 🔑 Word!
Runway Number

Runway numbers show the direction the runway is pointing on a compass. The numbers go from 1 to 36, matching compass directions. For example, Runway 9 points east (90 degrees), and Runway 27 points west (270 degrees).

• Runway 9 is facing 90 degrees magnetic, or East.

• Runway 27 is facing 270 degrees magnetic, or West.

• Runway 18 is facing 180 degrees magnetic, or South.

• Runway 36 is facing 360 degrees magnetic, or North.

We say that runways face “degrees magnetic” because they’re aligned with a magnetic compass direction.

North-facing runways are 36, not 00. There is no Runway 0.

Keep in Mind! Runways are usually used in both directions, but each runway is named separately.
Runway 9 in one direction is Runway 27 in the other direction.

It helps to think of runways from the airplane’s point of view. This airplane is heading North, facing 360 degrees. So, it will land on runway 36.

This plane is landing on runway 09.

You might notice that the numbers seem “backwards” or the wrong way round compared to what they would be on a compass.

That’s because the runways are labeled based on which direction the plane is flying in.

So, if you're facing a runway numbered 09, you know you're facing east.

If you turn around to the other end of that runway, it will be numbered 27, and you'll be facing west.

Runways can be labeled RWY. So, RWY 13 means Runway 13. RWY 13 would have a plane taking off facing 130 degrees, or Southwest.

When answering runway-related questions on the test, it helps to sketch out a diagram on a blank piece of paper.
Activity: Let’s practice sketching this diagram out.

You can see approximately how the runways at a particular airport are laid out if you zoom into the airport on SkyVector or VFRMap.

Great work! How was that?

Next, let’s mix it up a bit. We’ll talk about traffic patterns.

Today’s 🔑 Word!
Traffic Pattern

Air traffic patterns are the usual routes that airplanes follow when taking off, landing, and flying near airports. Usually, these routes involve making all turns to the left.

Let’s talk about manned aircraft traffic patterns.

First, let’s clarify what exactly a “traffic pattern” is.

A traffic pattern is the standard path that airplanes take when taking off, landing, and navigating.

The usual traffic pattern in an airport is a “left pattern”.

This means all turns are made to the left, unless otherwise specified.

When a plane is taking off, landing, or maneuvering around the airport, it needs to make left turns.

See if you notice this if you ever take a plane!

This is the case at most standard airports, but not every airport is a “standard” airport. 

The bottom line is, pilots must comply with the FAA traffic pattern established for each particular airport. 

Ideally, aircraft are taking off and landing into a headwind, which means a wind that is facing the airplane. 

Fun Fact: 

• Runways are often designed to match up with normal wind patterns in the area!

What else do we need to know about aircraft traffic patterns?

A manned aircraft pilot needs to enter the traffic pattern at the correct altitude. The “correct” altitude is different depending on the airport. 

The information about the correct altitude is available in the Chart Supplement.

As a drone pilot, you might want to know this information because you don’t want to be flying directly where airplanes are entering the traffic pattern!

The recommended angle to enter the traffic pattern is 45 degrees, halfway through the part where the pilot is flying downwind. 

You’ll often see phrases like “downwind leg” or “upwind leg” when talking about airport traffic patterns. They might even show up on the exam!

The downwind leg is the path an airplane flies in parallel to the landing runway, but in a direction opposite to the intended landing direction.

Hint: the airplane will be flying 180 degrees opposite of where the runway is facing. 

Pilots should not enter the traffic pattern while descending. This is a collision hazard!

Weather can affect the traffic pattern. For example, it takes longer and requires more distance for a plane to take off, climb to pattern altitude, and land on a hot or humid day.

Why should drone pilots care about manned aircraft patterns near airports?

The number one answer is always safety. It’s important to maintain situational awareness when flying around airports. 

By knowing when and where airplanes are flying, you can take the proper steps to minimize your risk of collisions and other incidents.

Today’s 🔑 Word!

Headwind

A wind blowing directly towards an object, in the opposite direction of the object’s motion. Airplanes usually take off into this kind of wind.

Great work! I see you’re all a few steps closer to becoming a certified drone pilot.