Controller Read File - Significant Updates/Changes

[Don Desfosse]

The purpose of this thread is to keep a running list of significant procedural updates and/or changes that controllers need to be aware of.  This should help both current, as well as returning, controllers.

Format is:
Brief title
Explanation (optional)
References (FAA, VATUSA, VATSIM, etc.)


If you see any other significant items that should be included, please reply to this thread.

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Addition of time-based separation requirements behind B757 aircraft
05/12/2016
FAA JO 7110.65 3-9-6, 3-9-7, 5-5-4
FAA N JO 7110.712 (http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7110.712_Same_Runway_Separation.pdf)


Visual Separation
10/14/2015
FAA JO 7110.65 7-2-1
FAA N JO 7110.696 (http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/7110.696.pdf)


Climb Via SID Phraseology
01/16/2015
VATUSA N JO 7110.601 (http://www.vatusa.net/docs/N_JO_7110601_Climb_Via.pdf)


Omission of Taxiway Connector in Taxi Instructions
12/17/2012
FAA JO 7110.65 3-7-2
FAA N JO 7110.611 (http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N7110.611.pdf)


Transponders now should be On/Mode C during ground operations in movement areas
02/09/2012
AIM 4-1-20
[Note: The notice expired from the FAA website; see the current AIM 4-1-20]


Line Up and Wait replaces Taxi into Position and Hold
09/30/2010
FAA JO 7110.65 3-7-1, 3-9-4
FAA N JO 7110.536


Taxi Phraseology
1. The phraseology "Taxi to _____" will no longer be used.
2. Aircraft are no longer automatically permitted to cross runways along their taxi route.  An explicit runway crossing clearance must be issued for each runway (active/inactive or closed) crossing and requires an aircraft/vehicle to have crossed the previous runway before another runway crossing clearance may be issued.
FAA JO 7110.65 3-7-2
FAA N JO 7110.528


Note:  All references included in this post worked when they were posted.  However, the FAA and other agencies do occasionally remove/update pages/references.  If you see outdated information/broken links, please report them by replying to this thread.

[Evan Reiter]

The first one:

Addition of time-based separation requirements behind B757 aircraft
05/12/2016
FAA JO 7110.65 3-9-6, 3-9-7, 5-5-4
FAA N JO 7110.712 (http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7110.712_Same_Runway_Separation.pdf)

Has been superceded (or least modified).

In the 7110.65W, they eliminated wake turbulence separation for heavy and large aircraft behind the B757, reduced the separation for a small behind B757 to 4 miles, and changed the same runway separation requirement for a small behind a B757 from “the same runway or parallel runways separated by 2,500’ or less” to “the same runway”.

Apparently they didn’t realize at the time that the analysis done to support this change was developed using parallel runways separated by 700’ or more, not the same runway. As a result, they are modifying the change back to say that parallel runways separated by less than 700’ be treated as the same runway when a small aircraft departs behind a B757.

Confused? Welcome to wake turbulence…

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7110.728_Same_Runway_Separation.pdf

[Brad Littlejohn]

The first one:

Addition of time-based separation requirements behind B757 aircraft
05/12/2016
FAA JO 7110.65 3-9-6, 3-9-7, 5-5-4
FAA N JO 7110.712 (http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7110.712_Same_Runway_Separation.pdf)

Has been superceded (or least modified).

In the 7110.65W, they eliminated wake turbulence separation for heavy and large aircraft behind the B757, reduced the separation for a small behind B757 to 4 miles, and changed the same runway separation requirement for a small behind a B757 from “the same runway or parallel runways separated by 2,500’ or less” to “the same runway”.

Apparently they didn’t realize at the time that the analysis done to support this change was developed using parallel runways separated by 700’ or more, not the same runway. As a result, they are modifying the change back to say that parallel runways separated by less than 700’ be treated as the same runway when a small aircraft departs behind a B757.

Confused? Welcome to wake turbulence…

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7110.728_Same_Runway_Separation.pdf

This... is getting nasty and really confusing.

Not just from the changes to wake separation standards, but the timing. The 7110.712 updates the 7110.65W, but was cancelled on 11/10/2016, putting back into effect the unmodified sections (3-9-6, 3-9-7, and 5-9-4), which will again be modified by the 7110.728, which will go into effect on 12/10/2016.

So can we effectively say that new wake turbulence separation procedures are actually in effect?

EDIT: Additionally, it doesn't go into detail on the separation for a large behind a B757, as that has been reduced.. That should still be at 4 miles, right? Or has that been reduced to 3? I ask, because with the whole fiasco with the MTOW limit for heavies having been raised to 300,000lbs and accommodating the B753, we didn't have to give the wake turbulence caution for large aircraft behind the B757 anymore, but it also didn't drop the lateral separation requirement from the 5nm that it was. This should have reduced it as well, yes?

BL.