Airplane and Airport Design and Operation

Airplane and airport design and operation safety standards are published by ASTM and SAE. Each ASTM standard covers a unique topic such as testing the condition of the runway pavement and lighting systems, as well as their respective redline versions. SAE standards listed below cover topics more specific to the individual aircraft, going over galley organization and equipment and air conditioning for specialized planes.

ASTM D5340-24

Standard Test Method for Airport Pavement Condition Index Surveys

1.1 This test method covers the determination of airport pavement condition through visual surveys of asphalt-surfaced pavements, including porous friction courses and plain or reinforced jointed portland cement concrete pavements, using the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) method of quantifying pavement condition.

1.2 The PCI is a measurement of the collective judgement of pavement maintenance engineers. It directly relates to M&R needs and indirectly to pavement structural integrity and functional condition indicators. The PCI is not intended to replace the direct measurement of roughness, structural capacity, texture, or friction.

1.3 The PCI for airport pavements was developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the funding provided by the U.S. Air Force (1-3).2 It is further verified and adopted by FAA (4) and the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (5).

1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precautionary statements are given in Section 6.

1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ASTM D5340-24 Red

Standard Test Method for Airport Pavement Condition Index Surveys (Standard + Redline PDF Bundle)

ANSI/IES RP-37-22

Recommended Practice: Lighting Airport Outdoor Environments

The purpose of this Recommended Practice is to provide recommendations for three airport-related applications: For airside applications: Provide for adequately lighted areas where parked aircraft are safely serviced, where aircraft crew and passengers safely board and deplane, and where cargo operations are conducted. For landside applications: Provide for adequately lighted departure and arrival areas, walkways to the terminal, secure staffed access points, and vehicle transaction areas for safety and security of pedestrians and vehicles. For adjacent development applications: Provide guidance for lighting in the vicinity of the airport (including areas outside the airport property line), while also considering the special needs of the airport environment, such as height restrictions and potential light interference with air traffic controller and/or pilot vision.

ASTM D2940/D2940M-20

Standard Specification for Graded Aggregate Material for Bases or Subbases for Highways or Airports

1.1 This specification covers quality-controlled graded aggregates that, when hauled to and properly spread and compacted on a prepared grade to appropriate density standards, may be expected to provide adequate stability and load support for use as highway or airport bases or subbases.

Note 1: The engineer is cautioned to provide appropriate construction specifications to ensure compaction to an extent that further densification from traffic loadings on the completed pavement will be insignificant. The method suggested is to require compaction on a firm foundation of a short control strip of the material at a suitable moisture content, by means of vibratory or other proven effective rollers or tampers, until no further increase in density results. Compaction requirements should ensure that an average density of certain appropriate percentages of the control strip maximum density be achieved on the balance of the job; for base courses, 98 % is suggested as the minimum average requirement.

1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the standard.

1.3 The text of this standard references notes and footnotes which provide explanatory material. These notes and footnotes (excluding those in tables and figures) shall not be considered as requirements of the standard.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ASTM D2940/D2940M-20 Red

Standard Specification for Graded Aggregate Material for Bases or Subbases for Highways or Airports (Standard + Redline PDF Bundle)

ASTM F2245-23

Standard Specification for Design and Performance of a Light Sport Airplane

1.1 This specification covers airworthiness requirements for the design of powered fixed wing light sport aircraft, an “airplane.”

1.2 This specification is applicable to the design of a light sport aircraft/airplane as defined by regulations and limited to VFR flight.

1.3 Units—The values given in this standard are in SI units and are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound (or other) units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents. Where it may not be clear, some equations provide the units of the result directly following the equation.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory requirements prior to use.

1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SAE ARP 5150A-2019

Safety Assessment of Transport Airplanes in Commercial Service

This document describes guidelines, methods, and tools used to perform the ongoing safety assessment process for transport airplanes in commercial service (hereafter, termed “airplane”). The process described herein is intended to support an overall safety management program. It is associated with showing compliance with the regulations, and also with assuring a company that it meets its own internal standards. The methods identify a systematic means, but not the only means, to assess ongoing safety. While economic decision-making is an integral part of the safety management process, this document addresses only the ongoing safety assessment process. To put it succinctly, this document addresses the “Is it safe?” part of safety management; it does not address the “How much does it cost?” part of the safety management. This document also does not address any specific organizational structures for accomplishing the safety assessment process. While the nature of the organizational structure is significant to the quality of a safety program, this document focuses on the functions to be accomplished and does not attempt to define what the structure should be. The intent is to leave the greatest amount of flexibility to the organizations that use this document.

SAE ARP 5151A-2019

Safety Assessment of General Aviation Airplanes and Rotorcraft in Commercial Service

This document describes a process that may be used to perform the ongoing safety assessment for (1) GAR aircraft and components (hereafter, aircraft), and (2) commercial operators of GAR aircraft. The process described herein is intended to support an overall safety management program. It is to help a company establish and meet its own internal standards. The process described herein identifies a systematic means, but not the only means, to assess continuing airworthiness. Ongoing safety management is an activity dedicated to assuring that risk is identified and properly eliminated or controlled. The safety management process includes both safety assessment and economic decision-making. While economic decision-making (factors related to scheduling, parts, and cost) is an integral part of the safety management process, this document addresses only the ongoing safety assessment process. This ongoing safety assessment process includes safety problem identification and corrective action, tracking of problems, the application of “lessons learned” to improve the efficiency of the process, and reduction of the time to achieve corrective action in the field. ARP5150 is the recommended practice for the safety assessment of Transport Airplanes in Commercial Service. ARP5151 is the recommended practice for the safety assessment process for GAR aircraft in commercial services. While the processes are similar, their implementations are different due to operations, data availability, and sizes of individual operations.

SAE AS 8056-2004 (SAE AS8056-2004)

Minimum Design and Performance of Airplane Galley In-Flight Carts, Containers, and Associated Components

This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes minimum design and performance requirements for carts, containers and associated components intended for installation in galleys and other areas of transport category airplanes. The requirements include establishing installation criteria for use by compartment designers and installers of the equipment.

SAE ARP 85G-2019

Air Conditioning Systems for Subsonic Airplanes

This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) contains guidelines and recommendations for subsonic airplane air conditioning systems and components, including requirements, design philosophy, testing, and ambient conditions. The airplane air conditioning system comprises that arrangement of equipment, controls, and indicators that supply and distribute air to the occupied compartments for ventilation, pressurization, and temperature and moisture control. The principal features of the system are:   a. A supply of outside air with independent control valve(s).   b. A means for heating.   c. A means for cooling (air or vapor cycle units and heat exchangers).   d. A means for removing excess moisture from the air supply.   e. A ventilation subsystem.   f. A temperature control subsystem.   g. A pressure control subsystem.   Other system components for treating cabin air, such as filtration and humidification, are included, as are the ancillary functions of equipment cooling and cargo compartment conditioning.   The interface with the major associated system, the pneumatic system (Chapter 36 of ATA 100) is at the inlet of the air conditioning shutoff valves. This boundary definition aligns with that in the ATA 100 Specification.

SAE AS 8057A-2021

Minimum Design and Performance of Airplane Galley Insert Equipment, Electrical/Pressurized

This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes minimum design and performance requirements for galley insert equipment with an electrical and/or pressure system, as well as associated components intended for installation in galleys and other areas (e.g., bars) of transport category airplanes.

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