1.2.1   Rescue and fire fighting services

Regulatory references

Portuguese aerodromes are either subject to European regulation and in this case hold a European aerodrome safety certificate (see section AD 1.5) or to national regulation.

1. European Regulation references. Commission Regulation (EU) 139/2014 of the 12 February 2014, laying down requirements and administrative procedures related to aerodromes pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council
2. National Regulation references. Decree-Law 186/2007 of the 10 May 2007, amended by Decree-Law 55/2010 of the 31 May 2010; National Regulation 401/2017 of the 28 July 2017 amended by Regulation 645/2019 of the 16 August 2019.

1.2.2   RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING AND SNOW PLAN

1. Each aerodrome operator is responsible for monitoring and report of the runway surface conditions,
2. Movement area is inspected on a regular basis, according to traffic intensity, and whenever weather conditions indicate that there may be degradation of the surface conditions of the runway.
3. In case of degradation of the friction conditions at the aerodrome, the priority is to restore the operability of the runway, taxiways and aprons, respectively.

Aerodrome operators shall fill a runway condition report (RCR), which is a comprehensive standardized report relating to the conditions of the runway surface and their effects on the aircraft landing and take-off performance, described by means of runway conditions code, and report the results to the Air Traffic Services and Aeronautical Information Services when applicable.

At Portuguese aerodromes, only the provisions relating to the presence of water apply, no winter services are available.

GRF is applicable to the following aerodromes:

• CASCAIS (LPCS)
• FARO (LPFR)
• FLORES (LPFL)
• GRACIOSA (LPGR)
• HORTA (LPHR)
• LISBOA (LPPT)
• MADEIRA (LPMA)
• PICO (LPPI)
• PONTA DELGADA (LPPD)
• PORTO (LPPR)
• PORTO SANTO (LPPS)
• SANTA MARIA (LPAZ)

Aerodrome Maintenance and Operational Services are responsible for inspecting, reporting and measuring, as well as maintaining the movement area in satisfactory conditions at the respective airports, according to Aerodrome Manual and Certification Specifications.

Aerodrome Operators:

1. Assess percentage of runway contamination by water for each runway third and assign RWYCC;
2. If more than 25% of any runway surface wet, report wet conditions using the RCR;
3. Determine downgrade or upgrade using all pertinent information available;

To comply with the above procedure, operators should use the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (simplified).

1. The methods to maintain the usability of the movement areas are either sweeping or blowing. The Airport Operator and the Air Navigation Service Providers should coordinate such actions in order to minimize the disturbance to traffic.
2. The use of chemical products is not foreseen.

The aerodrome operator should disseminate an RCR through the aeronautical information services and air traffic services, when the runway is wholly or partly contaminated by standing water or frost. When the runway is wet, not associated with the presence of standing water, the assessed information should be disseminated using the RCR through the air traffic service.

Whenever the runway is contaminated by snow, slush or ice the runway is closed to operation.

1. Dissemination of the information concerning runway surface conditions will be provided through ATS and by means of SNOWTAM.
2. Closure or re-opening of an aerodrome or runway as a result of the accumulation of snow, slush, ice or frost will be notified by NOTAM and/or by the ATS.
3. The aerodrome operator shall report to the air traffic services units and to the aeronautical information services, when relevant, on matters of operational significance affecting aircraft and aerodrome operations on the movement area, particularly in respect to water.
4. The aerodrome operator shall report the runway surface condition over each third of the runway using a runway condition report (RCR).
   1. Reporting shall commence when a significant change in runway surface condition occurs due to water.
   2. Reporting of the runway surface condition shall continue to reflect significant changes until the runway is no longer contaminated.
5. SNOWTAM publications shall be continued, until the runway is no longer contaminated in the context of the SNOWTAM definition. From this it follows, that the last RCR may only state WET or DRY contamination type as appropriate.
6. Reporting of slippery wet runway - When a paved runway or portion thereof is slippery wet, the aerodrome operator shall make such information available to the relevant aerodrome users. This shall be done by issuing a NOTAM in addition to the runway condition report and shall describe the location of the affected portion. A wet runway whose surface friction characteristics have been determined to be degraded for a significant portion of the runway and do not conform to the minimum surface friction level required shall be reported as SLIPPERY WET. The runway condition code for this runway third shall be reported not better than 3. In addition, the exact position of the respective runway part must be published via NOTAM.
7. Coordination between Aerodrome Operator, AIS (NOF) and ATS. Runway condition information shall be disseminated by a RCR as follows:
   1. Through the ATS (ATIS, RTF): when the runway is contaminated;
   2. In form of a SNOWTAM message through the AIS (NOF) and ATS (ATIS, radiotelephony), when the runway is wholly or partly contaminated by standing water or frost.

../graphics/eAIP/RCR_SNOWTAM.gif

General

1. When reporting on more than one runway, repeat Items B to H (aeroplane performance calculation section).
2. The letters used to indicate items are only used for reference purpose and shall not be included in the messages. The letters, M (mandatory), C (conditional) and O (optional) mark the usage and information and shall be included as explained below.
3. Metric units shall be used and the unit of measurement shall not be reported.
4. The maximum validity of SNOWTAM is 8 hours. New SNOWTAM shall be issued whenever a new runway condition report is received.
5. A SNOWTAM cancels the previous SNOWTAM.
6. The abbreviated heading ‘TTAAiiii CCCC MMYYGGgg (BBB)’ is included to facilitate the automatic processing of SNOWTAM messages in computer databanks. The explanation of these symbols is:
   • TT = data designator for SNOWTAM = SW;
   • AA = geographical designator for Member States, e.g. LP = PORTUGAL;
   • iiii = SNOWTAM serial number in a four-digit group;
   • CCCC = four-letter location indicator of the aerodrome to which the SNOWTAM refers;
   • MMYYGGgg = date/time of observation/measurement, whereby:
   • MM = month, e.g. January = 01, December = 12;
   • YY = day of the month;
   • GGgg = time in hours (GG) and minutes (gg) UTC;
   • (BBB) = optional group for:
     Correction, in the case of an error, to a SNOWTAM message previously disseminated with the same serial number = COR.
     Brackets in (BBB) shall be used to indicate that this group is optional. When reporting on more than one runway and individual dates/times of observation/assessment are indicated by repeated Item B, the latest date/time of observation/assessment shall be inserted in the abbreviated heading (MMYYGGgg).
7. The text ‘SNOWTAM’ in the SNOWTAM Format and the SNOWTAM serial number in a four-digit group shall be separated by a space, e.g. SNOWTAM 0124.
8. For readability purposes for the SNOWTAM message, a linefeed shall be included after the SNOWTAM serial number, after Item A, and after the aeroplane performance calculation section.
9. When reporting on more than one runway, repeat the information in the aeroplane performance calculation section from the date and time of assessment for each runway before the information in the situational awareness section.
10. Mandatory information is:
    1. AERODROME LOCATION INDICATOR;
    2. DATE AND TIME OF ASSESSMENT;
    3. LOWER RUNWAY DESIGNATOR NUMBER;
    4. RUNWAY CONDITION CODE FOR EACH RUNWAY THIRD; and
    5. CONDITION DESCRIPTION FOR EACH RUNWAY THIRD (when runway condition code (RWYCC) is reported 1–5)

Aeroplane performance calculation section

Item A – Aerodrome location indicator (four-letter location indicator).

Item B – Date and time of assessment (eight-figure date/time group giving time of observation as month, day, hour and minute in UTC).

Item C – Lower runway designator number (nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R]).

Only one runway designator shall be inserted for each runway and always the lower number.

Item D – Runway condition code for each runway third. Only one digit (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) is inserted for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke (n/n/n).

Item E – Per cent coverage for each runway third. When provided, insert 25, 50, 75 or 100 for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke ([n]nn/[n]nn/[n]nn).

This information shall be provided only when the runway condition for each runway third (Item D) has been reported as other than 6 and there is a condition description for each runway third (Item G) that has been reported other than ‘DRY’. When the conditions are not reported, this shall be signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s).

Item F – Depth of loose contaminant for each runway third. When provided, insert in millimetres for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke (nn/nn/nn or nnn/nnn/nnn).

This information shall only be provided for the following contamination types:

• Standing water, values to be reported 04, then assessed value. Significant changes 3 mm up to and including 15 mm;
• Slush, values to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 3 mm up to and including 15 mm;
• Wet snow, values to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 5 mm; and
• Dry snow, values to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 20 mm.

When the conditions are not reported, this shall be signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s).

Item G – Condition description for each runway third. Any of the following condition descriptions for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke, shall be inserted.COMPACTED SNOW
DRY SNOW
DRY SNOW ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW
DRY SNOW ON TOP OF ICE
FROST
ICE
SLUSH
STANDING WATER
WATER ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW
WET
WET ICE
WET SNOW
WET SNOW ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW
WET SNOW ON TOP OF ICE
DRY (only reported when there is no contaminant)

When the conditions are not reported, this shall be signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s).

Item H – Width of runway to which the runway condition codes apply. The width in metres if less than the published runway width shall be inserted.

Situational awareness section

Elements in the situational awareness section shall end with a full stop. Elements in the situational awareness section for which no information exists, or where the conditional circumstances for publication are not fulfilled, shall be left out completely.

Item I – Reduced runway length. The applicable runway designator and available length in meters shall be inserted (e.g. RWY nn [L] or nn [C] or nn [R] REDUCED TO [n]nnn). This information is conditional when a NOTAM has been published with a new set of declared distances.

Item J – Drifting snow on the runway. When reported, ‘DRIFTING SNOW’ shall be inserted.

Item K – Loose sand on the runway. When loose sand is reported on the runway, the lower runway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘LOOSE SAND’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] LOOSE SAND).

Item L – Chemical treatment on the runway. When chemical treatment has been reported applied, the lower runway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘CHEMICALLY TREATED’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] CHEMICALLY TREATED).

Item M – Snow banks on the runway. When snow banks are reported present on the runway, the lower runway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘SNOWBANK’ and with a space left ‘L’ or right ‘R’ or both sides ‘LR’, followed by the distance in metres from centre line separated by a space ‘FM CL’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] SNOWBANK Lnn or Rnn or LRnn FM CL).

Item N – Snow banks on a taxiway. When snow banks are present on a taxiway, the taxiway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘SNOWBANK’ and with a space left ‘L’ or right ‘R’ or both sides ‘LR’, followed by the distance in metres from centre line separated by a space FM CL (TWY [nn]n SNOWBANK Lnn or Rnn or LRnn FM CL).

Item O – Snow banks adjacent to the runway. When snow banks are reported present, penetrating the height profile in the aerodrome snow plan, the lower runway designator and ‘ADJ SNOWBANKS’ shall be inserted (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] ADJ SNOWBANKS).

Item P – Taxiway conditions. When taxiway conditions are reported slippery or poor, the taxiway designator followed by a space ‘POOR’ shall be inserted (TWY [n or nn] POOR or ALL TWYS POOR).

Item R – Apron conditions. When apron conditions are reported slippery or poor, the apron designator followed by a space ‘POOR’ shall be inserted (APRON [nnnn] POOR or ALL APRONS POOR).

Item S – (NR) Not reported. This shall only be reported for Member States that have an established programme of runway friction measurement using a Member-State-approved friction measuring device.

Item T – Plain language remarks.