Story ID: 
RACCA: Volume of Terminal Procedures Becoming Unwieldy
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: The cargo carries organization is encouraging the FAA to work with various pilots group to simplify the terminal-area procedures package.
Word Count: 238
Citing a concern that the number of published procedures has swelled to nearly unmanageable numbers in busier terminal areas, the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) has asked the FAA to look at means to streamline and simplify those procedures. In a June 1 letter to Flight Standards director John Duncan, RACCA v-p John Hazlet pointed to the 58 different departure, arrival and approach procedures and notes pages in the current Jeppesen Airway Manual for Los Angeles International. He added that San Francisco International has 74 such procedures.

“This large volume of published material has grown beyond the practical limits of usability by pilots in the cockpit, particularly those engaged in single-pilot operations during periods of high terminal-area workload,” Hazlet said. “In many cases, the procedures appear to have been developed for the convenience of air traffic control, without regard for their impact upon flight crews.” He added that is some notes pages, the text is written in all caps, making it difficult to read.

RACCA is encouraging the FAA to work with airline, corporate and general aviation pilots to: evaluate current procedure packages; determine whether similar procedures could be combined; eliminate seldom-used procedures; or simplify others.

“Such a result would significantly decrease cost and burden of publishing and revising instrument procedure charts, relieve current workload, reduce errors, improve safety, and possibly even serve the objectives of the Paperwork Reduction Act,” Hazlet added.