The FAA has published two general notices revising procedures for airports conducting taxi into position and hold (TIPH) operations. Both notices, which go into effect March 20, result from continued “operational errors†(read actual or potential runway incursions). For TIPH to be used after March 20, the manager of the ATC tower must have determined that an “operational need exists considering factors such as capacity, efficiency and user input.†In addition, revised operational procedures include ATC notifying the pilots of aircraft that have been cleared “into position and hold†about aircraft on approach to the active runway, as well as aircraft on approach to parallel runways separated by less than 2,500 feet. Pilots of aircraft cleared to land are to receive similar warnings from ATC about aircraft cleared to taxi into position and hold on the runway they are on approach to, as well as those separated by less than 2,500 feet. Last year, tower managers went through a similar exercise in which they had to verify the operational need for TIPH.
