While it’s obvious that you now “line up and wait” where you once positioned and held, that’s not the only place international standards are sneaking into your flying.
Height above What?
I always thought the term TCA-Terminal Control Airspace-had the right ominous overtones for airspace I didnt want to blunder into as a newbie pilot. In comparison, Class B airspace sounds like a factory second the FAA picked up at a bargain price. (The border is a bit ragged on the south side, but dont worry about it, no one will notice.)
Key Takeaways:
- A December 2007 TERPS update (Change 20) introduced new international charting standards, replacing terms like Height Above Touchdown (HAT) with Height Above Threshold (HATh) and Touchdown Zone Elevation (TDZE) with Threshold Elevation (THRE).
- The primary difference is a shift in the reference point from approximately 1000 feet down the runway (touchdown zone) to the runway threshold.
- This change is largely considered a "paper change" with no substantial safety impact, typically resulting in a difference of only a few feet.
- Pilots can expect a slow transition, encountering a mix of old and new terminology on charts as they are gradually updated.
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