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:
- U.S. aviation charting is aligning with international standards by replacing "Height Above Touchdown (HAT)" with "Height Above Threshold (HATh)" and "Touchdown Zone Elevation (TDZE)" with "Threshold Elevation (THRE)".
- Introduced by TERPS Change 20 in 2007, this is primarily a "paper change" with minimal practical impact (a few feet difference) but ensures consistency in global approach charting.
- The transition to these new terms is gradual, so pilots can expect to encounter a mix of old and new terminology on charts for some time, making it important to understand their subtle distinctions for precise IFR flying.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
