It’s no secret that winter weather can wreak havoc on otherwise routine aircraft operations. One of the most common signs of the season we must deal with is runway contamination, when ice, snow, slush and whatever else Mother Nature throws at the airport can combine to turn an otherwise excellent runway into a skating rink. While getting to the runway may pose its own challenges, getting on or off it can be the most treacherous part of winter flying.
The good news is there’s a well-organized and consistent way to report runway condition observations, which can then be used with manufacturer’s data to realistically predict airplane performance, especially aboard transport category airplanes. The RCAM (Runway Condition Assessment Matrix) system replaces earlier methods of assessing and categorizing runway contamination of all sorts. Understanding RCAM’s background and use can help us assess how different conditions affect both landing and takeoff operations on contaminated runways.
