AAAE ACE Operations Module 1 | Questions with 100% Verified
Answers | Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: How many airports are in the NPIAS and what three types are included?
Answer: 3,380 airports; 1) commercial service, 2) reliever, 3) select GA
Question: What are the three defining characteristics of commercial service airports?
Answer: 1) open to the public 2) receive scheduled passenger service 3) 2,500 or more enplaned
passenger per year
Question: What type of airport has commercial service and over 10,000 annual enplanements?
Answer: Primary airport
Question: Primary airports are split into 4 categories, what are they and how are they defined?
Answer: Large Hub (>1% of all US annual enplanements); Medium Hub (0.25% to 1%); Small Hub (0.05-0.25%);
Non-Hub (10,000 to 0.05%)
Question: How many enplanements characterize a non-primary commercial service airport?
Answer: between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year
Question: What characterizes a reliever airport?
Answer: 1) open to the public; 2) 100 or more based aircraft or 25,000 annual operations
Question: General aviation airports can be included in the NPIAS under what circumstances?
Answer: If they have at least 10 locally based aircraft and are at least 20 miles from a NPIAS airport
Question: What plan provides guidelines for an airport's capital development over a 20-year timeframe?
Answer: Master Plan
Question: What is the set of drawings that shows the airport's long-term development, updated in accordance
with grant assurance number 29?
Answer: Airport Layout Plans
Question: Runway design standards are based on what three primary factors?
Answer: 1) airplane design group (wingspan); 2) aircraft approach category (approach speed); 3)
approach visibility minimums
Question: Taxiway and taxilane design standards are based on what primary factor?
Answer: airplane design group (wingspan)
Question: How is airplane design group determined and categorized?
Answer: Based on the aircraft's wingspan and tail height whichever is most restrictive; 6 categories, I thru VI,
where I is the smallest/shortest and VI is the largest/tallest
Question: How is aircraft approach category determined and categorized?
Answer: Based on aircraft approach speed; 5 categories, A thru E, where A is the slowest and E is the fastest
, Question: What are the 6 categories of airplane design group?
Answer: I (tail height <20', wingspan <49'); II (tail height 20 - <30', wingspan 49 - <79'); III (tail height 30 -
<45'), wingspan 79-<118'); IV (tail height 45 - <60', wingspan 118 - <171'); V (tail height 60
- <66', wingspan 171 - <214'); VI (tail height 66 - <80', wingspan 214 - <262')
Question: What are the 5 aircraft approach categories and the criteria for each category?
Answer: A (<91 knots); B (91 - <121 knots); C (121 - <141 knots); D (141 - <166 knots); E (>166 knots)
Question: When is a cross-runway recommended?
Answer: When a runway orientation provides less than 95% wind coverage for any aircraft forecasted to use
the airport
Question: What are some of the factors affecting the location and orientation of runways?
Answer: wind, available airspace, environmental factors, obstructions, topography, ATCT visibility, wildlife
hazards
Question: To ensure water run-off, what is the normal grade of a runway and runway shoulder?
Answer: 1 - 1.5% cross-section grade for the runway and 1.5 - 5% for the runway shoulder
Question: What is the purpose of a runway shoulder?
Answer: resist runway erosion, passage of vehicles and surface for aircraft that veer off the runway
Question: How is runway width determined and what is the range of standard widths?
Answer: ARC and approach visibility minimums; 60 - 200'
Question: What is the range of widths for a runway safety area (RSA)?
Answer: 120 - 150'
Question: What is the term for an area formed by imaginary lines connecting the visibility points of two
different runways?
Answer: Runway Visibility Zones (RVZ)
Question: What is the term for the beginning or end of the full-strength runway pavement available for takeoff
and landing?
Answer: Runway threshold
Question: When a runway threshold is not located at the start of the fullstrength pavement what is it called and
why would this occur?
Answer: Displaced threshold; it is used to identify the first point for landing aircraft to avoid an airspace
obstruction, to mitigate environmental considerations, or to lengthen an RSA or OFA
Question: What use is the portion of runway behind a displaced threshold?
Answer: It can be used for takeoffs in either direction, and landing from the opposite direction.
Question: Taxiways are designed to allow aircraft taxi at what speed?
Answer: 20mph
Answers | Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: How many airports are in the NPIAS and what three types are included?
Answer: 3,380 airports; 1) commercial service, 2) reliever, 3) select GA
Question: What are the three defining characteristics of commercial service airports?
Answer: 1) open to the public 2) receive scheduled passenger service 3) 2,500 or more enplaned
passenger per year
Question: What type of airport has commercial service and over 10,000 annual enplanements?
Answer: Primary airport
Question: Primary airports are split into 4 categories, what are they and how are they defined?
Answer: Large Hub (>1% of all US annual enplanements); Medium Hub (0.25% to 1%); Small Hub (0.05-0.25%);
Non-Hub (10,000 to 0.05%)
Question: How many enplanements characterize a non-primary commercial service airport?
Answer: between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year
Question: What characterizes a reliever airport?
Answer: 1) open to the public; 2) 100 or more based aircraft or 25,000 annual operations
Question: General aviation airports can be included in the NPIAS under what circumstances?
Answer: If they have at least 10 locally based aircraft and are at least 20 miles from a NPIAS airport
Question: What plan provides guidelines for an airport's capital development over a 20-year timeframe?
Answer: Master Plan
Question: What is the set of drawings that shows the airport's long-term development, updated in accordance
with grant assurance number 29?
Answer: Airport Layout Plans
Question: Runway design standards are based on what three primary factors?
Answer: 1) airplane design group (wingspan); 2) aircraft approach category (approach speed); 3)
approach visibility minimums
Question: Taxiway and taxilane design standards are based on what primary factor?
Answer: airplane design group (wingspan)
Question: How is airplane design group determined and categorized?
Answer: Based on the aircraft's wingspan and tail height whichever is most restrictive; 6 categories, I thru VI,
where I is the smallest/shortest and VI is the largest/tallest
Question: How is aircraft approach category determined and categorized?
Answer: Based on aircraft approach speed; 5 categories, A thru E, where A is the slowest and E is the fastest
, Question: What are the 6 categories of airplane design group?
Answer: I (tail height <20', wingspan <49'); II (tail height 20 - <30', wingspan 49 - <79'); III (tail height 30 -
<45'), wingspan 79-<118'); IV (tail height 45 - <60', wingspan 118 - <171'); V (tail height 60
- <66', wingspan 171 - <214'); VI (tail height 66 - <80', wingspan 214 - <262')
Question: What are the 5 aircraft approach categories and the criteria for each category?
Answer: A (<91 knots); B (91 - <121 knots); C (121 - <141 knots); D (141 - <166 knots); E (>166 knots)
Question: When is a cross-runway recommended?
Answer: When a runway orientation provides less than 95% wind coverage for any aircraft forecasted to use
the airport
Question: What are some of the factors affecting the location and orientation of runways?
Answer: wind, available airspace, environmental factors, obstructions, topography, ATCT visibility, wildlife
hazards
Question: To ensure water run-off, what is the normal grade of a runway and runway shoulder?
Answer: 1 - 1.5% cross-section grade for the runway and 1.5 - 5% for the runway shoulder
Question: What is the purpose of a runway shoulder?
Answer: resist runway erosion, passage of vehicles and surface for aircraft that veer off the runway
Question: How is runway width determined and what is the range of standard widths?
Answer: ARC and approach visibility minimums; 60 - 200'
Question: What is the range of widths for a runway safety area (RSA)?
Answer: 120 - 150'
Question: What is the term for an area formed by imaginary lines connecting the visibility points of two
different runways?
Answer: Runway Visibility Zones (RVZ)
Question: What is the term for the beginning or end of the full-strength runway pavement available for takeoff
and landing?
Answer: Runway threshold
Question: When a runway threshold is not located at the start of the fullstrength pavement what is it called and
why would this occur?
Answer: Displaced threshold; it is used to identify the first point for landing aircraft to avoid an airspace
obstruction, to mitigate environmental considerations, or to lengthen an RSA or OFA
Question: What use is the portion of runway behind a displaced threshold?
Answer: It can be used for takeoffs in either direction, and landing from the opposite direction.
Question: Taxiways are designed to allow aircraft taxi at what speed?
Answer: 20mph
