The Flying Cloud airport (FCM) is a medium to large sized, primarily business and general aviation airport. Located approximately 10 miles southwest of the larger Minneapolis-Saint Paul International airport, it is one of several alternative reliever airports serving the metropolis of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The airport is located within Class Delta airspace and underlies the Minneapolis Class Bravo.
Visit www.faa.gov/fcm for supplemental "pilot handbook" information on this airport including airport-specific cautions, information local controllers want pilots to know, airport communications, airspace details and other preflight planning resources.
To address wrong surface events where an aircraft lines up to or lands on the incorrect runway, taxiway, or airport, the FAA released Arrival Alert Notices (AAN) at various airports with a history of misalignment risk. View the FCM Arrival Alert Notice here: www.faa.gov/airports/runway_s...
The airport configuration consists of two parallel runways, runways two-eight left and right, and one-zero left and right, and intersecting runway one-eight, three-six. The taxiway structure provides access to the facilities and hangars located primarily on the north and east sides of the airport.
As with many airports with parallel runways with staggered thresholds, wrong runway approaches and landings are an issue at Flying Cloud. Pilots often focus on the first runway they see, not necessarily the one they have been cleared to operate on. Additional issues arise at Flying Cloud with parallel taxiway Bravo being mistaken for a runway. This issue has prompted the painting of the word TAXI on each end of taxiway Bravo. Pilots arriving at Flying Cloud for the first time need to be extra vigilant in identifying their assigned runway.
Another unique aspect at Flying Cloud concerns parallel taxiway Alpha. Numerous FBOs, hangars, flight schools, and business are located on the north side of taxiway Alpha. Even with standard taxiway markings, aircraft taxiing out from one of these locations and cleared to “taxi via Alpha,” in either direction, have missed taxiway Alpha and continued on Alpha3, onto runway one-zero left, two-eight right, thinking they were on taxiway Alpha. This occurs even though the appropriate taxiway markings, signage, and wig-wag lights are installed at Flying Cloud. Extra vigilance, the use of moving map displays and familiarity with the airport diagram will help alleviate this issue.
Another area of concern occurs at the intersection of taxiway Charlie and runway two-eight right, one-zero left. Primarily jets, instructed to “taxi to runway two-eight left via Alpha, Charlie, hold short runway two-eight right…” have missed the hold short line for two-eight right and taxied too close to runway two-eight right, one-zero left. The hold short line is located immediately after making the turn onto taxiway Charlie. Pilots are reminded that while on active surfaces, vigilance outside the windows must be maintained and own ship position positively identified.
Pilots need to also be aware that the approach end of runway two-eight left is at an awkward angle for the control tower’s line of sight. This makes it almost impossible for controllers to visually verify that aircraft are lined up with the correct runway. When arriving on runways two-eight left and right, it is imperative that pilots ensure that they are approaching the runway that they were cleared to use. Double checking correct runway numbers on final will help the tower in this situation. One visual clue that can be used when landing runway two-eight right is the numerous hangars/buildings on the right, north, side of the runway.
FAA's From the Flight Deck video series uses aircraft mounted cameras to capture runway and taxiway footage and combines them with diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items. Learn more at www.faa.gov/FromTheFlightDeck
This video is informational only and does not replace the pilot’s responsibility to conduct required pre-flight planning in accordance with FAR 91.103.