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An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport. An airport consists of at least one surface such as a runway for a plane to take off and land, a helipad, or water for takeoffs and landings, and often includes buildings such as control towers, hangars and terminal buildings. Larger airports may have fixed base operator services, seaplane docks and ramps, air traffic control, passenger facilities such as restaurants and lounges, and emergency services. Amilitary airport is known as an airbase or air station. The terms aerodrome, airdrome, airfield, and airstrip may also be used to refer to airports, and the terms heliport, seaplane base, andSTOLport refer to airports dedicated exclusively to helicopters, seaplanes, or short take-off and landing aircraft.
The term "ATS Route" is a generic term that includes "VOR Federal airways," "colored Federal airways," "jet routes," and "RNAV
routes." The term "ATS route" does not replace these more familiar route names, but serves only as an overall title when listing the types of routes that comprise the United States route structure.
Traffic at busy airports is controlled by an ATCT. ATCTs are located at the airport and provide local air traffic control, usually within five nautical miles of the airport. Air traffic controllers in towers primarily use sight to track and control aircraft. Large commercial airports, such as MSP, typically have several runways that can be used simultaneously. As a result, these airports operate in a safe, systematic departure and arrival configuration (or flow) that is based on the prevailing winds and the physical layout of the runways. MSP typically operates in an east or west flow. If airports are in close proximity to each other (such as MSP and St. Paul Downtown Airport, or Flying Cloud Airport), operations at the airports must be able to smoothly interact. This requires extensive planning and coordination between the air traffic control facilities, including ATCTs, TRACONs, and ARTCCs that operate within an area.
Radar approach
Radar approach. The controller provides vectors while monitoring the progress of the flight with radar, guiding the pilot through the descent to the airport/heliport or to a specific runway.
Lighting Facility
Many airports have lighting that help guide planes using the runways and taxiways at night or in rain or fog. On runways, green lights indicate the beginning of the runway for landing, while red lights indicate the end of the runway. Runway edge lighting consists of white lights spaced out on both sides of the runway, indicating the edge. Some airports have more complicated lighting on the runways including lights that run down the centerline of the runway and lights that help indicate the approach (an Approach Lighting System, or ALS). Low-traffic airports may use Pilot Controlled Lighting to save electricity and staffing costs.
The FAA VOR test facility (VOT) transmits a test signal which provides users a convenient means to determine the operational status and accuracy of a VOR receiver while on the ground where a VOT is located. The airborne use of VOT is permitted; however, its use is strictly limited to those areas/altitudes specifically authorized in the A/FD or appropriate supplement.
LORAN
The LOng RAnge Navigation-C (LORAN) system is a hyperbolic, terrestrial-based navigation system operating in the 90-110 kHz
frequency band. LORAN, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), has been in service for over 50 years and is used for navigation by the various transportation modes, as well as, for precise time and frequency applications. The system is configured to provide reliable, all weather navigation for marine users along the U.S.coasts and in the Great Lakes.