For Your Pilot: FAA Updates Cold-weather Restricted Airports List

The FAA has published the annual update of its Information for Operators—InFO 18009—revising the list of cold-temperature-restricted airports. There are no additions to the list, but more than 20 airports in 12 states were removed.

Airports on the list are known to have cold-weather altimetry errors, and a correction factor is required. Notams published on August 16 provide pilots with a complete list of the airports, the affected segments and the procedures needed to correct published altitudes at the restricted temperatures.

Last year, the Centigrade/Fahrenheit icons on the approach plates for the listed airports were changed incrementally to Centigrade only. The icon indicates a cold temperature altitude correction will be required on an approach when the reported temperature is at or below what is specified for that airport.

Pilots are responsible for applying altitude corrections and must advise ATC when these corrections are being made on a segment of the approach other than the final segment. Controllers are not responsible for making any altitude corrections or advising pilots that an altitude correction is required at a restricted airport.