27/09/2023
🛬 Aerodrome Operating Minima (AOM)🛫
Aerodrome operating minima (AOM) are criteria used by pilots to determine whether they may land or take off from any runway. AOM consist of two parts: one relating to the cloud base and one relating to the visibility and/or RVR (RVR).
The international standards for AOM are defined in ICAO Doc 8168 - Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS-OPS) and are employed in most countries throughout the world; however, within North America and at certain other locations, United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) are employed. Although these procedures are similar in many ways, there are important differences. Failure to appreciate these differences appears to have been a factor in a number of fatal accidents. Pilots must determine the standards applied at airports where they intend to operate and make due allowance for any differences.
Where relevant, ICAO definitions etc. are employed in the remainder of this article. The main differences between ICAO-PANS OPS and US TERPS related to circling approaches are described in the article Circling Approach - difference between ICAO PANS-OPS and US TERPS.
AOM are defined as: (ICAO Annex 6 Part 1)
"The limits of usability of an aerodrome for:
a) take-off, expressed in terms of RVR and/or visibility and, if necessary, cloud conditions;
b) landing in Precision Approach and landing
operations, expressed in terms of visibility and/or RVR and Decision Altitude/Height (DA/DH) (DA/H) as appropriate to the category of the operation;
c) landing in approach and landing operations with vertical guidance, expressed in terms of visibility and/or RVR and DA/H; and
d) landing in Non-Precision Approach and landing operations, expressed in terms of visibility and/or RVR, Minimum Descent Altitude/Height (MDA/MDH) (MDA/H) and, if necessary, cloud conditions."