New for 2020, The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a new pilot safety series that captures the different characteristics of various airports throughout the globe. Videos can be found at the FAA's Flight Deck homepage and on Youtube. For any pilot traveling to an airport that they may be unfamiliar with, this tool is a great way for them to help plan their flight accordingly.
Each video is based on a location, for example, the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport I have linked below. The video goes into extensive details that include the aeronautical chart of the surrounding area, layouts of the runway(s), and common hot spots and hazards at that particular airfield. The FAA did an amazing job providing detailed descriptions and diagrams of the actual airport runway system, to include runway call signs, elevation and angles, and each taxi way markings. The FAA has been able to provide all of this information with the use of aerial photographs and video views from both the cockpit and wing. Videos actually take you from the hangar, across the taxiway, through take off and up to the surrounding area around the airport, to give pilots a full takeoff/landing preview of what to expect. From the FAA website, you can click on any blue or green dot location on the world map, just like the example I have above for the US. By clicking on each dotted location, pilot's are provided details of that location's airport and link to the video. If traveling to these areas, I would HIGHLY recommend you include watching these videos while preparing your flight plan. For more information, check out these resources: FAA From the Flight Deck homepage FAA Runway Safety Brochure
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