Airport Master Plan: Design Standards Verification Checklist
A master plan or ALP update lives or dies on whether the existing and ultimate geometry actually meets the standards it claims to. Every dimensional standard in AC 150/5300-13B hangs off one anchor — the Runway Design Code — so a verification pass is really a sequence: settle the design code, then confirm each surface against the table it comes from. This checklist lays out that sequence and maps each item to the AvPlot tool that verifies it.
Start with the design code — everything keys to it
Before any dimension can be checked, fix the Runway Design Code (RDC) for each runway: the Aircraft Approach Category (approach-speed band), the Airplane Design Group (wingspan/tail-height band), and the approach visibility minimums. The AAC and ADG come from the critical aircraft; on the taxiway side, the Taxiway Design Group (TDG) comes from the design aircraft’s main-gear width and cockpit-to-main-gear distance. Get these wrong and every downstream check is wrong, because the safety-area, separation, and protection standards are all read by design code.
The verification checklist
Work the standards in dependency order. For each, confirm the existing condition and the ultimate (planned) condition against the controlling table — not against a prior study or memory.
1. Runway geometry and design code
Confirm runway width, shoulder width, and blast pad dimensions for the ADG; confirm the RDC assembled from the critical aircraft; confirm the runway designation (magnetic-azimuth-derived end numbers).
2. Declared distances
Confirm TORA, TODA, ASDA, and LDA for each runway end, and that any clearway, stopway, or displaced threshold is reflected correctly. Declared distances are also the mitigation lever when a safety area falls short.
3. Runway safety areas — RSA, ROFA, ROFZ
Confirm the RSA width and length beyond the end, the ROFA width and length, and the runway OFZ — each dimensioned by ADG. Identify and document any nonstandard condition (see RSA/ROFA documentation).
4. Runway Protection Zones
Confirm the approach and departure RPZ dimensions (length, inner width, outer width) for each end by approach category and visibility, and review land use within them. Remember the anchoring: the approach RPZ begins 200 ft before the threshold; the departure RPZ keys to the TORA end.
5. Taxiway and taxilane separation
Confirm runway-to-taxiway, taxiway-to-taxiway, and taxiway/taxilane object-free-area separations — keyed by ADG — plus taxiway width and fillet geometry by TDG (see taxiway design).
6. Airspace and obstructions
Confirm the 14 CFR Part 77 imaginary surfaces and the AC 13B approach/OCS surfaces are clear, and that any penetration is identified and dispositioned (see obstruction analysis and Part 77 vs TERPS).
Standard-to-tool map
Each row pairs a standard to verify with the AvPlot tool that returns its dimensions from the authoritative tables, with the citation trail attached.
| Standard to verify | Governing basis | AvPlot tool |
|---|---|---|
| Runway Design Code (AAC + ADG) | AC 13B §3.2 | Runway Designation, Aircraft Library |
| Declared distances (TORA/TODA/ASDA/LDA) | AC 13B App H | Declared Distances |
| RSA / ROFA / ROFZ | AC 13B §3.10, §3.12 | RSA/ROFA/ROFZ |
| Runway Protection Zone | AC 13B App G | RPZ Dimensions |
| Taxiway separation | AC 13B Table 4-1 | Taxiway Separation |
| Taxiway fillet geometry (TDG) | AC 13B App J | Taxiway Fillet |
| Part 77 / approach & OCS surfaces | 14 CFR Part 77; AC 13B | Airspace Surfaces, Obstruction Analysis |
| Full runway linework / surfaces | AC 13B | Runway Linework |
| ALP data tables | FAA ARP SOP 2.00 | ALP Data Tables |
The principle behind the checklist
Two rules make a verification pass defensible. First, nothing is computed from memory — every dimension traces to a dated table, and the change history matters (Change 1 to 13B is the current basis). Second, the standards are not independent: change the critical aircraft and the design code moves, and when the design code moves, the safety areas, separations, RPZs, and surfaces all move with it. Verify the anchor first, then the surfaces it drives, and the checklist holds together.
This article is a reference summary for planning use, not a substitute for the governing FAA text. Citations refer to AC 150/5300-13B Change 1 (Airport Design), AC 150/5000-17 (Critical Aircraft and Regular Use Determination), 14 CFR Part 77, and FAA ARP SOP 2.00 (ALP review and approval). Always verify each standard against the current governing documents and your FAA regional office before issuing a design product. See the full airport planning glossary or the AvPlot toolkit.