RPZ Dimensions — Tool Guide

Live AC 150/5300-13B CHG 1 · APPENDIX G · ALL GUIDES

The RPZ Dimensions tool returns Runway Protection Zone dimensions — length, inner width, outer width, and acreage — for any combination of Aircraft Approach Category, Airplane Design Group, and approach visibility minimums, for both the approach and departure RPZ at each runway end. Every value is fetched live from AvPlot's standards engine, which serves the Runway Design Standards Matrix from AC 150/5300-13B, so each result carries its citation rather than relying on a spreadsheet you have to keep current.

It replaces the usual workflow of pulling the AC, finding the right design-standards row, and cross-checking approach versus departure ends by hand — including the cases where the two runway ends have different visibility minimums.

Open the RPZ tool →

Who It's For & When to Use It

Airport planners producing ALP narratives, design reports, and planning studies that document RPZ dimensions. Use it when you need the controlling RPZ for an existing or proposed runway end, when comparing how a visibility-minimum change moves the RPZ footprint, or when you need a defensible citation for an RPZ dimension in a report.

How to Use It

Select the Aircraft Approach Category (AAC). Pick A–D for the critical design aircraft. AAC E is intentionally not offered — RPZ planning in this tool is civil-only per AC 150/5300-13B.
Select the Airplane Design Group (ADG). I–VI, based on the design aircraft's wingspan and tail height.
Pick the geometry class if prompted. For AAC/ADG combinations where the standards split by fleet (for example small-aircraft versus large-aircraft A/B groups), a geometry selector appears. It only appears when more than one standards group applies — if you don't see it, the combination resolves to a single group.
Set the runway designation. Choose the End 1 number and suffix; End 2 is derived automatically as the reciprocal.
Set visibility minimums per end. Visual, not lower than 1 mile, not lower than 3/4 mile, or lower than 3/4 mile — independently for each runway end. Asymmetric ends are handled correctly; each end's approach RPZ follows its own minimums.
Read the results. The results cards show approach RPZ (cyan) and departure RPZ (amber) dimensions for each end, with the plan-view diagram drawn to scale below. Use the layer toggle to show approach-only, departure-only, or both.
Copy or share. The copy button puts all dimensions on the clipboard as text. The URL updates as you work (?aac=&adg=&geo=&vis1=&vis2=&end1=), so the address bar is always a shareable link that restores the exact configuration.
Check the reference table. Below the diagram, the full reference table lists every RPZ combination served by the standards engine, filterable by AAC, ADG, and visibility.

Key Features

Per-end asymmetry. Each runway end carries its own visibility minimums and its own approach/departure RPZ result.
Approach and departure RPZ separated. Color-coded results (approach cyan, departure amber) with the measurement anchors explained in the disclosure notes — including that the departure RPZ anchors to the takeoff run available end.
Shareable URLs. Tool state is mirrored into the query string with history.replaceState; bookmarks and pasted links restore the configuration.
Session persistence. Inputs and table filters are saved locally in your browser and restored on return.
Cross-tool preload. Other AvPlot tools can deep-link into this page with AAC/ADG/visibility pre-selected.
Citation trail. Dimensions come from the standards API, not values hardcoded in the page, and the reference table carries the source group for each row.

FAA References

AC 150/5300-13B Chg 1, Airport Design — governing standard; RPZ dimensions per the Runway Design Standards Matrix (Appendix G).
RPZ guidance on land-use compatibility within the zone is in the same AC; this tool reports dimensions and geometry, not land-use determinations.

Limitations & Disclaimers

AvPlot is technical planning production support — accurate enough for design reports, planning studies, and ALP narratives. It is not a replacement for stamped engineering or construction documents. Verify all dimensions against current FAA publications before use in official Airport Layout Plans or submittals.

Civil aircraft only — AAC E (military) combinations are out of scope.
The tool reports standard RPZ dimensions; it does not evaluate RPZ land-use compatibility or alternatives analysis under FAA interim RPZ policy.

Related Tools

RSA / ROFA / ROFZ Reference — safety area and object free area dimensions for the same AAC/ADG/visibility inputs (guide).
Runway Linework Generator — draws the RPZ (and RSA/ROFA/Part 77) as CAD-ready linework (guide).
Aircraft Classification Library — find the AAC/ADG for a specific design aircraft first (guide).

Tips & Best Practices

Start from the design aircraft, not the category: look the aircraft up in the Aircraft Classification Library and carry its AAC/ADG here, rather than recalling categories from memory.
When the two ends have different approach minimums, set both ends explicitly and let the tool handle the asymmetry — don't run the controlling end twice.
Copy the URL into your project notes; it documents the exact configuration behind the numbers you cited.
Use the reference table's filters when writing alternatives sections — it shows how the RPZ grows across visibility tiers without re-running the selector.

Runway Protection Zones & Land Use — RPZ dimensions and what land uses are compatible inside them.