VectorHeavy · Air Traffic Control Simulator
Where VectorHeavy matches real FAA guidance and where it does not. Every rule below is checked against the orders, including the ones the game still gets wrong. Kept alongside the code and updated when either changes.
I check the game's rules against the orders and write down what I find, including the places it falls short. If you control for a living, this tells you where the model stops, so you can trust that nothing outside those lines is faked. If you are studying for the ATSA, it tells you which behaviors are safe to learn from and which are game-shaped shortcuts.
Rules first, then data. I would rather have a made-up airport flying correct procedures than a real one flying wrong ones. Every simplification here was a choice, and the test each one has to pass is whether it teaches you something false about how the system works. If it does, it is a bug and it belongs in the last column.
Primary sources: FAA Order JO 7110.65 (current edition, BB), 14 CFR 91.117, and the AIM. Paragraph numbers follow the current 7110.65 and are stable across recent editions unless noted. This page audits the code as it stands; it does not change it.
VectorHeavy is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the FAA. Procedure and airport data are derived from publicly available FAA products.
Verdict key:
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Flat 3.0 nm lateral minimum everywhere in the radar environment. | 7110.65 5-5-4: 3 nm when less than 40 nm from the antenna; 5 nm at 40 nm or more. Terminal work is almost entirely inside 40 nm, so 3 nm is the terminal number. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. The whole playfield is terminal airspace inside 40 nm, so the 5-nm en-route band never applies on-scope. Right number for the modeled environment. |
| No 2.5 nm reduced minimum on final. | 7110.65 5-5-4 (reduced-separation-on-final): 2.5 nm is authorized between aircraft established on the final approach course within 10 nm of the runway, when specific site/aircraft conditions are met. | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (Academy / v0.3). We are conservative, we hold 3 nm where the real world sometimes allows 2.5. That never creates a false "safe" call, but it under-rewards tight final sequencing, a core controller skill. Suggested fix: allow 2.5 nm between two established-on-final arrivals inside 10 nm, gated behind an Academy toggle so casual play keeps the simpler rule. |
| 1000 ft vertical minimum. | 7110.65 5-5-4: 1,000 ft vertical below FL410. | FAITHFUL. Our band tops out at ~17,000 ft, so the 2,000-ft RVSM-ceiling case never arises. |
| Diverging-course exemption: a pair whose present gap is opening is not flagged. The sign of the closure rate gates both the tower exemption and the CA predictor. | 7110.65 5-5-7 (Passing or Diverging): separation may be discontinued when courses diverge by 15° or more and targets have passed / will not touch. | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3). Real 5-5-7 keys on a 15° angular divergence plus a passed-targets test. A closure-rate sign is not that test: it is stricter in some geometries and looser in others, and the loose half is what decides this row. Two nearly-parallel tracks with a tiny opening rate pass our test and would fail the order's, so the game exempts a pair the rule would not. Suggested fix: replace the raw closure sign with the 15°-divergence-plus-target-resolution test the order actually uses. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Four weight classes (small / large / heavy / super) with an in-trail matrix: heavy-behind-heavy 4, large-behind-heavy 5, small-behind-heavy 6 nm; behind a Super 6/7/8 nm (heavy/large/small); everything else falls back to 3. Behind a LARGE leader the wake case is an ADVISORY, not an enforced minimum: a small inside 4 nm in-trail of a large draws a one-shot "caution wake turbulence" advisory, never a conflict/deal. | Current standard is Consolidated Wake Turbulence (CWT), folded into 7110.65 5-5-4, a nine-category (A–I) pairwise system (Super, Upper/Lower Heavy, B757, Upper/Lower Large, Upper/Lower Small). Representative radar minima: behind Super 5–8 nm; behind Heavy 4–5 nm; small behind B757 4 nm. 7110.65 2-1-20 / AIM 7-4 make "CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE" the controller's standing advisory tool in the terminal environment. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. The matrix is the legacy distance scheme, not current CWT. The enforced values (behind heavy/super) sit inside the real CWT envelope, so no enforced call the game makes is unsafe. Small-behind-large as an advisory is a deliberate terminal-environment call: in tower/approach ops that pair is routinely handled with the wake CAUTION advisory (2-1-20) and visual/time separation rather than a radar deal, and ending a session over a Skyhawk 3.5 nm behind a 737 taught a false severity. The advisory keeps the hazard visible without faking an operational error. Behind heavy/super stays enforced, those are the accident-history cases. NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3): B757 special case + CWT A–I migration (the B757 case would return small-behind-757 to an enforced 4 nm). |
| Wake in-trail requires the same 1000-ft band and a ±45° in-trail cone behind the generator. | CWT wake application is for a following aircraft directly behind and at/below the leader on the same track/approach. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. A 45° cone plus a 1000-ft band is a reasonable geometric proxy for "directly behind, same or lower altitude." Real application is also distance/altitude-below sensitive in ways we don't model, but the abstraction is honest. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Modeled. When a heavy departs (rotates) off a runway end, that end carries a 120-second wake departure interval: a following takeoff from the same end is rejected ("unable, wake turbulence") until it elapses. The rule is non-waivable. Clicking TKOF during the interval issues the clearance, the pilot refuses, and a countdown ("wake interval: 1:23 remaining") shows the wait. LUAW is allowed during the interval (you may position the aircraft; the readback appends "expect one minute twenty for wake"). Blocked departures show a "WAKE m:ss" note on the strip. The gate is universal, the pattern/AI world respects it too, and it runs from the generator's rotation. | 7110.65 3-9-6/3-9-7 & AIM 7-4: 2 minutes for a small departing behind a heavy (full-length, same runway); 3 minutes for a small behind a heavy/large from an intersection or opposite-direction on the same runway, and that 3-minute intersection interval may not be waived. Behind a Super, 4 minutes. | FAITHFUL (shipped 2026-07-06), one documented under-model. The 2-minute full-length behind-a-heavy interval, the case our single-runway/parallel model actually reaches in normal play, is modeled exactly, non-waivable, from wheels-up. The Super class now exists (§2) and carries its own non-waivable same-runway departure interval. The bounds are listed below the table: deliberate simplifications, none of them teaching a false rule in reachable play. A student can no longer learn from VectorHeavy that you may roll a Skyhawk right behind a departing 767. |
Documented bounds (§3).
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel-pair departures fly a 15° divergent initial climb (left runway 15° left, right runway 15° right) until 3,000 ft AGL or 5 nm, then own-nav. | 7110.65 5-8-3: between successive departures off the same runway or parallels < 2,500 ft apart, 1 nm separation is authorized if courses diverge by 15° or more immediately after departure (the divergent turn must commence no later than 2 nm from the departure end). | FAITHFUL in spirit, well-modeled. The 15° divergence number is exactly right and is the mechanism controllers actually rely on. We model the geometry (aircraft physically splitting) rather than the 1-nm reduced-separation credit, which is the right call for a visual game. One soft edge: our divergence completes by 3,000 AGL / 5 nm, whereas the rule's trigger is the turn commencing within 2 nm. Close enough that no false lesson is taught. |
| The tower visual-separation exemption: a non-converging pair with either aircraft in the initial-climb/short-final "tower regime" (below 1,500 AGL, within 4 nm) is exempt from the flat 3-nm radar rule. | Tower separates by visual separation (7110.65 Ch. 7) and same-runway rules (3-9-6) on and near the runway, not by radar 3-nm/1000-ft. Two parallels rotating together, or an arrival to one runway while a departure rolls the parallel, are routine. | SIMPLIFIED-OK / FAITHFUL intent. The concept is right, radar minima do not own the runway environment, implemented as a bounded exemption rather than a full visual-separation model. The convergence guard keeps a genuine low-altitude head-on a violation, which is the right safety floor. The 1,500-AGL / 4-nm ring is a game constant, not a published boundary; that's an honest abstraction of "the tower's airspace." |
Several modeled fields land parallel runways: KSEA feeds three N/S parallels (16L/16C/16R, sub-1-nm apart, the center-to-outer spacing is on the order of 800 ft), and KSTL runs 30L/30R about 1,300 ft apart. The flat 3-nm/1,000-ft radar minimum is the radar-environment IFR standard for a single stream. Aircraft established on different parallel localizers are not separated by that rule: they are separated by the approach operation itself (simultaneous independent approaches, or dependent staggered approaches at close spacing), where the runway geometry plus the localizer discipline is the protection.
Holding two correctly-established parallel arrivals to the raw radar rule is wrong: at KSEA every established neighbor sits inside 3 nm of the next, so the whole final complex paints red and a sustained false "loss of separation" can end a session no player action could have prevented.
So a pair is exempt from the radar LOS rule when both aircraft are established on the final approach course of different parallel runways of the same flow: distinct runway ends, courses parallel within ~1°, each still inside a tight established corridor (~0.5 nm cross-track of its own centerline) and inside the approach segment (from the ~12-nm gate out to the threshold). The exemption drops the flat lateral and the flat vertical (the operation separates the pair on both axes) and the wake in-trail requirement (the cross-final wake matrix is not the governing rule between two independent localizers). While either aircraft is not established (converging, JOINing, or being vectored), full minima apply, so two ships at the same altitude still cannot be blitzed toward parallel finals; they must be established (or vertically split) first. The backstop is automatic: a ship that departs its corridor loses established status and the full minima (flat + wake) re-apply and catch the geometry.
This applies identically on both clearance paths: the legacy one-step landing clearance, and the two-clearance approach flow (CA then L), where the aircraft holds the onApproach phase from the approach clearance all the way to the numbers. Establishment is read from whichever latch the aircraft carries, so the exemption, the corridor backstop, and the "not established means full minima" rule all behave the same either way.
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| What we model: two aircraft established on different parallel localizers of the same flow are exempt from the 3-nm/1,000-ft rule and the wake matrix. Establishment is a live corridor + segment test, not just a latch, so leaving the lane re-applies minima. Unestablished convergence toward parallel finals is held to full minima. | 7110.65 5-9 (parallel/simultaneous approaches): simultaneous independent approaches (with monitoring) are authorized to parallels spaced per the runway geometry; dependent approaches to closely spaced parallels use a diagonal stagger. In both, aircraft established on separate finals are separated by the approach authorization, not radar minima applied across the two finals. | FAITHFUL intent, bounded v0. The authorization concept plus the established-corridor discipline is right, and it is the mechanism controllers rely on. The corridor width (0.5 nm), segment length (12 nm), and 1° course tolerance are game constants, not published boundaries, an honest abstraction of "established on this localizer." |
| What we do NOT model: the dependent ops 1.5-nm diagonal stagger, the NTZ (no-transgression zone) and its PRM/monitor controller, and any per-airport runway-spacing switch between independent and dependent rules. We apply one "both established on parallel finals = exempt" rule at every parallel field. | 7110.65 5-9-7 / PRM: dependent approaches require the diagonal spacing; simultaneous close-parallel (PRM) ops require an NTZ and a dedicated monitor controller who can break an aircraft off a converging path. | DOCUMENTED SIMPLIFICATION. We neither reward the diagonal stagger nor simulate the NTZ monitor. This is safe because the exemption only applies while both aircraft are genuinely in their corridors; a transgression (a ship crossing toward its neighbor) drops establishment and the ordinary minima re-arm, which is the game's stand-in for the monitor break-off. CWT letter-pair wake and the reduced-2.5-on-final credit (§2, §1) remain on the refinement backlog. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| An arrival inside 2 nm final with the runway occupied (a departure rolling/lined-up, or another arrival in rollout) goes around on its own. | 7110.65 3-9-6: a departure may not begin roll, and an arrival is not "separated," until the preceding aircraft has crossed the runway end / turned, or the preceding arrival is clear of the runway. Landmark-distance alternative: airborne + 3,000 ft (Cat I), 4,500 ft (Cat II), 6,000 ft (Cat III). | SIMPLIFIED-OK. We enforce the outcome the rule protects (don't put two aircraft on one runway) via a pilot go-around, rather than the controller-side "don't clear it in the first place" gate. The 2-nm trigger is a game constant, not the rule's actual "clear of the runway" test. NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3): model the anticipated-separation gate (allow a landing clearance when the preceding departure will be airborne-and-past by threshold), and the Cat I/II/III landmark distances, so the player is rewarded for tight-but-legal single-runway sequencing instead of only being punished by the go-around. |
| The occupied-runway go-around protects crossing and intersecting pavement, not just the same runway end: an arrival, or a pattern option / touch-and-go, goes around when a departure is rolling (or an arrival is in rollout) on any runway whose pavement its runway crosses (KSTL 6/24 × 12R/30L, KJEF 9/27 × 12/30). The protected set is computed from threshold geometry, flow-agnostic, and shared with the soak touchdown-protection law so the two can never drift. | 7110.65 3-9-6 / 3-9-4: separation on intersecting runways protects the intersection, a roll on one runway owns the pavement another runway crosses; an arrival may not touch down through it. | FAITHFUL. The protected pavement is derived from the real runway geometry, so a landing (or a touch-and-go) onto a runway a departure is rolling across triggers the go-around, exactly like a same-end conflict. Line up and wait stays same-end only (holding in position at a crossing runway's end is not on this runway's pavement, an anticipating-separation call, 3-9-4). Intersection-departure wake and LUAW on crossing runways remain unmodeled (§3, §6). |
VectorHeavy's traffic is a mix of IFR airline/GA and VFR aircraft (light singles in the pattern, VFR full-stop arrivals, VFR departures). The 3 nm / 1,000 ft radar minimum is the IFR-to-IFR standard. A VFR aircraft is see-and-avoid: it is responsible for its own separation from other traffic, receives traffic advisories and safety alerts rather than radar minima, and the controller cannot even assign it an altitude (an altitude command answers "unable, VFR"). Holding a VFR pair to the IFR 3 nm / 1,000 ft rule is wrong: it ended sessions for a "loss of separation" the player had no tool to prevent. Pairs involving VFR therefore use a lighter proximity regime, and a pair of pilot-owned VFR tracks is resolved by their autonomous see-and-avoid rather than charged to the controller.
The regime covers closed-traffic pattern aircraft for their whole circuit, not only on the arrival legs: a ship flying upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, or final at a small field remains part of the live traffic picture. An inbound VFR pilot automatically reports the airport in sight inside a modeled 12 nm visual range; only then does L become available. Outside Class B the controller assigns the runway and landing/option clearance, while the pilot chooses the visual path, distance, spacing, pattern entry, and heading; extend downwind and option/full-stop sequencing remain available pattern tools. A pilot may approximately use a published final course as a convenient geometric reference, but it receives no RNAV/ILS clearance and does not comply with procedure fixes, markers, or altitude restrictions. Class B is the heading-vector exception. VFR never accepts controller altitude, speed, or fix routing. Once L is accepted it is a durable landing goal: the pilot may fly away or around to create a realistic final and does not claim the clearance was missing. Pilot-owned VFR tracks continuously predict nearby traffic, but select and hold one maneuver through a commitment and clear-confirmation window instead of changing heading every tick. Inside the traffic pattern (the 45, the way to a base or crosswind entry, the upwind and crosswind after a go-around, downwind, base and final, and every leg of a closed-traffic circuit) that generic break-off is off: spacing there is the downwind extension, the base-turn traffic check and the tower's own sequencing instructions (§5B). A controller heading or hold removes the autonomous-pair exemption; wake turbulence always remains authoritative. A runway conflict or controller go-around can still break off the attempt.
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| A pair with either aircraft VFR does not use 3 nm / 1,000 ft. Instead the proximity ladder is 1.5 nm AND 500 ft, with 0.5 nm AND 300 ft as the tuned near-midair floor. When both VFR tracks are pilot-owned, their see-and-avoid state machine owns prediction and resolution, so the pair produces no controller CA, red LOS, deduction, or session ending. If a controller heading/hold owns either lateral path, the proximity ladder becomes accountable again. | AIM 4-4-1, 5-5-2; 7110.65 2-1-6 (safety alert), 5-5-1: VFR aircraft in Class C/D/E are separated by see-and-avoid; ATC provides traffic advisories and, when the controller is aware of a hazard, a safety alert, not radar separation minima. IFR-to-VFR target-resolution/500 ft service applies in Class C (500 ft/target resolution) and Class B (1.5 nm / 500 ft); Class D is runway separation + advisories. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Modeling autonomous VFR-VFR spacing as pilot responsibility avoids teaching that the player must somehow vector aircraft they do not control. The ownership handoff makes a player-created conflict accountable. The 1.5 nm / 500 ft alert mirrors the Class B IFR-vs-VFR number, and the 0.5 nm / 300 ft NMAC is a tuned game floor, not a published boundary. Bounds: the game uses exact traffic state as a proxy for sight and does not model visibility/occlusion or drawn shelf geometry. |
| Wake separation still applies behind a heavy for a VFR pair, the wake in-trail matrix (§2) is evaluated regardless of VFR status and is never relaxed by the proximity regime, in both the live check and the predictor. A light single trailing a heavy is flagged at the wake distance and scored as a wake deal, not a VFR safety event. | AIM 7-4, 7110.65 5-5-4 (CWT): wake turbulence is physics, not a procedural minimum, it does not care whether the trailing aircraft is IFR or VFR. A light aircraft behind a heavy is the textbook wake-encounter accident. | FAITHFUL. Keeping the wake matrix authoritative for VFR pairs is correct, and it is the one place a VFR pair is held to a distance, because the hazard is real regardless of flight rules. The tower visual-separation exemption (§4) still takes precedence where it applies. |
A VFR arrival the tower tells to enter a downwind (PE <rwy> L/R), a base (LB/RB) or a crosswind (LC/RC), or clears to land with no entry, flies the traffic pattern itself. The tower sequences it with the instructions a real tower uses: extend downwind (ED), turn base (TB), position reports (RP), spacing turns (ML/MR 360/270), continue (CN), remain outside (RO), circle the airport (CIR), go around (A), and on the way out a straight-out departure (T <rwy> SO). These rows say where all of it comes from.
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern size and altitude. The pilot flies the pattern at 1,000 ft AGL in a piston airplane and 1,500 ft AGL in a turbine. The downwind is 0.6 to 1.0 nm from the runway in a piston (scaled by the type's approach speed: a C152 about 0.7, a Skyhawk about 0.8, a Bonanza 1.0) and 1.0 to 1.5 nm in a turbine. It holds pattern altitude to abeam the approach end, then descends steadily along the rest of the pattern, and turns base to roll out on a final of about 1.2 nm. Spacing behind traffic comes from extending the downwind: number two turns base once the traffic it follows has passed abeam on final, its base track is clear, and it would reach the runway at least a minute from anyone else on or turning onto the same final; never from a bigger pattern. Closed-traffic circuits apply the same one-minute test before their base turn. With nobody on final to follow it extends at most 4 nm before turning base. | AIM 4-3-3a: propeller aircraft enter the pattern at 1,000 ft AGL; large and turbine aircraft at not less than 1,500 ft AGL. AIM 4-3-3 (FIG 4-3-3 key 2): maintain pattern altitude until abeam the approach end on downwind; (key 3) complete the turn to final at least 1/4 mile from the runway; the pilot may size the pattern to the aircraft's performance. Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) ch. 8 and AC 90-66C: a downwind about 1/2 to 1 mile from the runway, base begun about 45 degrees past abeam the threshold. 7110.65 3-8-1: "extend downwind" is the tower's spacing tool. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the final sits at the long end of a normal pattern (the AFH's 45-degree point leaves a final about as long as the downwind is wide), because the FINAL tag is honest only once the aircraft is established and a soak law holds every landing to a mile of FINAL. The downwind distance is a function of approach speed, not a published pattern: no field's traffic pattern altitude or size is sourced, so every field uses the AIM defaults. The 4 nm extension limit and the one-minute runway gap are OUR DISCRETION (the gap stands in for the tower's landing sequence; a light single rolls out and clears well inside it). Closed-traffic circuits keep their own built circuit (crosswind turned 1 nm out), a little wider than this. |
| Entering the pattern. A VFR arrival told to enter a downwind, and a closed-traffic ship inbound from outside, enter on a 45-degree leg that meets the downwind abeam the runway's midpoint, level at pattern altitude. Coming up from the approach end it stays outside the 45 on the way to it, never flying the downwind's own line against its traffic. A pilot already beside the runway on the pattern side and heading downwind joins the downwind directly. From the side away from the pattern it does not descend below 500 ft above pattern altitude until it is across. Every turn and descent is flown at normal rates; nothing is placed on the downwind. | AIM 4-3-3 (FIG 4-3-3 key 1): enter the pattern in level flight, abeam the midpoint of the runway, at pattern altitude. AC 90-66C and the Airplane Flying Handbook ch. 8: the 45-degree entry to midfield downwind; a pilot arriving from the side away from the pattern crosses midfield at least 500 ft above pattern altitude before entering. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the 45 is 2 nm long (OUR DISCRETION); the crossing floor only stops a descent, it never climbs a pilot who is already lower, and the AFH's cross-and-return is flown as a direct line to the start of the 45. The tower's other entries are the straight-in (PE <rwy> S) and the base and crosswind below. |
Base and crosswind entries. PE <rwy> LB/RB: "enter left base runway one eight". The pilot flies at pattern altitude to the base leg a mile outside the downwind's corner, turns onto it and tracks it to the final turn; the leg lies where a base turned off this pattern's downwind lies, so the final is the pattern's usual one. Turning onto it is a base turn like any other: behind the traffic it follows and into a gap on the final, or he waits on the downwind side as number two on a downwind does. PE <rwy> LC/RC: "enter left crosswind". The pilot flies to a point a mile out on the side away from the pattern, half a mile beyond the departure end, crosses the extended centerline on the crosswind leg at pattern altitude and turns downwind from it. A closed-traffic ship still inbound joins its circuit on the leg it was told. | 7110.65 3-10-1a: the tower's pattern information includes "ENTER LEFT/RIGHT BASE". AIM 4-3-2: the crosswind leg is "at right angles to the landing runway off its takeoff end", a leg the tower can name; AC 90-66C describes entering from the upwind side. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: 7110.65 lists the base entry but not the crosswind one; "enter left crosswind" follows the same "enter (leg)" form and the AIM's leg names. The one-mile and half-mile distances are OUR DISCRETION. The pilot takes the entry from wherever he is told it, flying direct to its start, rather than questioning an entry that does not fit his position. |
Sequencing the pattern. ED "extend downwind, I'll call your base", now for a VFR arrival as well as closed traffic: the pilot stays on the downwind until TB "turn base leg now", and a landing clearance does not end the extension. Four miles past his normal base turn he asks for it once ("still extending downwind, request base"), and at ten miles turns base on his own and says so. TB turns him at once out of an extension or a wait for traffic, but never short of his pattern's normal base turn, and from his downwind: carried off it (a break-off, a turn put right halfway round), he gets back on it first. RP M/B/F "report midfield downwind / base / final": he calls "midfield left downwind runway one eight" (or the base, or "final runway one eight") when he gets there, or where he is if already past it. A pilot flying the pattern he was told to enter makes no other leg calls: in particular no "swinging out to set up for runway one eight" on the downwind. | 7110.65 3-8-1: "EXTEND DOWNWIND"; the 3-10-5 example "extend downwind, tower will call your base"; 3-10-5 note: a landing clearance does not relieve the pilot of a restriction already issued. 3-1-9 (tower radar) example: "TURN BASE LEG NOW"; AIM 4-3-2: the tower may advise "a pilot on an extended downwind when to turn base leg". 3-10-1: requests for position reports may use the legs of the traffic pattern. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: "never short of the normal base turn" is OUR DISCRETION: a real "turn base now" can cut a pattern tighter, but the scope's FINAL tag is honest only once established, and a quarter-mile final would land before it could say so. The request-for-base call and the ten-mile limit are OUR DISCRETION, so a forgotten extension cannot fly away. |
Spacing turns. ML 360, MR 270 and so on: "make left three-sixty", "make right two-seventy". Flown at the standard-rate ceiling the turn model already holds (3 degrees per second at pattern speeds), level, then the pilot picks up the leg he was on. A two-seventy off a downwind that rolls out on the base heading is the base, at or past the normal base turn. | 7110.65 3-8-1: "MAKE LEFT/RIGHT THREE-SIXTY/TWO SEVENTY". AIM 4-3-5: outside an emergency a 360 is made in the pattern only when the controller asks for it or after telling him. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the pilot does not refuse a turn the controller asks for at low altitude on short final; the turn is the player's call. A two-seventy short of the normal base turn hands back to the downwind rather than turning a base onto a final too short to land from. |
Continue. CN: "runway one eight, continue". A pilot in the pattern the tower cannot clear yet flies the final down as if cleared, asks nothing, and goes around only inside half a mile if the clearance still has not come. Without it he holds pattern altitude, asks "confirm cleared to land?", and goes around turning final. | 7110.65 3-10-1: "CONTINUE" in the landing information, with the note that information normally goes with it ("continue, report one mile final"); the 3-10-5 example "Runway One-Eight, continue, traffic holding in position". 14 CFR 91.129(i): no landing without a clearance. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the half-mile go-around point is OUR DISCRETION (about 150 ft on a 3-degree path). VFR only: an IFR arrival on an approach clearance keeps its own no-clearance go-around point (§14). |
| Going around. Any VFR go-around (ordered, runway occupied, too high, through the final, or no landing clearance) stays in the pattern. The pilot flies the upwind over the runway climbing to pattern altitude, turns crosswind just beyond the departure end once within 300 ft of it (a mile and a half past it at most), and joins the downwind on the side he was flying, keeping his entry: the tower needs only to clear him again. A straight-in comes back on the runway's pattern side, else left. A pilot still flying out to the pattern keeps flying it. It used to hold runway heading at field + 1,500 or + 3,000 ft until re-cleared, and flew off the map when nobody did. | P/CG "GO AROUND" with 7110.65 3-8-1 "GO AROUND (additional instructions as necessary)": a VFR pilot not told otherwise overflies the runway, climbs to pattern altitude and re-enters the pattern. AIM 4-3-3 (FIG 4-3-3 key 5): crosswind beyond the departure end within 300 ft of pattern altitude. 14 CFR 91.126(b)(1), 91.129(f)(1): turns to the left unless told otherwise. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the upwind is flown on the centerline, not offset to the side the AFH suggests to keep a departure in sight. The tower cannot yet add "additional instructions" to the go-around itself; it gives them after (TB, ED, ML/MR, RO, CIR). |
Before anyone works it. A VFR arrival the controller has not entered, sequenced or cleared does not head for the runway. It flies to a point 5 nm from the field (just outside the 4 nm surface area, further out if it must be), on the bearing nearest its own that is at least 2.5 nm from every final approach course and departure path in use, rounding the surface area on the way, and circles there to the left (to the right where the runway's pattern is right traffic) until it is told what to do. It never lands uncleared and does not ask "confirm cleared to land?" while it waits. At a Class B field it still holds outside the Bravo until cleared in, as before; once cleared in, it waits inside the Bravo. The tower can put any VFR arrival back into this wait: RO "remain outside Delta (Charlie) airspace and standby" (at a Class B field, "remain outside Bravo airspace", the same as RB) and CIR "circle the airport" withdraw its entry and landing clearance; for RO the pilot leaves the field's own Class D (or C) by the nearest bearing the finals and departure paths allow and circles just outside it, on rings out to 15 nm. The whole circle, at the altitude he is waiting at, is clear of every other Class C or D and of any Bravo he is not cleared into, and so is his way out to it once he has left his own airspace (flown as he will fly it, turn included): he is never sent into a neighbour's airspace he has no radio contact or clearance for. PE ends either. | 14 CFR 91.129(f)(1) and AIM 4-3-2: unless otherwise authorized or directed by the tower, a fixed-wing pilot approaching to land circles the airport to the left, and needs a clearance before landing (91.129(i)). 91.126(b)(1) and AIM 4-3-3: pattern turns are to the left unless right traffic is indicated. 7110.65 3-1-13 and 7-8-4 (AIM 3-2-4, 3-2-5): "REMAIN OUTSIDE DELTA/CHARLIE AIRSPACE AND STANDBY"; 3-8-1: "CIRCLE THE AIRPORT". | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: CIR is flown as this wait, a circle about one point outside the surface area, not a lap round the field closer in. Where no such point exists within 15 nm, RO relaxes in steps, to a way out that once clear stays clear, then to the field's own airspace alone. The plain wait and CIR still consider only the 4 nm surface area, so their circle can lie in a neighbouring field's surface area. RO and CIR are tower instructions on this game's seats, so the approach-only seat refuses them. The wait point is OUR DISCRETION: the rules say which way to turn and that the pilot may not land, not where to wait; outside the surface area and off the final and departure paths is the conservative reading. The surface area is the nominal 4 nm of 91.117(b), not each field's charted Class D. The side used is the runway's pattern side this session, which the sim rolls per session rather than taking from each field's charted pattern. |
Departing the pattern. A VFR departure is cleared "left turn approved" (right where the runway's pattern is right traffic). It climbs straight out on runway heading until it is past the departure end and at pattern altitude (or the lower altitude it is climbing to), then turns 45 degrees the approved way and holds that heading out of the airspace. T <rwy> SO approves a "straight-out departure" instead, and the pilot keeps the runway heading out. | AIM 4-3-3 (FIG 4-3-3 key 6): when departing the traffic pattern, continue straight out, or exit with a 45-degree turn (left in a left-hand pattern, right in a right-hand one) beyond the departure end after reaching pattern altitude. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the pilot takes whichever exit the tower approves rather than choosing one himself, and has no destination course to turn on to afterwards. No modelled field spawns a non-pattern VFR departure today (§17), so this is proved by a staged soak law rather than seen in organic traffic. |
Some VFR pilots do what the rules or the tower did not allow. VectorHeavy flies a few of them on purpose, rarely, and always says so: the target and data block turn hot pink, the data block and the strip read DEV, and the radio log says PILOT DEVIATION and what he did. The controller puts it right with ordinary instructions; the pilot answers, slightly sheepish, and complies, and the pink clears once he is complying. Left alone, it runs its course without forcing a collision, and the after-action review lists it as missed. These rows say what is real and what is ours.
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| How often. One VFR pilot in twenty (full-stop arrivals and closed-traffic ships; never in the tutorial, never on the approach-only seat) carries a deviation, rolled when he appears from the shift's own seed. Whether he ever flies it depends on the traffic and the controller: a pilot cleared to land before his final cannot land without a clearance. The kinds come in proportion to a starting set of weights: entering the Class D (C) without radio contact 25, an early base in front of traffic 20, the wrong downwind 8, an unapproved three-sixty 7, landing without a clearance 15. | FAA Order JO 8020.16C 1-n: a pilot deviation is an action that violates a Federal Aviation Regulation. The FAASTeam counts about 4,000 a year nationally; among VFR deviations airspace ranks first. The only per-event set found, 147 FAA Scottsdale FSDO pilot deviations (Arizona Pilots Association summaries, Dec 2021 to Nov 2024), gives for the airborne VFR kinds a tower sees: Class D without two-way radio 33, failure to follow instructions 17, landing or touch and go without clearance about 10, Class B 9, wrong surface about 7. | OUR DISCRETION, disclosed. No source publishes a rate per VFR flight, and the national count against tens of millions of operations makes real deviations far rarer than one in twenty: the rate is a deliberate amplification so a shift can contain one. The weights are judgment anchored to the Scottsdale shares (a dense training area, so they lean to students). Three of the review's seven kinds are not flown: lining up on the wrong runway or a taxiway (the sim has no taxiway surface, and its landing logic works to one cleared runway), slow or no compliance after an instruction (an accepted instruction with no answer, which the command and replay layers do not model), and climbing into a Class B shelf (the Bravo entry model already holds VFR outside an uncleared Bravo, and few VFR pilots here climb under a shelf). |
| Class D (C) entry without two-way radio contact. On the wrong frequency: he never calls, so he does not wait outside as an unworked VFR arrival does; he flies on in toward the field. He is called out the moment he is inside the field's Class D (or any part of its Class C), calls up about 15 seconds later ("sorry, we were on the wrong frequency"), and then waits for instructions like anyone else. Any instruction you give him puts it right. Not flown where his way in crosses a final or departure path, traffic, or a Bravo: he comes up on the right frequency just outside instead. | 14 CFR 91.129(c) (Class D) and 91.130(c) (Class C): two-way radio communication must be established before entering. AIM 3-2-5, 3-2-4. 7110.65 3-1-13: "remain outside Delta airspace and standby". | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: he enters by a few tenths of a mile, not deep into the airspace; the late call and the half-minute it stays pink after it are OUR DISCRETION. |
The early base. Holding his base turn for traffic on the final, he turns anyway, at or past his own base point, and joins in front of it. Only where that traffic is VFR, he would reach the runway at least 30 seconds ahead of it, and nothing comes within 0.6 nm and 400 ft of him in the next minute (2 nm and 800 ft, for a minute and a half, of any traffic the controller answers for: IFR, or a VFR on his vector). Put right by A (go around) or ML/MR 360/270. A go-around his landing forces on the traffic behind costs the controller nothing. | 14 CFR 91.123(b): no operation contrary to an ATC instruction. 91.113(g): aircraft on final have the right of way. 7110.65 3-8-1 (go around, make three-sixty), 2-1-6 (safety alert). | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the margins are OUR DISCRETION, chosen above the game's near-midair box (0.5 nm and 300 ft) so the cut is tight but never the ending. |
The wrong downwind. Told "enter left downwind", he flies the right one (or the reverse): the one beside him, never across the final, decided within four and a half miles of the runway where he should be crossing over (so it shows within seconds); only a downwind entry, only with no closed traffic on that runway, nobody near the downwind he flies and his way to it clear of traffic. Called out once he is established toward or on it across the runway. Put right by the same entry again (he crosses back; a landing clearance he holds stands), by the entry he is flying (which authorizes it), or by A, RO or CIR. | 14 CFR 91.123(b); 91.126(b)(1), 91.129(f)(1): pattern turns to the left unless told otherwise. AIM 4-3-3; 7110.65 3-10-1a ("enter left downwind"). | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the pilot does not mishear a base or crosswind entry; only downwinds. |
The unapproved three-sixty. On the downwind, abeam the runway, a full turn away from the runway, level, then back to the downwind. Only with nobody within 2 nm and 1,000 ft for a minute and a half, and nobody flying the pattern within 3 nm at any height (a circuit climbs and turns onto the circle). Put right by ED, TB, CN or PE (he rolls out on the downwind), or approved after the fact with ML/MR 360. | AIM 4-3-5: outside an emergency a 360 is made in the pattern only when asked or after telling the controller. 14 CFR 91.123(b). | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: always outward; real ones go either way. |
Landing without a clearance. Believing he is cleared, he commits on the base and flies the final down instead of holding 500 ft and going around; he asks nothing. Only with the runway, its crossing pavement and the final around him empty; his own look at the runway still sends him around if anything moves onto it. Called out once he is below about 450 ft on the final. Put right by A, or authorized by L (or FS for closed traffic). Left alone, he lands, or touches and goes. | 14 CFR 91.129(i): no takeoff, landing or touch and go without a clearance. 7110.65 3-8-1: "go around". Pilot deviations are about 60% of runway incursions nationally (FAA ATO testimony, 11/9/2023). | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the 450 ft call-out point is OUR DISCRETION (about where an uncleared pilot would have levelled off). |
| Called out and put right. The pink, the DEV and the PILOT DEVIATION line appear together, only once the deviation is observable on the scope (a few seconds into a turn; the moment he crosses the boundary), and clear once he is complying. The pilot's readback keeps every required item and opens with a sheepish acknowledgment from a rotating bank ("uh, correction, enter left downwind runway one four, Cessna two three four"). A catch inside a minute of the call-out scores +25, about what a timely handoff earns over a late one; the deviation itself costs nothing, and separation is scored as always. The pink is a color token per theme, measured against the conflict red (magenta in the color-blind theme), the warning amber, both blip families and the handed-off gray, and against the red under protanopia and deuteranopia simulation (test:surfaces). | CLAUDE.md, HONEST WORLD: tags never claim what is not true. ASRS reports (ACN 2061556, 2050720, 2080752 and others in the review) show the usual response: the pilot complies and apologizes. | OUR DISCRETION for the color, the bank and the bonus. The DEV text and the radio line mean the state is never carried by color alone. |
Possible pilot deviation (2-1-27). After a deviation that broke a rule (not a wrong side or a turn put right within 8 seconds, which reads as a mishear), once the pilot has been put right, or after a landing made without a clearance, the menu offers "Possible pilot deviation" (PD) for two minutes: "(callsign), possible pilot deviation, advise you contact (facility) at (number)". The pilot reads the number back. +10 and a "good procedure" line in the review; leaving it out costs nothing. The nickname the notification goes by is never said on frequency or written in the radio log. | 7110.65 2-1-27: "(Identification) POSSIBLE PILOT DEVIATION ADVISE YOU CONTACT (facility) AT (telephone number)", issued workload permitting; its note says the nickname is not used in direct pilot communications. In the Scottsdale set it was given in about 44% of the events. | FAITHFUL-with-bounds. Bounds: the number is a 555-01xx number, the block the North American Numbering Plan reserves for fiction, stable per field; it is never a facility's real number. The follow-up under JO 8020.16C is not modeled. |
| Which shifts. Every mode, Ranked included, except the tutorial (the first shift) and the approach-only seat (VFR arrivals go to the tower before the pattern there, and the pattern is not simulated on it). | They draw from their own seeded stream and the tape records that the shift flew them, so a replay and the high-score audit reproduce them exactly, as they do the emergencies. | OUR DISCRETION. They only ever add a small bonus, so a Ranked score cannot lose points to one. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
LUAW (W command) is unrestricted: any holding-short departure can be told to line up and wait on any runway end, day or night, with no traffic-advisory requirement. | 7110.65 3-9-4: when an aircraft is authorized LUAW, inform it of traffic within 6 flying miles requesting the same runway (full-stop/T&G/option/low approach). Do not LUAW when the intersection isn't visible from the tower; night-intersection LUAW needs specific approval and a departure-only runway; no simultaneous LUAW on intersecting runways. | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3 / Academy). We model none of the 3-9-4 constraints. In the current single-runway/parallel airports the "intersecting runways" and "intersection visibility" cases rarely bite, but the 6-nm traffic advisory is a routine, teachable requirement we skip. Suggested fix: require/emit the "traffic N-mile final" advisory when LUAW is issued with an arrival inside 6 nm, and (once intersecting-runway airports exist) reject simultaneous LUAW on crossing runways. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| An arrival enters the TRACON at its type's descent speed, not at 250 kt: transport jets at 280 kt, turboprops and pistons at their own (lower) ceiling. Below 10,000 ft every type flies 250 or its own ceiling, whichever is less. | 14 CFR 91.117(a) caps 250 kt indicated below 10,000 ft MSL and imposes no limit above it; transport descent schedules above 10,000 run ~280-300 KIAS (B737 ~280/.78, A320 ~300/.78), which is the band the published STAR crossings are drawn around. | FAITHFUL. Applying the sub-10,000 limit above 10,000 was the defect: it made a charted 280-kt crossing (KSTL LORLE3, GETUP 280) unmeetable by construction. 280 is the conservative end of the real band. Airspeed is modeled as a single number in a no-wind world, so IAS/TAS/Mach are not distinguished and the descent schedule does not change with altitude. |
| An aircraft descending toward 10,000 ft starts slowing early enough to be at 250 kt when it gets there, rather than beginning the reduction on arrival. | 91.117(a) requires the aircraft to be at or below 250 kt below 10,000, which means the reduction is planned before the threshold, not started at it. | FAITHFUL. The lead point is computed from the aircraft's own modeled sink rate and longitudinal capability, so it arrives at the threshold on speed instead of several hundred feet low and still fast. |
| Assigning > 250 kt below 10,000 ft is refused ("unable, two five zero below one zero thousand"), except a declared medical or fuel emergency. A NORDO (7600) aircraft gets no speed exemption: it flies 250 below 10,000 and the published speeds on the procedure it is flying, like anyone else. | 14 CFR 91.117(a): 250 kt max indicated below 10,000 ft MSL. 14 CFR 91.3(b): in an in-flight emergency the pilot "may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency". 14 CFR 91.185: a radio-failed IFR flight continues on its clearance. | FAITHFUL. Correct threshold, correct value, and a carve-out scoped to what 91.3(b) actually permits. Until 2026-09-10 the carve-out covered NORDO too, and a 7600 arrival held 250 kt straight through charted 210 crossings (KBNA PASLY5 at RDNEK, KIND JAKKS2 at PETYN). A dead radio requires no speed. |
| An emergency still slows to land. A declared medical or fuel emergency is exempt from the speed rules (250 kt below 10,000 ft, 200 kt beneath a Class B shelf, charted STAR and SID speeds), but on final it decelerates to its approach speed on the same schedule as any arrival. | 14 CFR 91.3(b): the pilot "may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency". No emergency requires crossing the threshold fast, and an aircraft lands at its approach speed. | FAITHFUL to the scope of 91.3(b). Until 2026-09-12 the exemption also covered the final-approach deceleration, and a medical or fuel emergency cleared for an approach crossed the threshold at 250 kt, or orbited unable to capture the final. OUR DISCRETION: the emergency flies the same deceleration schedule as a normal arrival; no faster emergency approach is modelled. An emergency pressing on also lands without a landing clearance it has not been given (91.3(b) again), as a lost-comm arrival already does; until 2026-09-12 it flew on past the threshold instead. It still goes around for traffic on its runway: it presses on only to a closed runway and without a landing clearance (until 2026-09-12 it also landed through a departure's takeoff roll). stagedEmergencyApproach and stagedEmergencyRunwayTraffic in scripts/soak.ts assert all three, each with a positive control. |
| 200 kt BENEATH a Class B shelf is now modelled, on both sides of the radio. An aircraft flying its OWN profile in the airspace underlying a published Class B volume is held to 200 kt, and an assigned speed above 200 there is refused ("unable, two zero zero beneath the Bravo"). Inside Class B there is no 200-kt rule and the game does not apply one. The test is a point-in-volume query against the same published polygons the scope draws (§16): laterally inside a Class B shelf's footprint, below that shelf's published floor. | 14 CFR 91.117(c), verbatim: "No person may operate an aircraft in the airspace underlying a Class B airspace area designated for an airport or in a VFR corridor designated through such a Class B airspace area, at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 knots (230 mph)." 91.117(b) states in as many words that it "does not apply to any operations within a Class B airspace area", which must comply with (a). | FAITHFUL. The refusal to ASSIGN is the part that carries the real lesson: (a) reads "unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator" and (b) reads "unless otherwise authorized or required by ATC", but (c) carries no authorization clause at all — so it is the one speed limit in the section a controller cannot lift, and the game refuses rather than clamping. Medical and fuel emergencies are exempt on the same 91.3 footing the 250-kt rule already uses (a NORDO radio failure is not); 91.117(d) (minimum safe airspeed) is honoured by never clamping below the type's approach-speed floor. Bounds below. |
200 kt in a Class C/D surface area is computed but not yet flown. The rule's geometry is modelled and asserted (airspaceSpeedLimit returns it, with its ATC carve-out set correctly, and the assignment path already honours that carve-out) — but the aircraft's own profile is not yet clamped inside the ring. | 14 CFR 91.117(b): "Unless otherwise authorized or required by ATC, no person may operate an aircraft at or below 2,500 feet above the surface within 4 nautical miles of the primary airport of a Class C or Class D airspace area at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 knots (230 mph)." | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (next batch), and the reason is disclosed rather than smoothed over. Switching the clamp on is correct and slows own-profile jets through the ring at the Class C/D fields. That changed traffic picture reproducibly surfaces a pre-existing limit cycle in the VFR pilot-built visual setup — a cleared-to-land light twin at KCOU whose visual setup is torn down and rebuilt by each see-and-avoid maneuver, circling for the rest of the session and never landing. That is a defect in the visual-setup subsystem, not in the speed rule, and shipping a correct speed rule that manufactures a stuck aircraft would trade one false lesson for a worse one. The rule is written, the geometry is asserted by a soak law, and it turns on when that cycle is fixed. |
| A cleared-to-land arrival's assigned speed releases to its own approach speed inside 5 nm final; the player can no longer usefully assign speed there. | 7110.65 5-7-1: do not assign speed adjustments inside the final approach fix, or a point 5 nm from the runway, whichever is closer. | FAITHFUL. Our 5-nm release is exactly the controller-side "hands off the speed" boundary the order draws. |
| No minimum-speed floor within 20 nm (170 kt turbojet / 150 kt turboprop) modeled as a controller constraint; instead each type has an approach-speed floor for assignment. | 7110.65 5-7-3: don't assign less than 170 kt (turbojet) / 150 kt (turboprop/recip) within 20 nm of the threshold. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. Our per-type minimum-assignable-speed accomplishes the same protective effect (you can't slow a jet to a stall) via a cleaner mechanism. The specific 170/150-within-20-nm numbers aren't surfaced, but no false lesson results. |
Documented bounds (§7, the airspace-class speed rules).
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Not modeled. Altitude assignment is clamped to a per-airport band floor, a flat number, with no terrain/obstruction floor and no minimum vectoring altitude. | 7110.65 5-6-3 / 5-6-1: aircraft must be kept at or above the MVA/MIA except on approach; MVA charts are terrain- and obstruction-derived and vary by sector. | SIMPLIFIED-OK (documented major omission). Terrain separation is a whole subsystem requiring an MVA grid. Our flat band floor is a placeholder, not a claim that terrain is safe. NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3+): an MVA polygon layer + a low-altitude alert (MSAW analog). Until then, VectorHeavy should not be read as teaching terrain avoidance at all, flagged prominently for ATSA-prep users. See §19: at KLAS this omission is the defining fact about the field, and it is disclosed there in full. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
Two-step (batch 4) with a one-step shortcut. CA arms the published approach ("cleared ILS runway X approach", with "maintain … until established" when vectoring), then the tower's L clears the landing separately (§14). The legacy single-step L (accepted within ±60° of runway heading and ≤ 3,000 ft AGL) is preserved as a casual shortcut. | Real ops are two-step: approach control issues the approach clearance ("cleared ILS runway X"), which authorizes the published missed approach (7110.65 4-8-1); the tower separately issues "cleared to land" (Ch. 3). "Maintain [alt] until established" and intercept phraseology precede it. | FAITHFUL (batch 4), with a SIMPLIFIED-OK shortcut. The real two-clearance model ships in normal play (see §14 for the full row set), including the 4-8-1 vector-to-intercept phrasing and the go-around when the landing clearance never comes. The one-step L stays as the documented tower shortcut so casual play and the tutorial are untouched. |
Go-around (controller A or pilot-initiated) climbs to field + 3,000 ft on runway heading and awaits vectors. A VFR arrival's go-around instead stays in the traffic pattern and comes back round on its side (§5B). | A real missed approach flies the charted MAP for that specific approach (a published track/altitude/hold), not a generic runway-heading climb. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. Runway-heading-climb-to-3,000-then-vectors is how a radar-vectored missed approach is often handled in practice ("climb runway heading, maintain 3,000, expect vectors"), so it isn't false, it just isn't the charted MAP. Per-approach charted missed approaches are a v0.3 depth item. Phraseology "go around, go around" is faithful. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
H/H <fix> puts the aircraft in an orbit (circular loiter) at the fix or present position; readback "hold at FIX as published". The code itself calls the orbit a v1 approximation. | AIM 5-3-8: a holding pattern is a racetrack, standard right turns, a specified inbound course, 1-minute legs at/below 14,000 ft (1½ min above), with direct / parallel / teardrop entries determined by arrival geometry. | SIMPLIFIED-OK, self-acknowledged. An orbit holds the aircraft in the same airspace, which is the operational point of a hold and what the game needs. It teaches nothing about racetrack geometry, entries, or leg timing. NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3): a real racetrack with a published/assigned inbound course and standard right turns; entry selection is an Academy-depth nicety. Readback "as published" is faithful phrasing. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
Departures become handoff-eligible at their exit fix and above a field-relative floor (~5,000 ft at KSTL); F completes to "contact [Center] [freq], good day." Arrivals hand to ground after rollout. Auto-completes late if ignored. | Real handoffs are a coordination action (7110.65 Ch. 5-4): transferring radar identification to the receiving controller, with radar contact/point-out protocols, not a simple frequency-change-at-a-fix. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. In a single-controller game there is no adjacent human sector to coordinate with, so "hand off at the exit fix" collapses correctly to a frequency change. The phraseology ("contact Denver Center one three four point five, good day"; "turn left when able, contact ground point niner") is faithful, including reading back the frequency. Point-outs have no meaning without a second controller, correctly absent. |
After the handoff (F or the automatic one) a departure stays on the scope: a dim gray target with a two-line data block (callsign, altitude and speed) that keeps flying its last heading and climbing to its last altitude, then drops after 75 s or once it is 10 nm past the larger of the 40 nm sector view and the TRACON radius. It is no longer separated, alerted, scored, selectable or counted. | A radar target does not disappear because the pilot changed frequency; it stays on the display while it is in coverage and in range. How a transferred track's data block is then shown (kept, reduced or removed) depends on facility adaptation and controller settings, which we have not verified. | OUR DISCRETION, disclosed. The gray, the two-line block, the 75 s cap and the drop range are display choices of ours, not reproduced STARS symbology. Not judging the transferred aircraft is MODEL-THE-SEAT: it has left the modelled TRACON volume (§17.4) and belongs to the next controller. |
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| ATIS letter advances A→B→C… every ~12–18 min; altimeter nudges slightly; controller broadcasts "Attention all aircraft, information Bravo is current, altimeter…" and one pilot acks. | 7110.65 2-9-3: a new ATIS code is issued on the hour or when conditions change; pilots report the current code on initial contact so the controller may omit items already in the ATIS; sequential letter progression is standard. | FAITHFUL (texture-level). The rollover mechanic (sequential letters, altimeter change, "information X is current" broadcast) is right, and pilots acking the code is real. Where it's simplified: our roll is on a timer rather than weather-change-driven (weather isn't modeled yet), and pilots don't yet report the code on check-in to let the controller omit items. NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.2): drive the roll off actual wind/weather changes once the weather layer lands, and add code-on-checkin. |
| Game behavior | Real rule / convention | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Digits spoken individually; "niner" for 9; headings always three digits ("two seven zero", "zero niner five"); airspeed and frequencies digit-by-digit; frequency "point". | 7110.65 2-4-x radio phraseology / ICAO digit table. | FAITHFUL. Correct across headings, speeds, runways, frequencies. |
| Altitude grouping: "one one thousand" for 11,000; "niner thousand"; "one zero thousand five hundred". | 7110.65 altitude phraseology: thousands spoken as individual digits + "thousand" + hundreds. | FAITHFUL. This is the correct grouping, and a common thing sims get wrong ("eleven thousand"). |
| Deliberately omits "over" on routine VHF exchanges (a documented decision). | Correct, domestic VHF ATC does not say "over" on routine transmissions. | FAITHFUL. "Over" would make a controller wince. |
| Uses "three"/"five", not the stricter "tree"/"fife" (documented; reserved for an Academy strict mode). | ICAO/7110.65 strict pronunciation is "tree"/"fife". | SIMPLIFIED-OK. A conscious readability choice for general players, with the strict forms parked behind Academy mode. Not wrong for a US-domestic casual read; a purist would prefer the option. |
| Instruction/readback structure: controller callsign-first, full wording; pilot callsign-last, compressed but full value on required items (heading/alt/speed/runway/hold); advisory items get terse seeded acks. | 7110.65 2-4-3 (readback of required items) and standard exchange structure. | FAITHFUL. The callsign-first/last split and the "required items always read back in full, advisories may be terse" rule are right, including reading back hold-short/runway assignments. |
Turn instructions: a plain heading (C 270) is spoken "turn left/right heading two seven zero" with the direction of the shorter arc, and the aircraft flies that arc; a commanded direction (CL/CR) speaks and flies the commanded way even when the other arc is shorter. Holds keep standard right turns. | 7110.65 2-6-2 / 5-6-2: heading instructions specify the turn direction; a pilot given a bare "fly heading" turns the shorter way; a commanded "turn left/right heading …" is flown as commanded (the controller's tool to swing an aircraft the long way around). AIM 5-3-8: standard holding turns are right. | FAITHFUL. Default shortest-way, commanded-direction override, and right-turn holds are modeled as three distinct behaviors. |
| Heavy appends "Heavy" and the A380 class appends "Super" in all phraseology; GA leads with type ("Skyhawk four five two one bravo"). | 7110.65 2-4-20 (heavy/super suffix); GA type-prefix convention. | FAITHFUL. Both the "Heavy" and "Super" weight suffixes are spoken; GA type-prefix is correct. |
| Optional pilot wording uses four registers: relaxed GA VFR, casual but procedural GA IFR, polished passenger airline, and terse, rough-edged freight. Recurring check-ins, visual reports, maneuver advisories, pattern requests, frequency requests, and intention reports rotate without replacement inside their banks. | Real radio delivery varies by operation and crew; mandatory readback content remains governed by 7110.65. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. Register is authored game texture, not a claim about every real pilot. It never removes an assigned heading, altitude, speed, runway, hold, or approach item from a required readback. |
| No explicit hold-short readback enforcement beyond content: the game voices the assignment but doesn't require the pilot to read back "hold short of runway X" as a graded item. | 7110.65 2-4-3 / runway-safety guidance: hold-short instructions are a mandatory readback item. | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (Academy). The pilot lines contain the runway, but a hearback/readback-verification mechanic (does the player catch a wrong readback?) doesn't exist yet. Flagged for the Academy hearback feature. |
| Facility auto-acknowledgments. An IFR check-in at a radar facility draws an automatic "[callsign], [facility], radar contact" in the facility voice a few seconds later, carrying the current altimeter for an arrival. At a tower, and after another decision-expected call such as ready for departure, request lower, unable restriction, or a VFR request, the prompt non-radar acknowledgment is "[callsign], standby". Pilot advisories such as a go-around, maneuvering report, negative visual contact, emergency update, or post-landing status receive "[callsign], roger". The line is cancelled when the player transmits first. Pilot readbacks and expected execution reports are terminal and do not trigger an acknowledgment loop. | 7110.65 5-3-3 (radar identification / "radar contact"); 2-9 (altimeter on initial contact); "standby" and "roger" are standard acknowledgments. | FAITHFUL. Pilot-initiated calls receive a response without falsely claiming radar identification or inventing a clearance. The acknowledgment makes no sequencing decision for the player and never substitutes for an eventual clearance. These lines are radio/UX only: side-effect-free to flight behavior, score, and spawn randomness. |
VectorHeavy flies published RNAV STARs with descend-via. A share of IFR arrivals at a field that has STARs (KSTL/KATL/KDEN/KSEA/KPDX) check in already established on a real charted arrival ("descending via the AARCH TWO arrival"), fly its leg sequence to the runway transition, and manage their own altitude/speed to the charted crossing restrictions until the controller takes them off it. The data comes from the CIFP cycle. The engine never invents a fix or a restriction.
| VectorHeavy behavior | Real rule | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| STAR assignment. A seeded share of IFR arrivals spawn ON a published STAR whose enroute-transition entry best matches the origin bearing, with the runway transition for the expected flow runway. An arrival only takes a STAR whose entry lies within a bearing tolerance of its origin gate, so at a field whose STARs serve one direction (TUL's single NE VINTA3) every other arrival honestly enters direct instead of being repositioned onto a procedure that contradicts its origin. They enter at the TRACON boundary already compliant, descending via the profile. | STARs are the standard arrival structure; a flight is on its filed STAR when handed to approach, already having met the enroute crossings on Center. | FAITHFUL (batch 2). The arrival appears on a real named procedure consistent with where it came from, established descending-via, the picture a TRACON controller inherits. |
Lateral compliance. The aircraft flies the flattened leg sequence (enroute → common → runway transition) as TF/CF/DF/IF legs; the selected arrival's remaining procedure path draws as the dashed route line; the strip shows the STAR (e.g. AARCH2·30L). | RNAV lateral navigation flies the charted legs to each fix in turn. | FAITHFUL, with the batch-1 RF bound. RF (radius-to-fix arc) legs are flown as a straight track to the terminating fix, no arc geometry yet. Every other leg is faithful. |
| Vertical, descend-via. On a descend-via clearance the aircraft manages its own altitude to meet at / atOrAbove / atOrBelow / between crossings, interpolating on a ~2.9° glide between restrictions, and honors published speed caps on their own schedule (next row). Check-in and re-clear phraseology follow 7110.65 4-5-7 ("descending via the CARDS TWO arrival"). | AIM 5-4-1 / 7110.65 4-5-7: on a descend via clearance the pilot descends at their discretion to comply with every published altitude and speed restriction on the arrival. | FAITHFUL (batch 2). The aircraft meets each in-band charted crossing within a game tolerance; the check-in/readback wording is the real 4-5-7 phrasing. |
| Controller interplay. A heading vector or a direct-to takes the aircraft off the arrival: its crossing restrictions and published speeds are cancelled, a speed the chart was holding is released (a speed the controller assigned is kept), and without an assigned altitude it descends to the STAR's bottom altitude and waits there for lower. An altitude assignment takes it off the descend-via vertically ("descend and maintain" cancels the vertical) while the published speeds keep binding; a speed assignment or RS amends those. DV ("descend via the arrival") and R ("resume own navigation") re-clear it onto the profile when it is still rejoinable to the lateral path. | Real ops: a vector cancels the arrival (AIM 5-4-1: "If vectored or cleared to deviate off a STAR, pilots must consider the STAR canceled"; FAA JO 7110.65X 5-6-2 NOTE: a vector "cancels the altitude restrictions on the procedure", and without an assigned altitude the aircraft may level at "the SID/STAR's published top or bottom altitude", which is why the controller assigns one with the vector); "descend and maintain" cancels the vertical descend-via but not the charted speeds, which need an explicit amendment ("delete speed restrictions"); the controller re-clears "descend via the … arrival" to put the pilot back on the profile. | FAITHFUL (batch 2). The two-axis take-off/put-back-on is the actual skill the position trains, modeled on the real cancel/re-clear semantics. The speed axis is genuinely independent: a descended ship still crosses its fixes at the published numbers until you amend them. Until 2026-09-16 a vector suspended only the lateral leg-following, so a vectored arrival kept descending via and slowing for crossings it had been taken off; stagedVectorCancelsProcedure in scripts/soak.ts asserts the cancellation at KBNA, with positive controls. The bottom altitude is a model: CIFP legs carry no charted bottom altitude, so the lowest charted altitude inside the band stands in for it. A heading vector and a direct-to both cancel (7110.65X 5-6-2 f: an aircraft "instructed to resume a procedure which contains published crossing restrictions (SID/STAR) must be issued/reissued all applicable restrictions or be instructed to Climb Via/Descend Via", phrased "PROCEED DIRECT (fix) ... then CLIMB VIA/DESCEND VIA"; our DV / CV is that restatement). A hold and follow-traffic do not: the sources name vectors, deviations and direct-to clearances, and nothing here models what a holding clearance does to a procedure. A re-clear (DV / CV / R) that arrives when the aircraft is ALREADY inside the distance it needs to slow for a charted crossing speed leaves that one crossing unmeetable: the sim records which fix (StarState.unmeetableSpeedFix) instead of scoring a bust the clearance made impossible, the same ground the vertical axis covers with its one-shot "unable [fix] restriction". |
| Speed, descend-via. A published crossing speed binds when the aircraft reaches the point it must begin slowing to make it, not when the previous fix sequences behind. The lead distance is computed from the current speed, the target speed and the type's own longitudinal capability (~1.2 kt/s for a jet), plus planning margin, so a jet's 280→210 reduction starts about 6 nm out, roughly the controller's 1 nm per 10 kt rule of thumb. A speed already crossed stays in force until ATC amends it, including after a "descend and maintain" takes the vertical axis. | AIM 5-4-1 / 7110.65 4-5-7: the pilot descends at their discretion to comply with every published altitude and speed restriction; charted speeds remain mandatory until ATC amends or deletes them, and a descent clearance cancels the vertical portion only. | FAITHFUL. Previously the reduction bound the instant the previous fix went behind, so a ship crossing GETUP (280) slowed at once for ENNEE (210) 27 nm ahead. The deceleration rate is the sim's own airframe envelope rather than a per-type published figure, so the exact lead distance is a model, not a manufacturer number, and it is deliberately conservative: the aircraft is stabilized at the crossing rather than still slowing through it. |
| The STAR-to-vectors seam. When the charted legs end (typically a ~5,000-ft crossing near the FAF), the descend-via is complete: the aircraft levels at its last charted altitude and holds course; the controller then issues normal descent + vectors to final. If left level too long the pilot nags ("level 5,000, request lower"). It does not auto-descend to the runway. | The published portion ends where radar vectors to final begin; below the last fix the controller owns the descent and the turn-on. | FAITHFUL by design. The seam is the gameplay. The game deliberately does not fly the aircraft to touchdown for you. |
| Lost comms (NORDO, 7600) flies the clearance it had. An IFR arrival whose radio fails keeps flying a STAR it is still on, and keeps descending via it. Vectored, or with its STAR flown, it holds the highest of its last assigned altitude and the field's floor, proceeds to the initial approach fix of its runway's published approach, joins the approach there, and lands on its own landing clearance. It never uses charted "expect" altitudes. Only on a runway whose procedure gives it no fix to fly to does it arm the approach from where it is once inside 12 nm. A VFR arrival continues VFR and lands on the tower's steady green: it builds its own downwind or base from wherever its radio failed, or finishes its pattern entry as a full stop, and drops any vector, direct-to, route or hold it can no longer hear. It keeps that clearance when the radio returns. | 14 CFR 91.185: (b) VFR conditions; (c)(1) route; (c)(2) altitude "at the HIGHEST of" the last assigned, the minimum IFR, and the expected; (c)(3) begin descent and approach at the fix from which an approach begins. AIM 6-4-1 quotes 91.185 in full. AIM 5-4-1: a vector off a STAR cancels it ("pilots must consider the STAR canceled"); charted "expect" altitudes "must not be used in the event of lost communications"; in a TAA the pilot holds the 91.185(c)(2) altitude "until arriving at the appropriate IAF". AIM 4-2-13, arriving with transmitter and receiver inoperative: "Remain outside or above the Class D surface area until the direction and flow of traffic has been determined; then, join the airport traffic pattern and maintain visual contact with the tower to receive light signals." AIM 4-3-13: a steady green light to an aircraft in flight means cleared to land. | FAITHFUL to route, altitude, and where the approach begins. OUR DISCRETION in two places: our vectors never name a fix, so a vectored aircraft proceeds to the approach's initial approach fix instead of "the fix, route, or airway specified in the vector clearance"; and the sim has no ETA or expect-further-clearance time, so the approach begins on arrival at that fix rather than at a time. The minimum IFR altitude is the field's modelled floor, not a charted MEA or MVA (see §8). stagedNordoOnStar and stagedNordoVectored in scripts/soak.ts assert both cases, each with a positive control. For VFR, OUR DISCRETION again: the sim has no light gun, so the green is modelled as given when the radio fails, and the pilot does not first hold outside the Class D to learn the flow. stagedNordoVfr asserts that it lands from seven geometries, radio back or not, and never flies low far from the field, with a positive control. |
| Unmeetable restriction honesty. If a late re-clear (a high vector then DV) makes a crossing geometrically impossible, the pilot calls "unable [fix] restriction" once and levels rather than silently busting it. | A pilot who cannot meet a restriction must advise ATC and will not fabricate compliance. | FAITHFUL. Never a silent bust; the miss is announced and recorded. |
Documented bounds (batch 2).
starFloor asserts this at every field, and reverting either half of the rule makes it fire.VectorHeavy also flies published SIDs with climb-via. A seeded share of IFR airline departures at the SID fields (KSTL/KATL/KDEN/KSEA/KPDX) file a real charted departure consistent with their exit fix / destination bearing; the takeoff readback carries "climbing via the COLLE SIX departure", and off the runway the aircraft flies the TRACON portion of the procedure. Same data doctrine: never an invented fix or restriction.
| VectorHeavy behavior | Real rule | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| SID assignment. A seeded share of IFR airline departures spawn holding short with a filed SID whose runway transition serves their assigned departure end and whose outermost TRACON leg best matches the filed exit fix's bearing. A re-taxi re-fits the SID to the new end, or honestly drops it. | Departures at these fields are cleared via an RNAV SID in the route clearance before taxi. | FAITHFUL (batch 3). The departure holds short already carrying its real named procedure ("ready for departure, COLLE6 departure"), the picture the local controller inherits. |
| Divergent initial climb → join (coexistence). Off the rotation the departure flies the divergent initial climb exactly as before (the parallel-departure LOS fix: left runway ~15° left, right ~15° right, until ~3,000 AGL / 5 nm), and only then joins the SID lateral path at the nearest sensible leg. Wake departure intervals (§3) are untouched. | Real RNAV SIDs open with a climb on heading to an altitude, then direct a fix; parallel departures diverge immediately. | FAITHFUL, with the join simplification. The charted climb-on-heading legs (VA/VI/VM) are dropped by the CIFP pipeline; the tower's divergent climb stands in for them, then the join. Documented bound. |
Lateral compliance. The aircraft flies the flattened TRACON legs (runway transition → common → enroute, truncated at the exit-fix ring) as TF/CF/DF/IF (RF as track); the selected departure's remaining path draws as the dashed route line; the strip shows COLLE6→SAGME. | RNAV lateral navigation flies the charted legs to each fix in turn. | FAITHFUL, with the batch-1 RF bound. |
| Vertical, climb-via. The departure manages its own climb to the charted in-band restrictions: it levels at an upcoming ceiling until the fix is crossed (e.g. KDEN's at or below 10,000), meets floors in stride, and honors published speed caps on top of the 250-below-10k rule. An altitude assignment takes it off the climb-via vertically only: the published speeds keep binding, including when the altitude is given on the takeoff roll. | AIM 5-2-9 / 7110.65 climb-via: the pilot climbs at their discretion to comply with every published altitude and speed restriction on the SID. FAA JO 7110.65X 4-5-7, NOTE 1: "maintain (altitude)" alone cancels SID/STAR altitude restrictions; "Speed restrictions remain in effect unless the controller explicitly cancels the speed restrictions." The same paragraph has pilots comply with a SID's published speeds "independent of any 'climb via' clearance." | FAITHFUL (batch 3) within the band; the readback/own-nav call is the real "climbing via the [name] departure" phrasing. An altitude given on the roll used to drop the speeds (9 of 9 measured departures crossed a published 230 at 240 to 250 kt); stagedClimbViaSpeedUnderAltitude in scripts/soak.ts asserts the crossing speed at KSDF and KLAS, with a positive control. |
| Controller interplay. A heading vector or a direct-to takes the departure off the SID: its crossings and published speeds are cancelled and it climbs to its filed altitude, standing in for the SID's top altitude. An altitude assignment ("climb and maintain") cancels the climb-via vertically only; the published speeds keep binding. CV ("climb via the [name] departure") re-clears it; R rejoins the SID when rejoinable, else resumes the filed direct-to-exit. | Real ops: a vector cancels the SID's restrictions (FAA JO 7110.65X 5-6-2 NOTE, quoted in the arrival row); "climb and maintain" cancels the climb-via's altitude restrictions but not its speeds (7110.65X 4-5-7 NOTE 1); the controller re-clears "climb via SID" to restore it. | FAITHFUL (batch 3). The same two-axis cancel/re-clear skill as the arrival side, on the real semantics. GRAMMAR: CV is a distinct command; DV stays arrival-only. stagedVectorCancelsProcedure asserts a departure vectored on the roll at KSDF crosses its published 230 kt fix at its own speed and targets its filed altitude. |
The seat seam, handoff. Past the last TRACON leg the departure proceeds direct its filed exit fix and the existing handoff machinery ends the story: eligible at the fix ≥ the handoff floor, F to Center. The SID's enroute legs and its charted top altitude above the band are Center's, satisfied downstream after the handoff, never silently busted. | The TRACON owns the departure from rotation to the boundary; Center owns the rest of the SID. | FAITHFUL by design (MODEL-THE-SEAT). Out-of-band is the other frequency's job, satisfied downstream, the same doctrine as the arrival side's satisfied-upstream. |
| Unmeetable restriction honesty. If a late re-clear makes a restriction geometrically impossible (already above a downstream ceiling, a climb-via never descends, or a floor needing a steeper-than-performance gradient), the pilot calls "unable [fix] restriction" once and climbs per performance. | A pilot who cannot meet a restriction must advise ATC. | FAITHFUL. Never a silent bust; announced and recorded. |
Documented bounds (batch 3).
VectorHeavy separates the approach clearance from the landing clearance, the core realism upgrade of the era. An approach clearance ("cleared ILS runway 30L approach", 7110.65 4-8-1) arms the approach; the tower's "cleared to land" is a distinct gate. A visual approach follows the "report field in sight" exchange. The family (ILS/LOC/RNAV) comes verbatim from the CIFP plates; RNAV(GPS) fields (KJEF/KSPI/KCOU) finally fly their real finals.
| VectorHeavy behavior | Real rule | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
Approach clearance (CA). Arms the best published approach for the runway (ILS > LOC > RNAV). The aircraft enters the approach phase, intercepts the final approach course and descends the glidepath pilot-managed, WITHOUT further altitude commands, exactly like a descend-via but on final. Issued bare when the aircraft is already established, else with the "fly heading …, maintain … until established" preamble. | 7110.65 4-8-1: approach control issues the approach clearance ("cleared ILS runway X"), which authorizes the published approach; "maintain [alt] until established" and intercept phraseology precede it when vectoring to final. | FAITHFUL (batch 4). The two-step approach-then-land model the §9 row flagged as NEEDS-REFINEMENT now ships in normal play, with the real 4-8-1 vector-to-intercept phrasing. |
Landing clearance stays separate (L). An aircraft on an approach clearance still needs the tower's L before the threshold; L transitions it to the normal landing phase (no re-check of alignment/altitude, it is already established). Without L by short final the pilot goes around ("going around, no landing clearance"), the existing uncleared-go-around machinery wired to the two-clearance radio. It fires only on final: established, or lined up ahead of the threshold inside the final corridor and within 30 degrees of the course (since 2026-09-13; before, it also fired on aircraft maneuvering over or beyond the field, which announced a go-around for a missing landing clearance from thousands of feet up; stagedApproachNoClearanceOffFinal, with a positive control). | The tower separately issues "cleared to land" (Ch. 3); an aircraft established on the approach without a landing clearance executes the missed approach. | FAITHFUL (batch 4). Approach authorization and landing authorization are genuinely distinct gates, and the missing landing clearance produces the correct go-around, never a silent uncleared touchdown. |
Backward-compatible tower shortcut. An L issued to an aircraft NOT on an approach clearance behaves exactly as before batch 4, one-step to the landing phase and down to touchdown. | Real ops are two-step, but a blended tower/approach single-controller game may collapse them for casual play. | SIMPLIFIED-OK (by design). The one-step L is preserved as the documented "tower shortcut" so casual play and the tutorial are untouched; the two-clearance flow is opt-in on top. |
Visual approach (PF → field in sight → VA). The controller points out the field ("airport twelve o'clock, one zero miles, report it in sight"); the pilot reports the field in sight after a seeded delay/probability by distance; then a visual approach clears pilot-managed own navigation + descent to the field, reusing the VFR self-descent picture. It still needs L. | AIM 5-4-23 / 7110.65 7-4: a visual approach requires the pilot to have the airport (or preceding traffic) in sight; the pilot then provides own navigation to the runway; a landing clearance is still required. | FAITHFUL (batch 4). The field-in-sight exchange gates the visual, and it stays honest, own navigation to final, still needing the landing clearance. VFR traffic (already see-and-avoid) needs none of this, correctly excluded. |
Interplay. A heading vector OR an altitude assignment CANCELS the approach clearance (an approach couples both axes), the aircraft levels / flies the vector and the pilot notes "canceling the approach"; re-clear with CA/VA. R resumes the filed/STAR routing as shipped. | Real ops: a vector or an altitude change off the published profile cancels the approach clearance; the controller re-clears the approach to restore it. | FAITHFUL (batch 4). The same take-off/put-back-on skill as the DV/CV arrival and departure sides, on one coupled clearance rather than two independent axes. |
Documented bounds (batch 4).
stagedApproachHighOverThreshold, with a positive control). An aircraft cleared while heading away from the runway, as one cleared from beyond the far end is, keeps flying out until it reaches that gate and only then turns back in (since 2026-09-12; before, it turned back in as soon as it came within a mile of the centerline, about 2nm out, and was established less than 1nm out; stagedApproachOutboundTurnBack, with a positive control). A heading assigned before an approach clearance is flown to the localizer only if that heading, and then the capped intercept from a mile off the centerline where guidance takes over, fit in the final left (since 2026-09-12; before, a vector 63 degrees off the course was held because the heading alone reached the centerline in time, and the aircraft was established 0.57nm out; stagedApproachSteepVector, with a positive control).L) directly, as before.This one is not an FAA-rules matter, it is a bound on where the game's audio runs, and it belongs here for the same reason the rest of the page does: so you know exactly where the model stops.
The radio speaks the full exchange, the controller's transmission and the pilot's readback, through a neural voice model that runs entirely on your own device. It loads and speaks on desktop browsers: Chrome, Firefox, and desktop Safari. It is not available on iPhone or iPad. On those devices the radio plays text-only: every controller call and pilot readback shows on the radio strip as text, the same full exchange the voices would speak.
| Game behavior | What it is | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| The neural radio voices load and speak on desktop browsers. They are not available on iPhone or iPad; on those devices every call and readback shows on the radio strip as text. | A platform capability bound, not a rule simplification: the strip carries the whole real exchange either way, so the thing being practiced, reading the transmission and the readback, is intact. It changes how the exchange is delivered on those devices, not the phraseology or the procedure. | PLATFORM CAPABILITY (not a rules verdict). Honest disclosure of where the voice layer runs. No FAA rule is simplified and no false lesson is taught: the words on the strip are the same 7110.65 exchange the voices carry on desktop. |
Every shared canonical river and lake is generated from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset. None of those shared features is hand-drawn. Twelve canonical features, the Ohio, Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas (Kaw), Columbia, Willamette, Pearl and Tombigbee rivers and Hillsdale and Grapevine lakes, are rendered by one generator (scripts/hydrography/genRivers.ts) from committed NHD extracts pinned by SHA256 in reference/usgs-sources/MANIFEST.md. Every field that shows a feature projects that one centerline through its own FAA ARP, so one physical river lands in one world place on every scope.
Rivers come from NHD "Flowline - Large Scale" (layer 6) and lakes from "Waterbody - Large Scale" (layer 12), queried by GNIS name. Public domain, cited as USGS. Nothing is fetched at build time or at runtime.
| Game behavior | What it is | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| River and lake routes are the NHD geometry, decimated: every drawn vertex is a real NHD vertex, chained into one ordered path and thinned with Douglas-Peucker at a tolerance recorded in each module's header. Nothing is invented, moved or averaged. | USGS NHD high-resolution flowlines and waterbodies, public domain. | PUBLISHED FACT, with a disclosed simplification. The tolerance and the vertex-spacing floor are judgement calls and each generated module states its own, so a reader can see the trace is sourced-and-approximated rather than sourced-and-exact. |
| Display widths are a single value per river, 0.2 nm (Arkansas) to 0.55 nm (Mississippi), several times the real channel. The Kaw draws as a thin line with no width at all. | Nothing. NHD carries published widths for some reaches; they are not used. | OUR DISCRETION. Bands are exaggerated so a river reads at scope scale. The USGS citation covers the route and does not extend to the width. |
| What each river was before, for the record: the Ohio and the Peoria reach of the Illinois came from Natural Earth 1:10m, a world-scale product; the Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kaw, Hillsdale Lake and the Alton reach of the Illinois were hand-authored from map context. The hand-drawn Missouri's own header recorded residuals up to ~9 nm. | — | CORRECTED. Measured against published landmarks the sourced traces are 0.15 to 1.3 nm out where the hand-drawn ones were 0.7 to 18 nm. The change moved the most-played field's most-seen geometry and is recorded in the changelog rather than slipped in. |
"Illinois" and "Illinois River" used to be two names for one river in two modules. NHD returns it as one connected chain of all 347 named segments from the Kankakee confluence to the Mississippi at Grafton, so it is now one canonical feature serving all six fields that draw it.
Still hand-drawn, deliberately, because no neighbouring scope reaches them and they are not claimed as sourced: a handful of small local features (KIXD's Clinton Lake, KICT's Cheney Reservoir and Little Arkansas, KTUL's Keystone and Oologah lakes, KSTL's Meramec, KSEA's water underlay, KDEN's South Platte). They remain OUR DISCRETION and are the natural next batch for this pipeline.
KPIA's official FAA field profile also identifies Army National Guard Chinook operations. Those helicopters are not represented: the sim has no rotorcraft flight or runway-use model, and substituting fixed-wing behavior would teach the wrong traffic picture. The documented 182d Airlift Wing C-130 operation is represented with the FAA's real C130 designator; its game performance figures, Reach callsign use, route choices and traffic weight are OUR DISCRETION.
VectorHeavy draws the published Class B / C / D boundaries on the scope as selectable map layers — the field's own designation and its neighbours' surface areas, each toggled separately, both on by default — and the same geometry decides who ATC may vector. This section is about what that claims and what it does not.
What a real display does. A terminal radar display (STARS) draws its static background from configurable video maps (FAA Order JO 7910.1, Aeronautical Information Services Video Map Products), and those maps are selectable layers the controller turns on and off per position. Airspace boundaries are among the mapped features. So a toggleable airspace overlay is authentic in form. What we have not confirmed with a working controller is the real-world default state at a given facility, or exactly which boundary features a given facility's map set carries. Ours defaults ON; that is the founder's call, flagged here as a discretion call, not a claim about any facility.
Where the geometry comes from. The FAA Aeronautical Information Services "Class Airspace" dataset — the FAA's own published boundary geometry, the same data the agency charts Class B/C/D from (ais-faa.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/class-airspace). The pipeline is scripts/airspace/fetch-airspace.ts (npm run gen:airspace), which emits src/data/airspace/<icao>.ts. Nothing in that directory is authored by hand.
The attributes were cross-checked against an independent primary source. For St. Louis, the Federal Register legal description (83 FR 14392, 2018-04-05, Amendment of Class B Airspace Description; St. Louis, MO, incorporated into FAA Order JO 7400.11) lists Areas A–M with floors SFC / 1,700 / 2,000 / 2,500 / 3,000 / 3,500 / 3,500 / 4,500 / 4,500 / 5,000 / 5,000 / 5,000 under a uniform 8,000 MSL ceiling. The dataset returns exactly those areas with exactly those limits, and the drawn Area A ring measures 6.00 nm from the published Point of Origin (38°45'10"N, 90°21'39"W) — the published 6-NM radius.
Coverage: every modelled field, real geometry, none invented.
| Field | Its own designation, as drawn | Neighbouring surface areas also drawn |
|---|---|---|
| KAID | Class D cylinder | KCVG (B), KGUS and KMIE (D), KIND (C) |
| KJLN | Class D cylinder | None within the modelled scope |
| KSDF | Class C, 3 areas | KCVG (B), KFTK and KLOU (D) |
| KSTL | Class B, 12 charted areas | KALN, KBLV, KCPS, KSUS (D) |
| KSUS | Class D cylinder beneath the St. Louis Class B | KALN, KBLV, KCPS (D), KSTL (B) |
| KALN | Class D cylinder beneath the St. Louis Class B | KBLV, KCPS, KSUS (D), KSTL (B) |
| KBLV | Class D with two charted extensions beneath the St. Louis Class B | KALN, KCPS, KSUS (D), KSTL (B) |
| KCPS | Class D cylinder beneath the St. Louis Class B | KALN, KBLV, KSUS (D), KSTL (B) |
| KMCI | Class B, 4 areas | KFOE, KIXD, KMKC, KOJC, KSTJ, KTOP (D) |
| KATL | Class B, 15 areas | KFTY, KLZU, KMGE, KPDK, KRYY (D) |
| KDEN | Class B, 14 areas | KAPA, KBJC, KBKF, KCFO (D) |
| KSEA | Class B, 20 areas | KBFI, KGRF, KOLM, KPAE, KRNT, KTCM, KTIW (D) |
| KPDX | Class C, 6 areas | KHIO, KSLE, KTTD, KUAO (D) |
| KLAS | Class B, 20 charted areas (A-T, uniform 10,000 MSL ceiling) | KHND, KINS, KVGT (D) |
| KICT | Class C, 2 areas | KBEC, KHUT, KIAB (D) |
| KTUL | Class C, 2 areas | KRVS (D) |
| KSGF | Class C, 2 areas | KBBG (D) |
| KBBG | Class D cylinder | KASG and KROG (D), KSGF (C) |
| KBMI | Class D cylinder | KCMI, KPIA, KSPI (C), KDEC (D) |
| KPIA | Class C, 3 areas | KBMI (D), KMLI and KSPI (C) |
| KSTJ | Class D cylinder | KMCI (B), KMKC and KTOP (D) |
| KMDH | Class D cylinder | KBLV, KCGI, KMWA and KPAH (D), KSTL (B) |
| KMWA | Class D cylinder | KCGI, KMDH and KPAH (D), KSTL (B) |
| KFOE | Class D cylinder | KMCI (B), KIXD, KOJC and KTOP (D) |
| KSLN | Class D cylinder | KFRI and KHUT (D) |
| KTOP | Class D cylinder | KMCI (B), KFOE, KIXD, KOJC and KSTJ (D) |
| KMHK | Class D cylinder | KFRI and KSLN (D) |
| KHUT | Class D cylinder | KBEC and KIAB (D), KICT (C), KSLN (D) |
| KSWO | Class D cylinder | KEND and KWDG (D), KOKC and KTIK (C), KPWA (D) |
| KWDG | Class D cylinder | KEND and KSWO (D) |
| KTBN | Class D cylinder | None within scope |
| KSPI | Class C, 2 areas | KBMI, KDEC (D), KPIA (C) |
| KIXD | Class D cylinder | KMCI (B), KFOE, KMKC, KOJC, KTOP (D) |
| KOJC | Class D cylinder | KMCI (B), KFOE, KIXD, KMKC, KTOP (D) |
| KMKC | Class D cylinder | KMCI (B), KIXD, KOJC, KSTJ (D) |
| KJEF | Class D cylinder | KCOU (D) |
| KCOU | Class D cylinder | KJEF (D) |
| KGCK | Class D cylinder | None |
| KBEC | Class D cylinder | KHUT and KIAB (D), KICT (C) |
| KRVS | Class D cylinder | KTUL (C) |
Every shape above is the published shape. No field draws an approximated ring, and no field with unsourced geometry draws anything — that case does not arise today, but the data module is built so it degrades to drawing nothing rather than to drawing a guess.
| Game behavior | Real rule / source | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| The scope draws the published Class B/C/D boundary rings for the field and its neighbours, from FAA AIS geometry, with each shelf's published floor and ceiling shown in the chart's hundreds-of-feet convention ("80/17" = 8,000 MSL down to 1,700 MSL, "SFC" spelled out). Class is carried by the line's dash pattern (B solid, C long-dash, D short-dash), a neighbouring field's surface area is labelled by ident and class ("SUS D"). | The boundaries and their limits are published on the sectional/TAC and in 14 CFR 71 as incorporated by FAA Order JO 7400.11 (current edition); the geometry file is the FAA's own AIS product. | FAITHFUL (geometry + limits). The drawn shape and every altitude number are the published values, not a model. The overlay never rounds a limit and never smooths a boundary into a circle it is not. |
| The one simplification: vertex decimation. The source polygons densify every arc to thousands of points; each ring is decimated (Douglas-Peucker) at 0.04 nm. | — | SIMPLIFIED-OK (drawing resolution). 0.04 nm is under half a screen pixel at the scope's widest zoom, so the drawn line is the published line at the resolution a screen can express. It is a rendering budget, not a change to the boundary. |
| Class E and G are not drawn. Class E surface areas exist at several neighbouring fields (e.g. KLWC, KTOP) and are omitted. | AIM 3-2-6 (Class E). | DOCUMENTED OMISSION. The dataset publishes these with an unbounded upper limit, and the game models no Class E behaviour at all, so drawing them would put a boundary on the scope that means nothing in this simulation. Omitted deliberately, not missed. |
| One class per field. Where the dataset carries more than one class designation for the same field (Seattle-Tacoma publishes a "Class D1" surface polygon alongside its Class B areas), only the field's highest class is drawn. | — | DOCUMENTED DISCRETION. The chart shows the higher class as that field's surface area. Rather than paint a Class D ring inside a Class B and imply a rule we cannot explain, we draw the governing class. Flagged for a controller's word. |
The drawn boundary BEHAVES. VFR control authority is resolved by a point-in-volume test against these exact polygons (src/game/airspace.ts): 2D point-in-polygon plus the published floor/ceiling band, both in the aircraft's own reference (every limit in the dataset is SFC or MSL, and aircraft altitude is ft MSL, so no conversion is invented). Overlapping volumes resolve to the most controlling class (B > C > D > none). A VFR is vectorable only while it is inside a Class B volume — over the field, or out under a shelf that still has a Class B floor beneath it. Laterally clear of the shelves, or below the floor of the one above it, the same aircraft is in Class E/G and is as pilot-owned as a VFR at a Class D field. A VFR inside a neighbouring field's Class D surface area resolves to D, not to the host field's B. | §5A + the contract's own standard: "a Class B ring on the scope with a VFR inside it behaving like Class D would be the overlay lying to the player." | FAITHFUL (the coupling). The line drawn and the line tested are one array of vertices; there is no second, approximate boundary anywhere in the code. Soak law vfr-airspace-containment stages a VFR outside and inside the published volume at every modelled field and asserts the authority follows the containing class, and reverting the rule to the old per-field scalar makes it fire at every Class B field. |
What is still keyed to the FACILITY, on purpose. airport.airspaceClass survives as the field's published designation and is still what the ATIS-era prose and the airport data files carry. Two behavioural uses remain field-level and are not bugs: (a) the altitude and speed refusals to VFR (applyAltitude / applySpeed) reject at every field including Class B, so they never consult a class at all; (b) the containment test falls back to the scalar for a field with no sourced geometry — the honest degradation for a field we have not charted. Every modelled field carries geometry, so (b) is unexercised today. | — | DOCUMENTED SCOPE. (a) is a pre-existing, separately disclosed simplification (§5A: we do not model VFR altitude assignment inside Class B even though a real Class B controller may assign one). Coupling the boundary did not fix it and does not claim to. |
CLEARANCE TO ENTER Class B is modelled, as an exchange. A VFR whose intended track would put it inside a published Class B volume calls for a clearance on the radio. The controller answers CB — "cleared to enter (name) Bravo airspace" — or RB — "remain outside (name) Bravo airspace". Both are durable state on the flight. Uncleared, the pilot does not enter: it holds outside (a present-position orbit) and re-asks every couple of minutes until it is cleared or the controller refuses again. A clearance releases that hold and the flight continues to the field. Two aircraft are never asked: one already inside the Bravo when the model first sees it (it departed the primary field under a tower clearance, or was inherited on turnover), and one working an emergency. | 14 CFR 91.131(a)(1): no person may operate within Class B unless "the operator has received an ATC clearance from the ATC facility having jurisdiction for that area". AIM 3-2-3 restates it for VFR and is explicit that two-way radio contact is not a clearance. Controller phraseology is 7110.65 7-9-2 (VFR AIRCRAFT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE): "CLEARED THROUGH/TO ENTER/OUT OF BRAVO AIRSPACE" and "REMAIN OUTSIDE BRAVO AIRSPACE. (When necessary, reason and/or additional instructions.)", with approval or denial "based on workload, operational limitations and traffic conditions", and, for a held aircraft, "inform the pilot when to expect further clearance". | FAITHFUL (the exchange), with the pilot half stated plainly. The controller's required content is the order's wording, not a paraphrase. The pilot's wording is our discretion (7110.65 is a controller order and does not script the pilot); its behaviour is the regulation: 91.131 binds the pilot, so an uncleared VFR holding outside is the model, and the game does not simulate a routinely-busting pilot. The consequence a player feels is therefore not a penalty but a stuck arrival — an unanswered Bravo request is traffic that never reaches your runway. Timing numbers are ours and listed in the bounds below. Soak law classb-entry-clearance stages a VFR flown straight at the Bravo at every Class B field on the roster and asserts both arms (uncleared never enters and does ask; cleared does get in); deleting the hold-outside action makes it fire at every one. Soak law classb-hold-orbit stages the same uncleared VFR from every 10 degrees at each primary Class B field and flies one full hold: the orbit must stay outside the Bravo. |
| An UNAUTHORIZED entry is an ADVISORY, not a deal. If a VFR ever ends up inside Class B with no clearance, it draws one "airspace advisory: … entered the Class B without a clearance", once, and nothing else: no score deduction, no operational error, no session ending. | 14 CFR 91.131 binds the pilot in command; an unauthorized entry is a pilot deviation, not a controller operational error. §2's small-behind-large wake case is the existing precedent for "visible hazard, advisory severity". | SIMPLIFIED-OK, and the severity is the argument. The game reserves score deductions for events the CONTROLLER owns — a deal, a VFR proximity event where separation responsibility was live, a go-around caused by runway occupancy. Charging the player for a pilot's airspace bust would teach that an unanswered request is a controller error, which is false. Equally, letting it pass silently would leave a rule that never speaks, so it speaks. Note the honest consequence of the pilot model: because an uncleared pilot holds out, this advisory is close to unreachable in normal play — it exists so the claim is testable and so no future path that produces one is silent. |
Two layers, one geometry. The host field's own designation (airspace) and the neighbouring fields' surface areas (airspaceNeighbours) are separately selectable, both on by default; around a busy Class B the satellite Class D rings are the densest part of the picture. Visibility is a client display preference (vectorheavy.mapLayers), read live by the renderer, exactly like the camera, the track-line length or the theme. It never enters sim state, the command log, the deterministic tape, or replay. | Video-map sets are per-position selections (FAA Order JO 7910.1), and splitting adjacent-facility boundaries from the position's own is a selection a real map set can express. The default-on choice for the neighbour layer is the founder's call, flagged like the parent layer's. | FAITHFUL by construction (display). Turning a layer off hides a line and changes nothing else: the behaviour test reads the data module, never the switches, so a VFR outside the Class B is refused a vector whether or not the boundary is drawn. A session recorded with the layers on and replayed with them off is bit-identical; test:determinism and test:replay cover this because the layers touch nothing they read. |
Documented bounds (§16).
CB authorizes the flight to ENTER; it does not let the controller vector it while it is still outside. The containment rule above still owns that — a heading is accepted only while the aircraft is physically inside a Class B volume, cleared or not. Real 7-9-2 work routinely vectors a VFR onto a Bravo transition before it crosses the boundary, so this is an under-model, disclosed. NEEDS-REFINEMENT.bravoRng), so test:determinism and test:replay stay bit-exact.npm run gen:airspace to advance it.This section documents a model we researched and built, not a rule we can cite. Where a row says OUR DISCRETION it means exactly that: we chose a number that produces an honest-feeling operation and we are stating it plainly so a working controller can tell us it is wrong. None of the numbers in this section are presented as published FAA fact. The parts that ARE evidence are labelled.
What it replaced. Every outbound aircraft used to fly to a pre-determined exit node and then call for a frequency change. Two things were wrong with that. First, the node was picked from every named fix in the airport data, including fixes that exist only because they sit on a published STAR — so at KSTL a westbound departure filed SNYDR (7.6 nm, 254°), a point on an arrival descent, and the same fix carried an inbound and an outbound at once. Second, the exit node was the only way out, so "reach the fix" and "leave my airspace" were the same event, and the entire middle of a departure's life — the part where a controller actually works — did not exist.
| Game behavior | Basis | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
The share of eligible, bearing-compatible IFR airline departures cleared via a published SID is a per-field number (traffic.sidShare), not one global constant. | Real-world SID usage is a property of the facility: its published procedure set, its runway ends, and the character of its traffic. A flat rate across a mega-hub and a GA reliever cannot be right at both. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. The shape (per-field, not global) is the honest part. The values are below. |
| Field | SIDs in cycle 2607 | GA share | sidShare | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KATL | 17 | 1% | 0.97 | OUR DISCRETION. The busiest airline operation modelled, a full RNAV SID set, and essentially no GA: the departure bank is jets off a published procedure. Highest value in the game. |
| KSTL | 17 | 5% | 0.95 | OUR DISCRETION. Published SIDs serve every departure end; the founder's working assumption for a major field is ~95%. |
| KSUS | 4 | 88% | 0.78 | OUR DISCRETION. A GA-dominant business reliever beneath the St. Louis Bravo with four published departure families. Bearing compatibility still rejects procedures aimed away from the filed gate. |
| KALN | 4 | 85% | 0.72 | OUR DISCRETION. A GA/corporate reliever beneath the St. Louis Bravo with the same four published departure families. The lower value reflects the field's smaller current operation; bearing compatibility still gates assignment. |
| KBLV | 4 | 18% | 0.75 | OUR DISCRETION. Scott's official safety briefing says IFR departures normally receive radar vectors or SIDs. The value gives the published procedures substantial use without pretending every military or Allegiant departure files one. |
| KCPS | 4 | 82% | 0.70 | OUR DISCRETION. A corporate/GA St. Louis satellite with four published departure families; IFR corporate traffic commonly receives one, while the GA-majority operation often leaves on vectors. |
| KDEN | 20 | 3% | 0.95 | OUR DISCRETION. Largest published SID set in the game, hub airline bank. |
| KLAS | 10 | 7% | 0.95 | OUR DISCRETION. A full RNAV SID set serving every departure end at a top-ten field; the same reasoning as KSTL/KDEN. |
| KSEA | 8 | 3% | 0.95 | OUR DISCRETION. Fewer procedures, but that is a compass-coverage fact, not a usage fact, and the engine's own bearing gate already declines a SID that leads away from the filed gate, so the share stays high and the coverage limit is handled where it belongs. |
| KPDX | 5 | 4% | 0.90 | OUR DISCRETION. CIFP 2607 supplies five usable departure families after the vector-only PTLD2 is excluded. The high share represents a procedure-led airline field; bearing compatibility still rejects a procedure aimed away from the filed gate. |
| KMCI | 6 | 3% | 0.92 | OUR DISCRETION. A real hub, slightly below the mega-hubs, mirroring its starShare. |
| KSDF | 7 | 4% | 0.92 | OUR DISCRETION. CIFP 2607 carries a full seven-procedure departure set. The high share reflects the airline and Worldport freight operation; bearing compatibility still rejects a procedure that leads away from the filed gate. |
| KMKC | 6 | 77% | 0.55 | OUR DISCRETION. A downtown reliever inside the Class B that shares the metro's published SIDs, so a departing jet commonly gets one — but the operation is GA-dominant and a plain vector departure is routine. |
| KOJC | 6 | 93% | 0.55 | OUR DISCRETION. Satellite reliever on the shared metro SIDs; same reasoning as KMKC. |
| KIXD | 6 | 88% | 0.55 | OUR DISCRETION. As KOJC. |
| KICT | 0 | 30% | 0 | EVIDENCE. The CIFP 2607 extraction carries no usable SID for this field, so there is no procedure to clear anyone via. Every IFR departure is radar vectors. |
| KTUL | 0 | 16% | 0 | EVIDENCE. As KICT. |
| KSGF | 0 | 61% | 0 | EVIDENCE. As KICT; the GA share is the airport master plan's published base-year operations mix. |
| KBBG | 0 | 84% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for traffic shares. CIFP 2607 carries no SID. No current scheduled airline service could be sourced; the modeled board is resort-bound GA and fractional business traffic, with exact shares tuned for play. |
| KBMI | 0 | 58% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count. CIFP 2607 carries no SID; the GA share is OUR DISCRETION because the airport publishes no current movement split. |
| KPIA | 0 | 42% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share. CIFP 2607 carries ten approaches but no usable SID. The airport identifies commercial, cargo, military, corporate, GA and training traffic but publishes no current movement-share table. |
| KSTJ | 6 | 62% | 0.72 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for traffic shares. CIFP 2607 carries the six Kansas City departure families. Rosecrans' official sources identify a mixed municipal and C-130 tactical-training operation but publish no current movement split or procedure-use rate. |
| KJLN / KJEF / KCOU / KSPI / KFOE | 0 | 38–87% | 0 | EVIDENCE. As KICT. |
| KSLN | 0 | 72% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share. CIFP 2607 carries six approaches but no usable SID. The airport publishes more than 75,000 annual operations across airline, corporate, military and training activity but no current category split. |
| KJEF / KCOU / KSPI / KTOP | 0 | 68–92% | 0 | EVIDENCE. As KICT. |
| KMHK | 1 | 68% | 0.65 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share and usage. CIFP 2607 carries the WILSY3 departure. The official airport publishes daily American service but no current movement-share or SID-usage table. |
| KHUT | 0 | 90% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share. CIFP 2607 carries eight approaches but no usable SID. No current movement-category split was sourced. |
| KGCK | 0 | 82% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share. CIFP 2607 carries six approaches but no usable SID. The City identifies scheduled passenger, cargo, corporate, training, air-ambulance and military traffic but publishes no current movement-share table. |
| KBEC | 0 | 90% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share. CIFP 2607 carries two approaches and no SID. The FAA identifies extensive training activity, but no current movement split is public. |
| KRVS | 0 | 85% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share. CIFP 2607 carries one STAR and four approaches, but Tulsa One has no usable encoded legs. The exact GA movement share is not public. |
| KSWO | 0 | 94% | 0 | EVIDENCE. CIFP 2607 carries no SID. FAA operational data reports 94% general aviation, and FAA remarks identify student operations. |
| KWDG | 0 | 32% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count and GA share. CIFP 2607 carries no SID. FAA operations data reports 66% military, 32% general aviation and 2% air taxi. The sim uses the sourced BE40 designator as the nearest available T-1 training-aircraft type and Reach as a generic military radio identity; that callsign abstraction is OUR DISCRETION. |
| KTBN | 0 | 45% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count; OUR DISCRETION for GA share and military mix. CIFP 2607 carries no SID. Current official sources establish Contour service and joint civil/Army use, but publish no movement split. Reach-tagged C-130 traffic is a generic military abstraction, not a claim about a locally based unit. |
| KMDH | 0 | 90% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count and training character; OUR DISCRETION for traffic shares. CIFP 2607 carries no SID, and FAA remarks identify high student-training activity. No current movement split is published. |
| KMWA | 0 | 68% | 0 | EVIDENCE for the procedure count and current Contour service; OUR DISCRETION for traffic shares. CIFP 2607 carries no SID. The airport advertises daily Contour flights to Chicago but publishes no current movement split. |
| KJEF / KCOU / KSPI | 0 | 68–87% | 0 | EVIDENCE. As KICT. |
Bounds. The share governs airline/freight departures only. GA departures carry no SID at any field — that is the batch-3 eligibility bound carried forward, and it is a documented under-model: real bizjet traffic off KOJC or KIXD does fly the published procedures. Freight is not special: a cargo flight is an IFR airline departure and takes exactly the same path through this model.
| Game behavior | Real practice | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| An IFR departure that does not get a SID is not routed anywhere. It is issued an initial heading with its takeoff clearance — spoken, never silent ("turn left heading two five zero, runway three zero left, cleared for takeoff") — and it flies that heading until the controller does something about it. It reports the heading and its climb on the first radio call ("heading two eight zero, climbing one two thousand") instead of "proceeding direct" anything. It is never auto-routed to a fix, and it can never reach an arrival fix, because it is not navigating to a fix at all. | Assigned-heading departures off a runway, worked by the controller, are the ordinary alternative to a published procedure. The clearance form follows 7110.65 3-9-9 (turn direction + heading + runway + cleared for takeoff), the same phraseology the parallel-divergence assignment already used. | FAITHFUL in form; the heading itself is OUR DISCRETION. The heading is derived as the runway heading turned toward the filed direction of flight, capped at 40°, in whole 5° steps, with a small seeded jitter so the picture varies session to session. That is a plausible departure vector, not a published one. |
| A parallel-departure divergence (§4) still overrides the filed vector when one is justified. | The divergence is the separation-critical assignment. | FAITHFUL. The safety assignment wins; the model does not compete with it. |
"Resume own navigation" (R) restores BOTH axes — the filed lateral route and the filed altitude — and ends the vector state. Laterally it rejoins the SID if one is filed and rejoinable, else proceeds direct the filed gate, else (no gate filed) flies the filed course to the destination. | "Resume own navigation" hands the aircraft back its filed flight plan, which is a route and a profile, not just a route. | FAITHFUL. Previously R wrote only the lateral target and left the vertical axis to be picked up a tick later by the own-nav pass; it now writes the filed altitude directly, so the instruction is complete and immediate on both axes. |
| Game behavior | Basis | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| A field's departure-eligible fixes are its named fixes minus every fix that appears in any published STAR or approach there. A departure's filed gate is drawn only from that pool, and only when it lies within 50° of the destination bearing. A field whose entire fix ring is arrival structure (KTUL: every named fix is on the STAR or an approach except one) honestly files no gate at all — the flight is filed direct destination and flown on vectors. | EVIDENCE for the exclusion: it is a test against the FAA's own CIFP data. If the agency charts a fix as arrival structure, a departure does not file it. The 50° tolerance is OUR DISCRETION. | FAITHFUL. The guarantee is structural, not a check: an arrival fix is not in the pool a departure draws from, so it cannot be selected. At KSTL this removes SNYDR, CHIKN, MELVY, STAAN and AUGST from the departure pool — which are exactly the close-in fixes that made the bug look like a "nearest fix" problem. |
| Legs of a published SID are exempt from this rule. | A real charted departure that routes over a navaid an approach also uses (the on-field STL VORTAC on KSTL's OZARK EIGHT) is the published route. | FAITHFUL. Flagging CIFP data as a defect would be asserting against the source. |
| Game behavior | Basis | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| A departure becomes handoff-eligible when it leaves the modelled TRACON volume, not when it reaches a node. IFR: outside the lateral radius OR above the ceiling. VFR/GA: distance only. | The player's airspace is a volume; leaving it is what ends the story. Splitting "reach the gate" from "leave the airspace" is what creates the worked middle of a departure. | SIMPLIFIED-OK. A cylinder is a deliberate abstraction of delegated TRACON airspace, which in reality is a shelved, sectorised shape. §16's drawn Class B/C/D geometry is a different thing and is not coupled to this. |
| Radius: the outermost arrival spawn gate plus 2 nm, floored at 15 nm (KSTL 43.8, KDEN 46.1, KATL 43.0, KTUL 44.5, KJEF 15.0). | OUR DISCRETION. Derived from the field's own geometry rather than invented: that ring is already the game's boundary, since arrivals are handed to the player crossing it. One consistent volume instead of two unrelated conventions. | DISCRETION, disclosed. |
| Ceiling: field elevation + 10,000 ft, clamped to 1,000 ft below the airport's altitude band so there is always an assignable altitude above it. It is defined and evaluated above field elevation, never as a raw MSL number. | OUR DISCRETION for the 10,000 figure. The field-relative property is not discretionary: KDEN's field sits at 5,434 ft MSL, so a raw-MSL ceiling would be meaningless there. The resulting ceilings are KSTL 10,605 / KDEN 15,434 / KATL 11,000 / KJEF 10,549 MSL. | DISCRETION for the value; correct by construction for the frame. |
| The player can always climb an aircraft through the ceiling. The altitude menu offers 1,000-ft stops to the band ceiling; the bubble ceiling is clamped to sit at least one stop below it. Verified at every modelled field (the tightest is KATL, where 12,000 is the one assignable altitude above the 11,000 ceiling). | A ceiling the player cannot reach would be a rule that exists only to be broken by the engine. | FAITHFUL to its own claim. |
| VFR exits by distance only. | A VFR ship tops out around field + 2,500–3,000 ft, far below any sensible ceiling, so an altitude criterion could never fire for it. Including one would be a rule that reads as real and never is. | FAITHFUL. |
| Nothing is stranded. A departure that has flown its filed gate continues outbound on the filed course rather than re-targeting a fix it is already on, so it always reaches the boundary. | Without this a departure chases its gate, passes it, turns back, and orbits forever — which is what happens the moment the gate stops being the handoff trigger. | FAITHFUL. Asserted by a soak law, mutation-tested. |
Bounds (§17).
How a pilot readback gets shorter when the frequency gets hard. Implemented in src/game/compression.ts; enforced by commsCompressionLaw in scripts/soak.ts.
The authority for this section is docs/research-ntsb-comms-patterns.md — ~45 primary sources, being NTSB dockets plus five FAA/Volpe/CAMI voice-tape studies (~250 hours of routine frequency tape with denominators, so the rates below are true rates rather than incident-biased ones). Its §6 BUILD SPEC is the specification this was built to.
It supersedes docs/doctrine-heimlich-reply-comms-model.md where the two disagree. That is the fidelity doctrine working as intended: a retrieved primary source beats recollection, including a working expert's. Rich Heimlich gave us the right shape — compression is real, it is measured in transmission length, borders drop and the core survives — and the wrong order. His example ladder ("Turn left 40 degrees for weather" → "Turn left 40 degrees" → "Left 40") sheds the reason clause first. The transcripts show the reason clause is the most durable token in the utterance. We did not implement his ordering.
| Game behavior | Real rule + cite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Rung 1 — advisory/informational payload drops first, at essentially 100%: the wake-interval advisory, "equipment standing by", "traffic permitting", the number-and-follow traffic call. ~1 in 4 is replaced by a token ("copy all") rather than vanishing. | Austin tower, NTSB DCA23FA149, 13 clearance/readback pairs: RVR values retained 0/12 (3 replaced by a token, 9 dropped silently), traffic advisories 0/2. Corroborated at JFK, NTSB AIR-24-01 §1.1 (wake advisory + crossing-traffic advisory both dropped, the instruction retained), and independently by the ground-control tape finding that what degrades is the restriction, not the movement instruction. | FAITHFUL. This is the best-evidenced rung on the ladder and it was missing from the expert model entirely. |
| The command verb, runway, heading value and callsign are EVIDENCED-RETAINED and cannot be stripped from a clearance at any rung. A clearance is hard-capped at rung 3 (advisory payload + glue words) by construction. | DCA23FA149: command verb 13/13, runway 13/13, heading 11/11, callsign 12/13. Zero cases of command-dropped/value-retained anywhere in the incursion corpus. | FAITHFUL. Enforced twice over: capped in effectiveLevel(), and asserted for every clearance at every rung by the soak law, which carries a mutation control that fails if the cap ever stops working. |
| Rung 3 — glue/function words erode ("hold short of" → "short of", "as published" → ∅, "proceed direct" → "direct"). Applied to clearances too, because it never removes a value or a command verb. | JFK AIR-24-01: a taxi-and-hold-short readback in which the function words eroded while the restriction concept and both values survived. That is glue erosion, not loss of the command. | FAITHFUL. |
| Rungs 2 and 4 — readback structure and anchor word drop, SERVICE messages only. "down to eight thousand" → "eight thousand"; "Left heading zero eight zero" → "Left zero eight zero". Never on a clearance. | Prinzo 2006 (5 TRACONs, 52 hr, 12,148 messages, 723 coded readback errors): omission is 63.76% of all errors; anchor-word omission 18.95%, of which 12.45 points are HEADING specifically. En-route altitude/heading readbacks lose the verb near-universally even in routine cruise, while tower clearances never do — message type, not workload. | FAITHFUL. The direction word survives the anchor drop, which is what produces the observed "Left 40" form. |
| Rung 5 — number loss is TRUNCATION, not deletion. The magnitude prefix goes and the distinguishing tail digits survive: heading "zero eight zero" → "eight zero"; speed "one eight zero knots" → "eighty on the speed". Altitudes are never truncated. | Prinzo 2006: number-element omission 24.62% of coded errors, of which ~11.20 points are SPEED. On which elements are fragile, two studies agree that altitude is the safest (1.18% / 0.4% error) and frequency and crossing restrictions the most dangerous (altitude restriction 18.57%) — so the naive assumption that altitude readbacks are the risky ones is inverted here. | FAITHFUL. Speed truncates to the observed "eighty on the speed" form specifically because it names its own topic and therefore stays unambiguous; bare unit deletion is not what the corpus shows and we do not do it. |
| Rungs 6 and 7 — callsign prefix dropped (airline name gone, numbers kept), then bare "Roger". Mid-exchange turns only; never on an exchange opener, never on a clearance. | Prinzo 2006: the dominant partial callsign form is no prefix, all numbers at 16.0%; no callsign at all 6–7.6% of responses in normal operations but *27–28% of erroneous readbacks. Cardosi 1996 tower local: 27% bare "roger", which Cardosi calls "often necessary on congested frequencies during extremely busy traffic periods". SWA1380 (DCA18MA142): callsign present on every exchange-opener, absent on every* mid-exchange turn — governed by turn position, not stress level. | FAITHFUL, with one modelling note: this is DRIFT, not sanctioned abbreviation. It is the structural inverse of the legal AIM 4-2-4 abbreviation (which keeps the prefix and drops the leading digits) and it crosses 7110.65 2-4-3. We model it as a degradation signal, not as a register. |
| Rung 8 — the transmission simply does not happen, on frequency changes only. | Cardosi 2016 (ZKC): 8% of frequency changes drew no pilot response and required the controller to re-call. Two ZDV controllers in DCA10IA001 independently stated that air carriers commonly do not acknowledge frequency changes at all. | FAITHFUL. Silence is a modelled state, not the absence of one. |
| The BASELINE form mix is an ENVIRONMENT CONSTANT, not a load effect. A tower frequency sounds dramatically more compressed than a TRACON at identical traffic. Drawn from a per-environment distribution over the rungs before any pressure is applied. | Measured, from routine-operations tape with denominators: tower local 28% full / 37% partial / 27% ack-only / 7% mike-click+none (Cardosi 1996, 48–49 hr, 10 towers, 8,444 messages); TRACON 82.7% / 7.9% / 4.0% / 3.8% (Prinzo 2006, 52 hr, 5 facilities, 11,159 paired). | FAITHFUL to the two measured distributions. Wired to the field's published facilityKind. |
| The driver is TIME AVAILABLE first, criticality second, load third. Contact Load is deliberately a secondary modifier. | Research §6.1, and the reason is empirical: Austin's worst degradation occurs at identical workload to its perfect clearances, and the three emergency transcripts rank by time-to-ground, not severity (US1549 3.5 min vs SWA1380 17 min). | FAITHFUL in structure and precedence. The threshold values are ours — see the discretion list below. |
| Courtesy is a switch, not a rung. Present while there is time; gone at once when there is not. | SWA1380 (17 min available): "sir" and "please" alive to ~90 s from touchdown. US1549 (3.5 min): zero courtesy tokens after the bird strike. | FAITHFUL in mechanism. The 5-minute boundary between those two anchors is ours. |
| Under a live conflict or CA the ladder runs NEGATIVE: the frequency gets longer and more explicit, not shorter. Three expansion rungs. −1 the flight is addressed by its full callsign, no AIM 4-2-4 abbreviation, weight class included. −2 a live landing clearance the instruction does not itself touch is restated ("…, you are still cleared to land runway one two right") instead of left as an implicit back-reference; on the pilot side, any clause of the clearance the readback did not echo is restated. −3 on a runway clearance, for a runway the sim has verified clear, the explicit negative statement is spoken in the corpus's own words: "…, there is no one on runway one two right but you". | Research §6.3: under conflict compression_level "does not just fall to 0 — it goes negative, i.e. transmissions expand past baseline: full callsign, and for air carriers including the weight class; full clearance restated rather than referenced; an explicit negative statement where doubt exists ('there is no one on that runway but you')." | FAITHFUL. Expansion is primarily controller-side — what the game puts in the player's mouth — because all three evidenced constructions are, in the transcripts they come from, things a controller says. That is consistent with §4.3 (which makes compression pilot-side because the controller is the scripted party) and with §6.3a, where the controller's own curve is the inverse of the crew's and includes "re-lengthens". The crew keeps rungs −1 and −2. Every expansion path is additive by construction — nothing on this half of the ladder can delete a word — which is why it is also applied to locked transmissions that may never compress. Enforced by commsExpansionLaw in scripts/soak.ts with four mutation controls, including a false-reassurance control: with no verified-clear runway the negative statement must not appear at all. Where the boundary between the rungs falls, and the choice to make expansion controller-led, are OUR DISCRETION. |
| The ladder is applied only to the pilot readback, never to the controller instruction. | Research §4.3: compression is asymmetric by role. Controller phraseology is templated, recorded and QA'd; the pressure lands on the party with no script. | FAITHFUL. |
| Non-command pilot transmissions (check-ins, position reports, unprompted calls) do not yet compress — only the command/readback exchange does. | — | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3). The exchange path is where the evidence is densest and where the player hears it, so it shipped first. Suggested fix: extend the tap to the sim's onReadback emissions. |
| The controller's own compression curve is not modelled at all. | Research §6.3a: the observed controller rule is the opposite of the crew's — the controller lengthens when the crew is answering, shortens when the crew is saturated, and re-lengthens into a dead channel when the crew goes silent. And the controller degrades MORE than the crew, with more disfluency, not less. | NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3). In VectorHeavy the player is the controller, so this is a question about what the game puts in the player's mouth, not a simple port of the ladder. |
The emergency arc ships with both ends. ONSET SILENCE: a 7700 crew does not transmit for a seeded 20–35 s after the event — the aeroplane is squawking and flying, and the mayday has not happened yet. DECLARATION (already locked against compression) → EXCHANGE PHASE (the ladder, depth set by time available) → TERMINAL SILENCE: inside a seeded 60–90 s of the ground the crew stops transmitting for good, and the player keeps broadcasting into a dead channel. Seconds-to-ground is the nearer of the declared fuel deadline and range-to-threshold over ground speed, the latter only once the flight is genuinely committed to an approach. | Research §6.12a, the arc as a state machine: "1. ONSET SILENCE 20–35 s. Two unanswered routine clearances. The crew is flying, not talking. … 4. TERMINAL SILENCE. Short-fuse events END in nothing. US1549's last crew transmission was 75.7 s before touchdown — ~36% of the whole emergency. The controller keeps broadcasting into a dead channel." | FAITHFUL to the arc's shape, and to its doctrine line: do not end an emergency with ever-shorter transmissions, end it with silence. SILENCE IS A COMMS STATE, NOT A CONTROL STATE, and that is structural rather than promised: the three fields involved are written by the emergency tick and read only by the presentation layer, so the command, steering and separation paths cannot see them. A silent aircraft accepts and flies every instruction. It is not NORDO (7600), which is a different modelled silence (§6.13) that really does refuse commands, on its own separate path. Legibility: the strip and the data block read NO TX for the duration, the help panel explains it, and the AAR names it as a contributing factor. emergencyArcLaw in scripts/soak.ts drives a real arc at all 13 fields and issues a heading to the aircraft inside both silences, requiring it to accept and physically turn; three mutation controls cover NORDO confusion, a resolved emergency and the detector's own ability to fire. The onset range is the observed one; the 60–90 s terminal band is OUR DISCRETION — the corpus gives one anchor, not a curve. |
Listed separately because these would fail an authenticity audit if presented as sourced, and the three-bucket rule requires them to be named:
The research doc searched for these and found no usable source. We have not invented numbers to fill the gaps:
§8 records the general omission: there is no terrain grid, no MVA/MIA, no MSAW, and the altitude floor at every field is a flat number rather than a terrain-derived one. That row has been in this ledger since the beginning and it applies everywhere. This section exists because at one modelled field the omission stops being a footnote and becomes the single most misleading thing on the scope, and burying it inside a general row would be the kind of quiet smoothing this page exists to refuse.
KLAS — Harry Reid International, Las Vegas. The field sits on the floor of the Las Vegas Valley, a bowl. The Spring Mountains rise to the west, with Charleston Peak at 11,916 ft — roughly 9,700 ft above the field and inside 25 nm of it. Frenchman and Sunrise Mountains stand immediately east of the airport at around 4,000 ft. The McCullough Range closes the south and the Sheep Range the north. Terrain is not scenery here; it is the thing that determines where aircraft may be put, which arrivals exist, how high the minimum vectoring altitudes are in each sector, and why the published chart set has no instrument approach at all to runways 08L or 08R. The FAA's own capacity profile for the field names it twice as an operational constraint — "high terrain to the west", and "military airspace, high terrain, and proximity to other airports reduce arrival and departure flows at LAS."
None of that is in the model. Concretely, at KLAS as at every other field:
What this means for a prep-oriented player, stated plainly: VectorHeavy's KLAS must not be read as teaching Las Vegas terrain avoidance, Las Vegas MVAs, or terrain-driven vectoring judgement of any kind. A controller who knows Vegas will notice the mountains are missing within a minute, and they are right to. Sequencing, separation, phraseology, the published procedures and the runway crossing this field is built around are all modelled and are all worth practising. The vertical picture is not. Treat every altitude you assign here as a number in a game, because in this model that is exactly what it is.
We are stating this rather than fixing it because the fix is a real subsystem (§8's roadmap item: an MVA polygon layer plus a low-altitude alert), and shipping a field this terrain-defined behind a quiet footnote would have been the dishonest option. The disclosure is the price of the field.
The same omission matters at KTBN in the Ozarks. Forney Field's surrounding ridges are not drawn, and the game has no terrain surface, MVA grid, or MSAW. The runway, Class D and procedure geometry are sourced; their presence must not be read as a claim that an off-procedure vector is terrain-safe. The omission is also operationally important at KBBG. FAA airport remarks explicitly warn of hills and uneven terrain near Branson and note that terrain avoidance may activate on final. Those hills, terrain alerts, MVAs and MSAW are not modeled. The sourced runway, Class D and procedures must not be read as a claim that an off-procedure vector is terrain-safe.
The omission is operationally important at KPDX as well. The Cascades and the Columbia River Gorge shape the real Portland terminal environment, but the game draws only the sourced river routes. It has no terrain surface, MVA/MIA grid, MSAW or low-altitude alert. KPDX's published procedures and runway flows are modelled; an off-procedure vector must not be read as terrain-safe.
KPDX's exact airline weights, 4% GA share, twelve-aircraft cap, spawn cadence, ramp and 90% STAR/SID assignment rates are OUR DISCRETION. The Port of Portland's 2025 statistics and current nonstop roster establish the carrier and market basis, not those game coefficients. Its east/west runway flows are published FAA capacity-profile facts. The Columbia and Willamette centerlines are USGS NHD facts; their displayed widths are OUR DISCRETION.
| Game behavior | Real environment | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| KLAS is modelled with no terrain, no MVA/MIA, no MSAW; the vertical band is a flat 5,000–14,000 ft MSL derived from field elevation. | 7110.65 5-6-3 (aircraft at or above the MVA/MIA); the Las Vegas basin is ringed by terrain from ~4,000 ft immediately east to 11,916 ft ~25 nm west. | DOCUMENTED MAJOR OMISSION, named at the field where it matters most. Nothing the game does here is presented as terrain-safe — but nothing stops you either, so the honesty has to come from this page. NEEDS-REFINEMENT (v0.3+, tracked with §8). |
| The same omission is disclosed on the field's own lobby page and in its changelog entry, not only here. | — | FAITHFUL to the disclosure doctrine. A player who never opens the fidelity ledger still gets told before they sit down. |
Every aircraft on the scope resolves through one table (src/data/aircraftTypes. generated.ts). That table decides the wake category, the slowest speed a pilot will accept, how long the aircraft holds the runway on rollout, how fast it can descend and change speed, and how many souls it reports on a 7700. It used to be hand-authored, and hand-authoring it cost us the worst honesty failure on this page.
The failure. Airline fleet lists and ga.types lists name type codes as bare strings, and nothing checked those strings against the table. Nine codes were referenced and never defined: A319 and A220 (KICT, KTUL), B739 (KATL, KDEN, KSEA, and the center's overflight mix), C25A/C25B/C25C (KICT, KIXD, KMKC, KOJC, KTUL), DH8D (KSEA), E170 (KMCI) and TBM9 (KICT, KIXD, KMKC, KTUL). Every lookup in that module falls back on a miss — wake class to large, approach-speed floor to 160 kt, landing distance to 5,000 ft, souls to 100–175 — so those aircraft flew as generic large jets. A nine-seat Citation CJ2 and a single-engine TBM held large-class wake separation, refused any speed below 160 kt, occupied the runway for a widebody's rollout, and could report 163 souls on board. This was live in production. It is fixed, and the fix is a pipeline rather than nine more hand-authored rows.
The source. The table is now generated from FAA Order JO 7360.1K, "Aircraft Type Designators" (date issued 2025-04-10, effective 2025-06-12; cancels JO 7360.1J), a US Government work in the public domain, retrieved from faa.gov and pinned by SHA256 in reference/faa-sources/MANIFEST.md. Appendix A of that order is the authoritative list of designators approved for use in the NAS, and it carries per designator the aircraft class, engine number-type / FAA weight class, ICAO wake turbulence category, Consolidated Wake Turbulence (CWT) category, Same Runway Separation category, LAHSO group, and every MANUFACTURER, Model that decodes to it. All 2,691 designators are transcribed verbatim into reference/faa-sources/jo7360-1k-appendix-a.tsv, which is committed — the pipeline is reproducible without re-downloading the PDF.
| What | Provenance |
|---|---|
The designator itself (icao) | SOURCED. A code that is not in the order cannot enter the table. |
| Make and model | SOURCED, verbatim. Each entry names the one MANUFACTURER, Model row it represents and the generator fails if that exact string is absent from the source row, so make/model cannot drift. |
| ICAO WTC and CWT category | SOURCED, verbatim. |
Wake class (small/large/heavy/super) | DERIVED from the sourced CWT by one documented rule: A → super; B/C/D → heavy; E/F/G → large; H/I → small. This is a collapse of the FAA's real nine-category scheme (see §2), not a judgement per aircraft. |
| Variant (the common trade name: "Q400", "Citation CJ2") | OUR DISCRETION. The order prints registry model strings, not marketing names. |
| Radio type word ("Skyhawk", "King Air") | OUR DISCRETION. Not a field of this order. |
| Approach speeds, scope-speed envelope, climb modifier, landing distance, souls on board | OUR DISCRETION, and this is the important row. JO 7360.1 is a designator registry: it publishes no speeds, no landing distances and no climb rates. These figures are tuned game parameters, chosen to be plausible for the type's class and internally consistent across the table. They are not published type performance and are not presented as such anywhere in the game, this page, or the generated file. Every figure that was already shipping is carried over unchanged, so building the pipeline did not silently re-tune any aircraft that was already flying. |
| Which designators the table carries (108 of 2,691) | OUR DISCRETION. Rule: everything any field references, plus the common US commercial fleet, plus the common US GA/business fleet. The 56 breadth types are marked future: true and spawn nowhere; they exist so a new field pulls its mix from a real list instead of inventing a code, which is exactly how the nine phantoms happened. |
KBLV adds four sourced air-mobility designators to the live table: K35R (KC-135R), C17, C5M and LJ35 (the C-21 family). Their identities and wake categories come from FAA Order JO 7360.1K. Their game speeds, climb modifiers, landing distances and soul ranges remain OUR DISCRETION, under the same rule as every other type.
KPIA adds the sourced C130 designator for the 182d Airlift Wing operation at Peoria; its identity and wake category come from the same FAA order, its performance figures are game tuning like every other type.
Two codes we had been using were not designators at all. The check caught them the moment it existed: E175 is not in the order (the ERJ-170-200 US regionals fly is E75L, long wing; E75S is the short wing), and PA28 is not in the order (the fixed-gear Cherokee/Archer/Warrior family is P28A). Both were corrected everywhere they appeared.
What the source confirmed rather than contradicted. The CWT mapping reproduces every wake class the hand-authored table carried, including the awkward ones: the Gulfstream IV is CWT G and therefore large while the other business jets are H/I and therefore small, which the old table had reasoned its way to by MTOW. The hand work was right; it just had no gate.
| Game behavior | Real environment | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
Type identity and wake category are generated from JO 7360.1K Appendix A and re-verified against the committed extract by npm run validate:types on every run. | JO 7360.1 is the order that governs which type designators may be used in the NAS, and it is the FAA's own carrier for CWT and SRS category. | FAITHFUL. This is the same doctrine as the CIFP and Class Airspace pipelines: never hand-author what has a real source. |
| Performance figures (approach speed floor, landing distance, climb modifier, souls) are ours. | No FAA publication carries these per designator; real figures live in each type's AFM. | DISCLOSED DISCRETION. They are tuned for play, they are labelled as tuned in the data file itself, and no screen in the game claims otherwise. NEEDS-REFINEMENT: sourcing real Vref and landing-distance figures per type from published AFM data would upgrade this row; until that is done with a retrievable source, these stay marked as ours. |
| A type code referenced by a fleet but missing from the table can no longer exist, and a type in the table that is not a real designator can no longer exist. | — | FAITHFUL, and it is the gate that was missing. Both directions are hard failures in validate:types, and both were mutation-tested: injecting a bogus fleet code, a wrong manufacturer, a wrong wake class, and a non-designator type each fail the build. |
| The sim's four wake classes are still a collapse of the FAA's nine CWT categories. | 7110.65 5-5-4 CWT, categories A–I. | SIMPLIFIED-OK, unchanged from §2 — but the collapse is now performed on the sourced CWT letter rather than on a hand judgement, and every entry keeps its CWT letter so the full A–I migration on the §2 backlog is now a data-free change. |
The lobby groups every playable field under an ARTCC, and each Center section carries a "N of TOTAL" brick-progress note. Until now both halves of that claim were hand-typed: the field-to-Center mapping in src/data/centers.ts, and the total in docs/ZKC_BRICK.md, assembled by reading one airport's Chart Supplement at a time. The method was sound and nothing checked it.
What it cost. The hand-built ZKC roster said 26 civil towered fields. The FAA's own data says 33. Nothing in it was wrong — every one of the 26 is a real ZKC towered field, and every exclusion it argued (KLWC, KUIN, KAAO, KFLV all untowered; KOKC/KDSM/KOMA/KXNA/KDEC and the rest in neighbouring Centers) matches the FAA exactly. It was wrong by omission: seven fields were never enumerated, so they were never checked. Two of them (KPIA Peoria, KBMI Bloomington-Normal) sit inside Chicago Center's published boundary while Kansas City is the responsible Center — the exact case a by-eye boundary read cannot get right. One more (KBEC, Beech Factory) was excluded as "private use" when the FAA records it as privately owned but public use.
The fix. src/data/toweredAirports.generated.ts is generated from the FAA NASR 28 Day Subscription (effective 2026-07-09; pinned by size and SHA256 in reference/faa-sources/MANIFEST.md §7, committed extract at reference/faa-sources/nasr-2026-07-09-towered.tsv). Tower status is NASR's TWR_TYPE_CODE; the Center is NASR's responsible ARTCC, the value the Chart Supplement prints. 712 US towered airports across 25 ARTCCs, per-Center brick rosters derived rather than counted.
| Game claim | Real environment | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
Every playable field is towered, and is grouped under the Center the FAA says is responsible for it. Both are hard-checked by npm run validate:towered on every run. | NASR is the FAA's own 28-day airport data distribution; the responsible-ARTCC field is what the Chart Supplement prints. | FAITHFUL. No airport, tower status or ARTCC assignment in the roster was typed by a person. The gate was mutation-tested: a field mapped to the wrong Center, a field in the registry that the FAA does not tower, a hand-edited generated roster, a wrong field elevation, and a Center id that is not a real ARTCC each fail the build. |
| A Center's brick total is the count of public-use towered fields the FAA assigns to it. | "Towered" and "public use" are both published NASR fields, not judgements. | FAITHFUL as data. Which of those fields belong in a game brick is still our doctrine call (military fields are counted separately and deferred), and it is disclosed as such in docs/ZKC_BRICK.md. |
| ARTCC ownership is treated as one value per airport. | Ownership can change by altitude stratum at a Center seam, and NASR itself publishes both a boundary and a responsible ARTCC, noting they "may not be" the same — they differ at 21 of the 712 towered fields. | SIMPLIFIED, and now measured. The roster carries both values, so the seam cases are visible instead of hedged. The game models terminal airspace, where the responsible Center is the one that matters. |
| Tower-only versus own-radar-room ("APP seat") is read from the FAA facility type. | NASR distinguishes ATCT from ATCT-TRACON / ATCT-RAPCON / ATCT-RATCF / ATCT-A/C. | FAITHFUL, and it corrected us. The hand roster had KSTJ as tower-only (it is a RAPCON) and KSPI as its own approach seat (it is a tower whose approach control is furnished by St. Louis TRACON). |
| Field elevations in the airport modules match the FAA's published value. | NASR publishes surveyed field elevation to a tenth of a foot. | NEEDS-REFINEMENT, one field. 20 of 21 built fields match within the ±1 ft rounding band. KSTL carries 605 ft; the FAA publishes 617.3 ft — 12 ft low, and it feeds the TRACON floor/ceiling derivation. It is an explicit, printed waiver in validate:towered, not a silent tolerance, and it fails the build the moment the number is fixed without removing the waiver. |
|---|
The gate was checking fifteen fields out of seventeen, and said PASS. validate:towered kept its own hand-typed array of airport modules while the registry carried seventeen. KSUS and KSGF were not in it, so their field elevations had never once been compared against NASR; validate:types carried the identical fifteen-entry array, so those two fields' airline fleet and ga.types lists had never been checked against the type table either. Both rosters are now derived from scripts/airportRoster.ts, and on their first run the two newly covered fields passed: KSUS 463 ft vs NASR 463.3, KSGF 1268 ft vs NASR 1268.3, both inside the ±1 ft rounding band, and neither field references a type the order does not define. Nothing was wrong; nothing had been looked at. The recurrence law is in validate:registry, and it now forbids the pattern rather than policing a list of files: any file under scripts/ that enumerates airport modules by hand fails the build unless it is registered as an explicit exception with a reason and a closed code list.
The per-airport pages at /airports/<icao>/ carry hand-authored prose. validate:landing-copy holds every sentence about our data to that data, and it is honest in its own header about the half it cannot reach: a claim about the real airport that our data does not carry is invisible to it. Those claims are this section's job, and the standard is the same three buckets as everywhere else — a PUBLISHED FACT carries a citation, OUR DISCRETION says so, and UNKNOWN is never asserted.
A sweep on 2026-07-28 found seven real-world claims in the seventeen blurbs. Three are derivable from NASR (document 7, already pinned by SHA256 in reference/faa-sources/MANIFEST.md; the copy the derivation was run against hashed identical to the pin). Four could not be sourced to any primary FAA document and were cut, not softened into a vaguer number.
| Claim on the page | Field | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| "eight runways, more than any other public-use airport in the United States" | KORD | NASR 2026-07-09, APT_RWY.csv joined to APT_BASE.csv. Counting hard-surface (CONC/ASPH/PEM) runways at open, US, airport-type, public-use facilities: ORD 8, DFW 7, DEN/BOS/DTW 6, ATL/IAH 5. | SOURCED. Was "more than any airport in the world"; NASR is a US dataset and publishes nothing about the world, so the claim is now exactly as wide as its source. |
| "16R/34L is the longest runway at any public-use airport in the United States, at sixteen thousand feet" | KDEN | NASR 2026-07-09, APT_RWY.csv. DEN 16R/34L 16,000 ft is the longest runway in the entire US landing-facility set, public or private (next: Edwards AFB 05R/23L, 15,024 ft). | SOURCED. Was "in North America"; NASR does not cover Canada or Mexico. The claim is now narrower than the truth may be, which is the right direction. |
| "fourteen thousand eight hundred and thirty-five feet, the second-longest paved runway at any public-use airport in the United States" | KLAS | NASR 2026-07-09, APT_RWY.csv. Hard-surface runways at US public-use airports: DEN 16,000; LAS 08L/26R 14,835; JFK 13R/31L 14,511. (Four 15,000 ft entries rank between them and are seaplane water lanes, not paved runways.) | SOURCED. Was "one of the longest civil runways in North America" — an unfalsifiable phrase over a region the source does not cover. It is now a rank with a denominator. |
| "roughly four hundred real operations a day" | KSUS | NONE FOUND. NASR's airport record does carry annual-operations fields (layout apt_rf.txt, elements A100–A105 plus the 12-month ending date), and in this cycle every one of the 19,436 airport records has them blank — measured, not assumed. The tower counts that would settle it live in ATADS/OPSNET, which serves reports from an interactive query endpoint with no citable, hashable published document behind it. | CUT. The closer now makes the same point without a quantity. A number recalled rather than retrieved is the failure this ledger exists to prevent, and it would have been worse than silence. |
| "the busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic" | KATL | ACI World, 2025 final global rankings, released 2026-07-15: ATL 1st with 106,302,208 passengers, ahead of Dubai (95.2M) and Tokyo Haneda (91.7M). Airports Council International is the airport trade association that collects the traffic returns; it is not an FAA product, and it is cited here as ACI, not as FAA. | SOURCED, restored, and narrowed to PASSENGERS. It had been cut for want of an FAA source. Restored on the founder's call that a cited non-FAA primary is honest under the three-bucket rule. The scope matters: see the KORD row below, because "busiest" means something different to a controller. |
| "works more aircraft movements than any other airport in the world" | KORD | ACI World, same 2025 release: ORD 1st by aircraft movements with 857,392, up 10.5% on 2024, in ACI's words "displacing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta." | SOURCED. This is the ranking that actually bears on this game: we control aircraft, not passengers, so movements is the controller's meaning of "busiest". Writing an unqualified "busiest in the world" on ATL would have handed O'Hare's real claim to the wrong field. Both claims are now stated in the metric they are true in. |
| "the largest commercial aviation maintenance facility in the world" | KTUL | NONE FOUND. No FAA publication ranks maintenance facilities. | CUT. The base is still named; the superlative is gone. |
| "the level-4 tower serving Springfield" | KSPI | NONE FOUND. NASR publishes facility type (ATCT vs ATCT-TRACON, §21 above), not the FAA's facility level. | CUT. The facility type it does publish was already correct and is unchanged. |
Three further sentences were examined and deliberately left: Wichita's "Air Capital of the World" and Tulsa's "Green Country" are civic nicknames rather than assertions, and Kansas City Downtown's "the metro's original airport" and New Century's "the old Olathe Naval Air Station" are historical background carrying no quantity. They are recorded here so the next sweep knows they were judged rather than missed.
A second sweep on 2026-07-28, with KALN, KBLV, KBMI, KCPS and KPIA, added one claim that is deliberately NOT a published fact and is labelled here instead of being cut.
| Claim on the page | Field | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Belleville regulars will tell you the field occasionally stops for a VIP movement, a Cabinet aircraft or Air Force Two" (landing page closer, and the lobby card's "now and then everything waits on a VIP movement") | KBLV | NONE, and none is claimed. This is the founder's own first-hand observation from flying out of Belleville, not an FAA publication. No FAA document describes the behaviour, and none was looked for after the fact to dress it up. | OUR DISCRETION, disclosed. It is written as what locals say, never as an FAA-sourced procedure, and the sentence next to it says the game does not simulate it. VectorHeavy models no VIP or priority-movement mechanic at any field; this is field character, not behaviour. |
| Which of the two parallels carries the Air Force base and which the civil terminal | KBLV | NONE FOUND. NASR names the joint facility and its tower operator but does not assign a runway to an operator. | UNKNOWN, and unasserted. An earlier draft of both the page copy and flowsProvenance assigned them by compass side. No primary document on hand supports it, so the assignment is gone from the data comment and was never shipped in the copy. The joint civil/military status itself is NASR-published and stays. |
This is a human sweep, and it does not become a gate. No token matcher can tell a sourced world claim from an invented one, and shipping something that looked like a gate would be worse than the honest gap.
src/data/registry.ts now carries faaLevel on each airport: the real FAA air traffic facility level, 4 through 12, the scale that ranks a facility by traffic count and complexity and sets its controllers' pay band. It exists for the career ladder in docs/CAREER.md, which wants real rungs rather than an invented difficulty number.
Nothing in the game reads this field today. The lobby's STEADY / BUSY / HEAVY tags are still the only difficulty grouping a player sees, and they are our own three-bucket UI shorthand, not the FAA scale. This section exists so that a sourced-but-unused field is disclosed as such rather than discovered later.
| Game claim | Real environment | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Ninety-seven of the one hundred forty-six modelled fields carry an FAA facility level, 4 through 12. | The FAA assigns a level to each of its facilities; the levels behind KATL, KORD, KDEN, KDFW, KMIA, KCLT and KPHL are 12, and the lowest on our roster are KDAY, KSPI and KPIA at 4. | PUBLISHED FACT, secondary source, corroborated where the primary source allows. The levels come from 123atc.com, which is not an FAA publication. The FAA Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan publishes only coarse bands, 4-9 and 10-12, and it does not enumerate every facility: 22 of our levels are checkable against it, and all 22 fall inside the band it assigns them. Levels without a matching primary-source band rest on the secondary source and are labelled here rather than quietly averaged in. validate:registry re-runs the check on every gate run, so the agreement cannot rot quietly. |
| Forty-nine modelled fields carry no level at all. | Facility levels are assigned only to FAA-staffed facilities. Contract, municipal, other non-FAA and military fields are not levelled; they are described by operator or service branch. | PUBLISHED FACT, and the absence is the fact. The source rosters for contract towers and DoD facilities carry no level column at all, and NASR identifies KAID's operator as the City of Anderson. A gate demanding a level everywhere would be demanding a number that does not exist, so the registry gate requires only that any level PRESENT is an integer 4 through 12. |
| The career ladder's rungs are keyed on WHO RUNS THE TOWER, not on whether a level exists. | NASR publishes a tower operator for every field: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMIN, FAA CONTRACT TOWER, a service branch, non-federal, or other. On this roster every FAA-run tower carries a level and no other field does, 97 for 97. | PUBLISHED FACT, and the rungs inherit it. validate:registry asserts that correlation in both directions, so an FAA-run field added without a level fails, and so does a contract or military field given one. An earlier version keyed on the ABSENCE of a level, which is only a proxy: it put KTBN, a U.S. Army tower, in the beginner rung because it is quiet and unlevelled, and it invented a limbo for four fields that turned out to be ordinary contract towers. |
| The beginner rung is the quiet non-FAA civilian towers, and the busy ones are a rung above. | The FAA Contract Tower Program covers towers that do not meet the cost-benefit case for FAA staffing, largely the low-activity ones. Contract-tower experience is a recognised pipeline into FAA hiring, alongside CTI and prior military. | OUR DESIGN, on a real signal. Contract or municipal status is sourced and can correlate with lower activity, but the FAA does not call these fields beginner or entry level; it says nothing about them at all. 31 quiet fields form the rookie rung, all tower-only seats, which is also the order a real developmental checks out. The 7 busy ones (KASG, KFOE, KFYV, KILN, KSLN, KSTJ, KWDG) are a second rung rather than a gap. |
| The three military-run fields are never ranked, and are an ORIGIN rather than a rung. | KBLV and KLCK are run by the U.S. Air Force, and KTBN by the U.S. Army. None is on the FAA facility scale, because the FAA does not staff them. | DISCLOSED, and the absence of a rank is the honest answer. An FAA career cannot include a job the FAA does not staff, so placing them on the scale would be inventing a number. They are modelled as a prior-service START, which is a real FAA hiring pipeline. No military-procedure fidelity is claimed anywhere: we do not simulate the overhead break, formation work or tactical patterns, and the Reach callsigns and BE40 stand-in are already disclosed as our discretion (S17.1). At KBLV the modelled traffic is majority CIVILIAN in any case (vfrShare 0.35, and the IFR remainder roughly 7 civil to 11 military), so the player there is mostly working airline and GA under a military tower. |
| The lobby card names the facility: "FAA Level 10", "FAA contract tower", "U.S. Air Force tower". | NASR publishes the tower operator for every field, and the FAA facility level is researched per S21c above. | PUBLISHED FACT, and deliberately NOT our career vocabulary. The card never says "rookie": that word is our inference about difficulty and the FAA says nothing of the kind, so putting it on a card would be the game asserting it. The card shows only what the sources publish, and the ladder stays legible because the rungs were derived from exactly these facts. It also says what the STEADY / BUSY / HEAVY tag cannot: KSTJ and KSEA are both tagged BUSY, but one is a contract tower and the other is an FAA level 10. The string is hand-copied into src/lobby/airportBlips.ts so the lobby bundle does not carry the 712-entry NASR roster, and validate:registry asserts all modelled fields against facilityLabel() on each run. It replaced "Towered field", which appeared on every card because every modelled field is towered. |
| A field's level is its TOWER's level. | At the largest fields the approach control is a separate facility with its own level: KATL's tower and the A80 TRACON are both level 12, but they are two facilities. | DISCLOSED SIMPLIFICATION, and it is not load-bearing yet. Our seats can combine tower and approach where the real field splits them across facilities, so a single number per airport is already an abstraction. It is recorded here now, before the career ladder leans on it, because that is when the choice has to be visible. |
Every shift opens at a local time, and the turnover briefing reads it out ("0614 local, morning shift"). Pilots greet you against it, and handoff sign-offs follow it. That clock keeps running on sim time, so a long session really does walk out of the morning push and into the afternoon.
Where the time comes from depends on the mode, and the game says so.
| What the game does | Why | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sandbox and Arcade open at YOUR local time. The browser's own clock is read once, when the session starts, and that is the time on the scope. Sit down at 2140 and you are working an evening shift. | It is the only clock actually available — the game runs entirely in your browser after it loads, and the server it came from is on UTC, which is nobody's evening. It is also the honest one: "it is evening here and evening in the game" is what a shift is supposed to feel like. | OUR DISCRETION, and it is a game-feel choice rather than a fidelity claim. No real facility's schedule is being modelled; you are being handed the position at the time you sat down. |
| Ranked opens at a time drawn from the session seed. Not your clock. The shift line on the briefing says so in as many words. | A leaderboard is only comparable if everyone faces the same spread of shift times. A 0300 mid is part of the challenge, and it has to be drawable by every player, not only by whoever happens to be awake at 0300. | DISCLOSED. The briefing tells you the time is coming from the seed, because a 0300 shift while it is two in the afternoon where you are sitting otherwise reads as a bug. |
| The distribution ranked draws from is weighted — morning and afternoon pushes common, the overnight mid rare. | Facilities are busiest in the pushes; a random uniform hour would put you on a 0300 mid a quarter of the time. | OUR DISCRETION. The weights are game-design coefficients (like the Contact Load bands), not a claimed FAA watch schedule. Nothing in the game presents them as one. |
| The overnight band greets with "good morning". | After midnight the calendar day has turned, so a check-in that opens "good morning" is the ordinary read. | DISCLOSED DISCRETION. Rich Heimlich named morning / day / evening; the overnight case is our judgement call, and it is the only band whose greeting is a choice rather than obvious. |
None of this weakens the determinism guarantee, and that is structural. The real clock is read exactly once, in the host, before the sim exists; the resulting minute is passed into the sim as an input and recorded on the proof tape, so a replay of an evening sandbox session is still an evening session years later. Nothing under src/game/ may read a wall clock at all — a gate greps for it and fails the build. Tapes recorded before the clock became a session input replay exactly as they always have, because their recorded time is the seed derivation, and a tape old enough to omit it falls back to that derivation. Both directions are mutation-tested in scripts/replayDeterminism.ts.
The clock's bookend. A shift opens with a colleague handing you the position; it now also closes with you handing it to the next controller (END SHIFT).
| What the game does | Why | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| A shift has no fixed length. Relief is available at will, from the first minute, and the shift's score is the score at the moment you hand over. | Open play. The alternative — a fixed shift you cannot leave early — would be closer to a real watch schedule, but it would make the game a timer rather than a position. | OUR DISCRETION, and a game-design choice, not a claim about any facility's schedule. Real watch lengths, position rotations and the two-hour-on rhythm are not modelled. |
| Relief is allowed mid-crisis, with traffic on frequency and a conflict live. The review says what the next controller inherited. | Real relief happens when it happens. Controllers do get relieved in the middle of something, and handing your replacement a mess is a real event with a real briefing. | FAITHFUL in kind, not in procedure. A real relief briefing is a checklist-driven verbal handover (7210.3 position relief briefing); the game has no such exchange yet — see docs/spec-relief-and-duration-board.md. |
| Stopping while you are ahead is a legitimate strategy, and nothing prevents it. | The score board rewards knowing when to stop; the duration board rewards staying. The two pull in opposite directions, so the tension is the design rather than something to police. | OUR DISCRETION. No real-world analogue is being claimed. |
| Closing the tab records nothing. Not a score, not a duration. | It is not an ending; it is an absence of one. There is now a deliberate way to finish, so declining to use it is a choice. | OUR DISCRETION. |
| The duration board ranks the longest shift WORKED, and a shift must sustain at least 6 completed operations per hour (and at least 2 in total) to be on it. The board says so on its face. Every ending still counts, and nothing is filtered for HOW it ended. | "Longest shift worked" and "longest tab left open" are different claims, and the board makes the first one. This is not the anti-gaming machinery ruled out for the score board — there is still no minimum shift length, no cooldown and no anti-banking rule, and relief stays available from the first minute. It is a statement of what the number means. It exists because it was measured: with no commands issued, busy fields end an idle shift on their own (KORD 20/20 within two hours, median 11m41s), but low-demand fields do not — KJEF/KCOU/KIXD/KMKC/KSGF/KSPI/KOJC all have seeds that run 12 sim hours with traffic flat at 6–8 aircraft and no conflict ever maturing. | OUR DISCRETION, both numbers. They are game-design coefficients, not any published productivity standard, and no facility's expected throughput is being claimed. Calibration is stated rather than asserted: the genuine 46-minute KSTL record (23 operations) needs 4.6 and clears by 5.0x, while every measured idle shift has 0 operations and fails at every length. Even the quietest modelled field offers 95–164 aircraft/hour, so a quiet field is not disadvantaged by the rate. Enforced on the client and re-derived on the server from the ledger's own operation count, so a hand-crafted submission cannot assert it. The sim's underlying behaviour — unmanaged traffic saturating and then settling instead of escalating — is the deeper issue and is not fixed by this; it is filed as docs/ticket-unmanaged-traffic-escalation.md. |
KMHK consumes the same canonical Kansas River centerline used by the Kansas City-area fields and projects it from Manhattan's FAA ARP; no field-specific river was drawn. The current canonical source trace ends east of Manhattan inside the widest KMHK scope, so the validator reports that visible endpoint. That is a DOCUMENTED SOURCE-EXTENT LIMITATION rather than permission to invent the missing upstream reach.
The St. Louis fields overlap. A bend in the Mississippi seen from Lambert must occupy the same real-world location when seen from St. Louis Regional, Spirit, Downtown, or Scott. Redrawing a river independently for each airport can look plausible in isolation while moving that bend several miles between scopes.
KSTL, KSUS, KALN, KBLV and KCPS therefore share one definition per river — the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Illinois River, each owned by exactly one module and generated from USGS NHD (§15A). Each centerline is converted through latitude/longitude into the airport's local nautical-mile plane, then the same smoothing and bank-width routine builds the displayed polygon. npm run validate:geography converts the finished polygons back to world coordinates and fails if any field disagrees, if two modules define one feature name, or if a field draws a locally adjusted copy of a shared feature.
| Game claim | Real environment | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| A shared river occupies one world location on every overlapping scope. | Airport scopes show the same physical terrain from different local origins. | STRUCTURAL / FAITHFUL. Projection and cross-field agreement are enforced, not redrawn by eye. Future St. Louis fields must consume the regional layer. |
| The centerline is survey hydrography, decimated. The displayed channel width is not. | USGS NHD high-resolution flowlines are a hydrographic product; a radar video map generalizes for legibility. | MIXED, and the split is the point. The route is PUBLISHED FACT (USGS NHD, §15A) with a disclosed Douglas-Peucker simplification stated in each generated module. The width is OUR DISCRETION, exaggerated several times over for the scope. The centerline was hand-authored sectional/map context until 2026-07-29. |
| --- | --- | |
|---|---|---|
| A shared river occupies one world location on every overlapping scope. | Airport scopes show the same physical terrain from different local origins. | STRUCTURAL / FAITHFUL. Projection and cross-field agreement are enforced, not redrawn by eye. Future St. Louis fields must consume the regional layer. |
| The centerline is survey hydrography, decimated. The displayed channel width is not. | USGS NHD high-resolution flowlines are a hydrographic product; a radar video map generalizes for legibility. | MIXED, and the split is the point. The route is PUBLISHED FACT (USGS NHD, §15A) with a disclosed Douglas-Peucker simplification stated in each generated module. The width is OUR DISCRETION, exaggerated several times over for the scope. The centerline was hand-authored sectional/map context until 2026-07-29. |
The St. Louis fields overlap. A bend in the Mississippi seen from Lambert must occupy the same real-world location when seen from St. Louis Downtown, Spirit, Alton, or Scott. Redrawing a river independently for each airport can look plausible in isolation while moving that bend several miles between scopes.
KSTL and KCPS therefore use one canonical St. Louis regional Mississippi centerline. It is converted through latitude/longitude into each airport's local nautical-mile plane, then the same smoothing and bank-width routine builds the displayed polygon. validate:registry converts the finished polygons back to world coordinates and fails if the two fields disagree.
| Game claim | Real environment | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| A shared river occupies one world location on every overlapping scope. | Airport scopes show the same physical terrain from different local origins. | STRUCTURAL / FAITHFUL. Projection and cross-field agreement are enforced, not redrawn by eye. Future St. Louis fields must consume the regional layer. |
| The centerline is survey hydrography, decimated. The displayed channel width is not. | USGS NHD high-resolution flowlines are a hydrographic product; a radar video map generalizes for legibility. | MIXED, and the split is the point. The route is PUBLISHED FACT (USGS NHD, §15A) with a disclosed Douglas-Peucker simplification stated in each generated module. The width is OUR DISCRETION, exaggerated several times over for the scope. The centerline was hand-authored sectional/map context until 2026-07-29. |
KIND runway geometry, the ARP, field elevation, Class C shelves and the current procedure inventory come from FAA AIP, Chart Supplement, AIS and CIFP cycle 2607. The Indianapolis Airport Authority's July 2026 carrier and destination roster is the source for the public traffic character. The game does not claim its carrier weights are a schedule reconstruction.
The northeast and southwest parallel configurations are OUR DISCRETION. They preserve the airport's real paired 05/23 pavement and every published instrument runway end, but no current public FAA runway-use profile was found for KIND. The traffic cap, cadence, GA share, cargo share and runway-role split are gameplay calibration. The scope currently has no hydrography rather than a hand-drawn White River; regional water will be generated from USGS NHD when Indianapolis metro satellite fields make that shared layer necessary.
KCVG's ARP, 896-foot field elevation, runway thresholds and dimensions, communications facilities, Class B shelves and instrument procedures are PUBLISHED FACT from the FAA AIP, FAA AIS and CIFP cycle 2607. The airport authority's August 2026 destination roster is the source for scheduled passenger brands and routes. Its cargo report establishes Amazon's primary U.S. Air Hub, DHL's Global Super Hub for the Americas and the significant FedEx presence.
The FAA AIP says simultaneous or successive departures are approved on the north-south parallels when their courses diverge. It does not publish a current day-to-day KCVG runway-role order. The reciprocal north/south configurations, specific arrival/departure runway split, carrier weights, equipment allocation, cargo routes, traffic cap and cadence are therefore OUR DISCRETION. Runway 09/27 remains modeled and instrument-capable but is outside the normal game flows. No local river geometry is asserted; hydrography will come from USGS NHD if a later Cincinnati-area field makes a shared regional layer necessary.
KCMH's ARP, 815-foot elevation, runway threshold coordinates, runway lengths, frequencies and Class C identity come from the FAA AIP effective 2026-07-09. The five STARs and twelve ILS, localizer and RNAV approaches come from FAA CIFP cycle 2607. The Class C volumes and nearby Class D surfaces come from FAA AIS. The scheduled brands and representative nonstop cities were checked against the Columbus Regional Airport Authority's current airline and nonstop pages.
The east/west parallel runway-role split, traffic weights, aircraft allocation, representative route subset, spawn cadence and difficulty tier are OUR DISCRETION. No current public facility runway-use profile was found. The game therefore does not present that operating split as published fact. CIFP 2607 yields no usable KCMH SID with two supported legs, so departures are honestly described as radar vectors rather than being assigned an invented procedure.
No local hydrography is drawn. That is an explicit UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED instead of a hand-sketched river or reservoir. A later geography pass must use the shared USGS NHD pipeline before water appears on the scope.
| Layer | Source and judgement |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, ownership and tower/radar role | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR 2026-07-09. DAY is an FAA tower; Columbus supplies approach control. |
| Runway thresholds, lengths, frequencies and Class C | PUBLISHED FACT. Current FAA airport data and AIP, checked 2026-08-30. |
| STAR and approaches | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 generated DANEI3, no usable SID, and fourteen approaches. Unsupported ARINC legs are omitted by the shared generator. |
| Airlines and destinations | PUBLISHED FACT at brand/route level. Dayton's official airport site publishes four airlines and sixteen nonstop destinations. Exact weights, equipment and the representative route subset are OUR DISCRETION. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION, DELIBERATELY SIMPLIFIED. No reviewed public source supplied a current operational runway-use split. Reciprocal 06/24 parallel flows are modelled; 18/36 remains available outside them. |
| Geography | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No local water silhouette is drawn. That is more honest than inventing one outside the shared USGS NHD pipeline. |
KAID's surveyed ARP, 919-foot elevation, runway threshold coordinates, published runway lengths, displacement distances, frequencies, tower operator and Class D identity are PUBLISHED FACT from the FAA NASR and Chart Supplement data effective 2026-08-06. The Class D volume and the nearby KCVG, KGUS, KIND and KMIE volumes are generated from FAA AIS. CIFP cycle 2607 supplies the ILS and localizer to runway 30 and RNAV approaches to runways 12 and 30. It publishes no STAR or SID for the field, so every game departure receives radar vectors rather than an invented procedure.
The reciprocal runway 12 and runway 30 configurations, traffic weights, bizjet equipment, destination set, GA share, training share, cadence and Steady tier are OUR DISCRETION. FAA airport data establishes 12/30 as the 5,400-foot primary pavement and says the 3,399-foot 18/36 is unavailable to air carriers with more than 30 passenger seats, but no current facility runway-use order was sourced. The crosswind remains drawn but sits outside the normal game flows.
No local hydrography is drawn. That is UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED, not an approximation. A future water layer must come through the shared USGS NHD pipeline.
KASG's surveyed ARP, 1,352.5-foot elevation, runway threshold coordinates, 5,302-foot published runway length, runway 18's 363-foot displaced threshold, frequencies, tower operator and Class D identity are PUBLISHED FACT from FAA airport data effective 2026-09-03 as reproduced by AirNav. The Class D volume and nearby KFYV, KROG, KXNA and KBBG volumes are generated from FAA AIS. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies four ILS, localizer and RNAV approaches. Its SPRING FIVE departure consists only of unsupported vector legs in the game pipeline, so no usable SID is emitted and departures are honestly described as radar vectors.
The City of Springdale reports 41,982 operations during 2025, calls KASG Arkansas' busiest municipal airport, and identifies several fixed-wing and helicopter flight schools. That establishes the field's training character. Traffic weights, aircraft selection, pattern share, destination subset, cadence, Busy tier and the reciprocal runway 18/36 flow selection are OUR DISCRETION. No current public runway-use split or movement-category breakdown was sourced.
No local hydrography is drawn. That is UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED, not an approximation. Northwest Arkansas terrain, MVA and MSAW are not modeled; this is especially material in the Ozarks and must not be inferred from the flat scope.
KMSP's surveyed ARP, 841.8-foot elevation, runway threshold coordinates, published runway lengths, displaced thresholds, communications, tower operator and Class B identity are PUBLISHED FACT from the FAA NASR roster and FAA airport data effective 2026-09-03 as reproduced by AirNav. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies eight STARs, eleven SIDs and twenty ILS, localizer and RNAV approaches. The Class B volumes and the nearby KANE, KFCM, KMIC, KSTC and KSTP Class D surfaces are generated from FAA AIS.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission's 2040 Long-Term Plan inventory, Table 1-17, is the authority for the modeled runway configurations. North flow lands 30L, 30R and 35 and departs 30L and 30R. South flow lands 12L and 12R and departs 12L, 12R and 17. Those runway roles are PUBLISHED FACT. MSP publishes five configurations; choosing only North and South as the two normal game flows is OUR DISCRETION.
The airport authority establishes 342,673 operations in 2025, Delta's second-largest hub, Sun Country's home base, and the current carrier and route roster. Exact traffic weights, aircraft assignments, representative destination subset, GA share, traffic cap, cadence, altitude band, handoff floor, gate selection and procedure-assignment shares are OUR DISCRETION, not a live schedule reconstruction. The FAA Level 9 label comes from 123ATC, a secondary source, and is presented as such.
The Mississippi River is PUBLISHED FACT from the shared USGS NHD large-scale flowline pipeline. Adding KMSP expanded the canonical query through 46.47 N; all 1,710 returned segments form the generated trace. Simplification and the 0.55 nm display width are OUR DISCRETION. The Minnesota River and nearby lakes are UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED and are omitted rather than sketched. No terrain, minimum vectoring altitudes, minimum IFR altitudes, MSAW, winter braking or deicing performance is modeled. No exact Minneapolis Center sector outlet was verified, so the required handoff slot uses the disclosed neutral 128.3 fallback instead of presenting a nearby published terminal frequency as Center.
| Layer | Source and judgement |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR 2026-07-09. KGWO is a city-operated non-FAA tower assigned to Memphis Center. |
| Runway thresholds, lengths and frequencies | PUBLISHED FACT. Current FAA airport data presented by AirNav, retrieved 2026-09-08. Both runway pairs use surveyed threshold coordinates projected through the NASR ARP. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies five approaches and the real fix population; FAA AIS supplies KGWO's Class D and neighbouring KGLH Class D volume. Unsupported ARINC legs remain the shared generator's disclosed simplification. |
| Traffic character | PUBLISHED FACT at the broad category level. Current FAA airport data publishes public use, 100LL and Jet-A service, major airframe service and no scheduled-airline service. Exact business-aircraft representation, traffic weights and destination pool are OUR DISCRETION. |
| Runway flows and traffic | OUR DISCRETION. Reciprocal runway 18 and runway 36 flows use the longer precision primary; runway 5/23 remains available outside normal flows. No current facility runway-use split or reproducible movement-category count was sourced. Cadence, cap, tier, GA/VFR/pattern shares and representative destinations are gameplay calibration. |
| Geography | PUBLISHED FACT, GENERATED. The Mississippi River uses the shared USGS NHD-derived geometry projected through KGWO's ARP; no local copy or hand-tracing was introduced. |
| Terrain | NOT MODELLED. VectorHeavy carries no terrain, MVA or MSAW layer. No claim of terrain-clearance fidelity is made. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR effective 2026-09-03. KHKS is an FAA contract tower assigned to Memphis Center. |
| Runways and frequencies | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data presented by AirNav, retrieved 2026-09-09. Surveyed thresholds are projected through the NASR ARP; Hawkins Tower, Ground and Jackson Approach come from the published communications section. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies four approaches and the real fix population; FAA AIS supplies KHKS Class D and neighbouring KJAN Class C volumes. Unsupported ARINC legs remain the shared generator's disclosed simplification. |
| Traffic and destinations | OUR DISCRETION. No reproducible public movement-category split was found. GA dominance, the ExecJet mix, destinations, cadence, cap, ramp, VFR share and pattern share are gameplay modeling, not claimed observed counts. No scheduled airline service is modeled. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION WITH PUBLISHED BASIS. FAA geometry and procedures establish 16/34 as the longer instrument primary. South flow 16 and north flow 34 are modeled reciprocal operations because no current runway-use split was sourced; 11/29 remains available outside normal flows and visual-only. |
| Geography | PUBLISHED FACT, GENERATED; DISPLAY WIDTH OUR DISCRETION. The Pearl River uses a canonical USGS NHD-derived centerline projected through KHKS's ARP. The 0.30 NM display band is cartographic styling, not a claimed bank-to-bank width. |
| Terrain | NOT MODELED. VectorHeavy has no terrain, MVA or MSAW layer. Terrain is not claimed or implied by the display. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower/TRACON operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR. KJAN is an FAA-operated ATCT-TRACON assigned to Memphis Center. 123atc and the FAA/NATCA 2025 staffing MOU identify it as Level 6. |
| Runways and frequencies | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data presented by AirNav, retrieved 2026-09-09. Surveyed thresholds are projected through the NASR ARP; Jackson Tower, Ground and Approach come from the published communications section. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies eight approaches and the real fix population; FAA AIS supplies two KJAN Class C volumes and neighbouring KHKS Class D. Unsupported ARINC legs remain the shared generator's disclosed simplification. |
| Airline identity and destinations | PUBLISHED FACT at the network level. Jackson Municipal Airport Authority lists American, Delta, Southwest and United and the modeled destination set. Airline weights, exact daily timing and representative equipment are OUR DISCRETION. |
| Other traffic | OUR DISCRETION. GA and business shares, aircraft mix, cadence, cap, ramp and Busy tier are gameplay modeling, not claimed observed counts. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION WITH PUBLISHED BASIS. FAA geometry and procedures support reciprocal parallel operations. The modeled arrival/departure side split is not presented as a published facility plan. |
| Geography | PUBLISHED FACT, GENERATED. The Pearl River uses the shared USGS NHD-derived geometry projected through KJAN's ARP; no local copy or hand-tracing was introduced. |
| Terrain | NOT MODELED. VectorHeavy has no terrain, MVA or MSAW layer. Terrain is not claimed or implied by the display. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR. KTUP is an FAA contract tower assigned to Memphis Center. |
| Runway and frequencies | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data presented by AirNav supplies surveyed thresholds, dimensions, Tower and Ground. The FAA Chart Supplement supplies Memphis Center approach/departure 128.5. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies six approach records and the real fix population; FAA AIS supplies KTUP Class D plus neighbouring KCBM Class C and KMEM Class B. Unsupported ARINC legs remain the shared generator's disclosed simplification. |
| Scheduled traffic | PUBLISHED FACT at the service level. Tupelo Regional and the US DOT EAS report support Contour ERJ-135 service to BNA and DFW. Exact weight and timing are OUR DISCRETION. |
| Other traffic | OUR DISCRETION. GA and business shares, aircraft mix, cadence, cap, ramp and Steady tier are gameplay modeling, not claimed observed counts. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION WITH PUBLISHED BASIS. FAA geometry and procedures support both reciprocal ends. South flow 18 and north flow 36 are not presented as a published facility plan. |
| Geography | PUBLISHED FACT, GENERATED; DISPLAY WIDTH OUR DISCRETION. The Tombigbee River uses canonical USGS NHD geometry projected through KTUP's ARP. No local copy or hand-tracing was introduced. |
| Terrain | NOT MODELED. VectorHeavy has no terrain, MVA or MSAW layer. Terrain is not claimed or implied by the display. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower/TRACON operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR. KPIT is an FAA ATCT-TRACON assigned to Cleveland Center. The FAA Level 8 label comes from 123ATC, a secondary source, and is presented as such. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data effective 2026-09-03 as reproduced by AirNav, retrieved 2026-09-26. Surveyed runway thresholds, published lengths, displaced thresholds, Pittsburgh Ground, Tower and Departure are transcribed. The schema's downstream handoff slot repeats Pittsburgh Departure because no exact public ZOB sector outlet for the modeled scope was verified. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies four STARs, eighteen approach records and the real fix population. The Pittsburgh Five departure contains no supported ARINC legs, so the generator honestly emits no SID and the game vectors departures. FAA AIS supplies six KPIT Class B volumes and the nearby KAGC, KBVI, KHLG, KLBE and KYNG Class D surfaces. Unsupported ARINC legs remain the shared generator's disclosed simplification. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The Allegheny County Airport Authority's 2016 Noise Exposure Maps Update establishes an approximately 80 percent westerly operation, its east-flow restriction on jet departures from 10L, and west-flow departure assignment among 28R, 28C and 28L. OUR DISCRETION: normal west flow lands 28L/28R and departs 28C/28R; east flow lands 10L/10R and departs 10C/10R. Nighttime use of 14/32 and secondary substitutions are omitted. |
| Airlines and destinations | PUBLISHED FACT at the network level. The airport authority's current nonstop listing supplies the passenger carriers and the representative domestic, Canadian and European routes. AirNav identifies a customs landing-rights airport. Exact weights, representative equipment, route subset, cargo pairing and military share are OUR DISCRETION, not a live schedule or movement count. |
| Workload model | OUR DISCRETION. Heavy tier, cadence, cap, ramp, GA share, altitude band, handoff floor, gate selection and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. They are not asserted as published PIT traffic measures. |
| Geography | PUBLISHED FACT, GENERATED. The Ohio River uses one shared USGS NHD large-scale flowline projected through every consuming ARP. Adding KPIT expanded the source query east through the Pittsburgh reach. Simplification and the 0.5 nm display width are OUR DISCRETION. The Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers are UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED on this build and are omitted rather than sketched. |
| Terrain | NOT MODELED. Western Pennsylvania terrain, MVA, MIA and MSAW are absent. The flat scope must not be read as a terrain-clearance model. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KTPA in Miami Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point and 27 ft field elevation. The FAA Level 10 label comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed threshold coordinates, published lengths, the displaced threshold on 10, and Tampa Ground, Tower and Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Tampa Departure because a specific onward sector outlet was not verified. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies the published procedures and terminal fixes; the shared generator omits unsupported ARINC legs and skipped LGTNG5 and TAMPA9 rather than inventing tracks. FAA AIS supplies the Class B volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA Tampa Airport Capacity Profile documents south use of 19L/19R for both arrivals and departures, with turbojet departures normally using 19R. OUR DISCRETION: the game selects 19L landing and 19R departure as one simplified south configuration; reciprocal 01L landing / 01R departure is a modeled north configuration, not a claimed published split. Noise restrictions and crosswind 10/28 use are not dynamically modeled. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at the carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Tampa International's airline directory and December 2025 market-share report identify the leading carriers. Rounded weights, representative fleets and routes, GA share, traffic cadence, cap, altitude band, handoff floor, gates and procedure shares are gameplay calibration, not observed traffic counts. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced Tampa Bay shoreline is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are not modeled. The scope must not be read as a terrain-clearance or geographic chart. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KFLL in Miami Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point and 65 ft field elevation. The FAA Level 8 label comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed threshold coordinates, published lengths and the two displaced thresholds on 10L/28R, plus Fort Lauderdale Ground/Tower and Miami Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Miami Departure because the downstream sector outlet varies. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies the supported procedures and terminal fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted by the shared generator. FAA AIS supplies the Class C and adjacent airspace volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA capacity profile documents use of both east and west runway pairs for arrivals and departures. OUR DISCRETION: the game fixes 10L or 28R as the landing runway and 10R or 28L as the departure runway in each direction, not a claimed published assignment. Simultaneous independent parallel approaches are not modeled. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at the carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Broward and JetBlue releases identify current carriers; Spirit's own notice says flying ceased in May 2026, so historical YTD share does not seed present traffic. Post-cessation weights, representative fleets and routes, GA share, traffic cadence, cap, altitude band, handoff floor, gates and procedure shares are game calibration. |
| VFR, geography and terrain | SIMPLIFIED / NOT MODELED. The FAA record restricts VFR approaches and base legs until offshore; this airport's modeled arrival mix excludes VFR rather than inventing that special pattern. No unsourced Atlantic shoreline is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KRSW in Miami Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point and 30 ft field elevation. The FAA Level 8 label comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runway and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies the surveyed 06/24 thresholds, 12,000 ft length, Fort Myers Ground/Tower and Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Fort Myers Departure because a precise downstream sector outlet was not verified. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and terminal fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted by the shared generator. FAA AIS supplies the Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA record prefers 24 between 2200 and 0600 for noise abatement. The game presents 24 and reciprocal 06 as selectable day-neutral flows; it does not change flow by local time or simulate the noise profile. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at the carrier and route level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Lee County Port Authority's June 2026 air-service report identifies airlines and route endpoints. Relative weights, representative fleets, traffic cadence, GA share, cap, altitude band, handoff floor, gates and procedure shares are game calibration, not reported movement counts. Seasonal routes not active in September 2026 are excluded from the representative pool. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. The FAA record's Fort Myers Beach visual-approach shoreline restriction is not modeled. No unsourced coast or water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KJAX in Jacksonville Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point and 30 ft field elevation. The FAA Level 9 label comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed 08/26 and 14/32 thresholds, published lengths and Jacksonville Tower Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Jacksonville Departure because a specific onward sector outlet was not verified. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and terminal fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted by the shared generator. FAA AIS supplies the Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. Jacksonville Aviation Authority's environmental assessment documents east use of 08/14 and west use of 26/32. OUR DISCRETION: 08/26 is assigned the landing role and 14/32 the departure role, not presented as the airport's exact runway-use rule. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport authority's FY2025 financial report gives leading landed-weight shares and names FedEx and UPS cargo; its live departures corroborate a small route sample. Rounded carrier weights, representative fleets and routes, GA share, traffic cadence, cap, altitude band, handoff floor, gates and procedure shares are game calibration, not observed movement counts. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced St. Johns River or Atlantic shoreline is drawn. Military ramp procedures, terrain, MVA and MSAW are not modeled. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KRDU in Washington Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point and 435 ft field elevation. FAA Level 9 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed 05L/23R, 05R/23L and 14/32 thresholds, published lengths and Raleigh Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Raleigh Departure because a particular onward outlet was not verified. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and terminal fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted by the shared generator. FAA AIS supplies the Class C volumes. The 14/32 crosswind strip has no published IAP and is not an instrument-flow runway. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. RDU Airport Authority identifies 05L/23R as primary and 05R/23L as secondary. OUR DISCRETION: the game uses the long primary for arrivals and the short parallel for departures in each direction; this is not presented as an exact real-world traffic rule. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. RDU's nonstop-destinations page identifies the sampled carriers and endpoints. Carrier weights, representative fleets and route subset, GA share, traffic cadence, cap, altitude band, handoff floor, gates and procedure shares are calibration, not movement counts. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced rivers are drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are not modeled. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KSLC in Salt Lake City Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies its reference point and 4,231 ft field elevation. FAA Level 10 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DATE SENSITIVITY. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies 16L/34R, 16R/34L and 17/35 surveyed thresholds and frequencies. The airport's current overview lists these three active runways and not former 14/32; that decommissioning is disclosed rather than treating the older listed strip as playable. The handoff slot repeats Salt Lake City Departure, not a verified onward ARTCC sector frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class B volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. FAA flight-deck guidance describes the 16/34 parallels as primary air-carrier strips and 17/35 as mixed-use. OUR DISCRETION: the game assigns both parallels to arrivals and 17/35 to departures in north/south configurations. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at broad carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport publishes Delta's dominant hub share and route service. Exact weights, fleet subsets, route sample, cadence, GA share, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. Mountain terrain is essential to the real operation but there is no terrain, MVA or MSAW layer in this game. No unsourced Great Salt Lake polygon is drawn. This seat must not be used to infer real terrain clearance. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KSAN in Los Angeles Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies its reference point and 17 ft field elevation. FAA Level 8 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runway and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies the single 09/27 survey, published 9,401 ft length, displaced thresholds and Lindbergh Ground/Tower and SoCal Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats SoCal Departure, not an onward ARTCC sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class B volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA traffic-management guidance prefers 27 when conditions allow, and 09 for aligned winds or runway-27 minimums. The game offers both ends; it does not simulate the departure curfew, wind triggers or opposite-direction coordination. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier-share level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport's December 2025 annual seat-share report gives Southwest 34.5%, Alaska 19.1%, United 12%, Delta 11.9% and American 10.9%. Rounded weights, fleet subsets, representative routes, GA share, cadence, cap, altitude band, handoff floor, gates and procedure shares are gameplay calibration, not a literal timetable. Defunct Spirit is excluded despite appearing in the historical annual table. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced bay or coastline is drawn. Terrain and obstacles, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KSMF in Oakland Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies its reference point and 27 ft field elevation. FAA Level 6 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies 17L/35R and 17R/35L surveyed thresholds, published lengths and Capitol Ground/Tower and NorCal Departure frequencies. Generic handoff repeats NorCal Departure rather than a verified onward ARTCC sector. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. Sacramento County publishes a 35L/R nighttime noise preference and reports both parallels carrying arrivals and departures. OUR DISCRETION: the game fixes western 17R/35L as arrival runway and eastern 17L/35R as departure runway in directional modes. The noise preference is not clock-driven. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Airport monthly reports show Southwest leads. Exact weights, representative fleets and routes, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are game calibration. Defunct Spirit is excluded even though older reports include its former traffic. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced Sacramento River trace is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KOAK in Oakland Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies its reference point, current name and 9 ft field elevation. FAA Level 8 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed 12/30, 10R/28L, 10L/28R and 15/33 geometry. The modeled primary-airline frequencies are Oakland Ground/Tower for 12/30 and NorCal Departure. Other strips have separate published ground/tower frequencies not selectable in this seat. The handoff slot repeats NorCal Departure rather than an onward ARTCC sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. No instrument approach is claimed for 15/33. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA record prescribes 24-hour use of 12/30 for turbine and heavy aircraft when conditions allow, and restricts most scheduled passenger service from 15/33. OUR DISCRETION: all modeled traffic uses 12 or 30 as an airline-flow simplification; the shorter strips are visible but not separately sequenced for GA. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at historical carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Port of Oakland material documents Southwest dominance and FedEx/UPS cargo. Its older carrier roster is not a current flight schedule; included smaller operators and their exact weights, fleets, representative routes, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibrated. Defunct Spirit is omitted. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced Bay shoreline is drawn. Neighboring SFO coordination, terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA NASR places KCLE in Cleveland Center; the FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies its reference point and 800 ft elevation. FAA Level 8 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies the surveyed 06R/24L, 06L/24R and 10/28 thresholds, published lengths, displaced 06R threshold and Cleveland Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Cleveland Departure instead of claiming a verified ZOB sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class B volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. Cleveland Airport's Q4 2025 noise report supports broad southwest/northeast directional flows, but its runway-use prose and table contradict each other regarding 10/28. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands 24L and departs 24R, or lands 06L and departs 06R; the crossing 10/28 is visible but not a default flow. No runway-use percentage is asserted. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Airport airline-use material and current route map support the named airlines and route sample. Exact weights, fleet subsets, routes, cargo share, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration, not a movement tally. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced Lake Erie shoreline is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point, 727 ft elevation and Cleveland Center. FAA Level 7 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data via AirNav supplies both surveyed runway pairs, lengths, displaced thresholds, Class C and Buffalo Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Buffalo Departure, not an unverified onward ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT for primary designation; OUR DISCRETION for modeled fixed flow. Airport master plan calls 5/23 primary and 14/32 crosswind. FAA noise guidance prefers 5/23 for turbojets when available. The two reciprocal primary-runway flows are a game choice. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Airport's commercial carrier page lists the modeled brands and route samples. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced Lake Erie shoreline is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the reference point, 54 ft elevation and Boston Center. FAA Level 7 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data via AirNav supplies the surveyed 5/23 and 16/34 pairs, lengths, displaced 16 threshold, Class C and Providence Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Providence Departure, not an unverified onward ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported STARs and approaches; no SID is published. Unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION. The runways are published; reciprocal 5/23 automatic flows and 16/34 manual-only status are game choices. No current runway-use frequency was verified. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and route level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Airport airline and route pages list the modeled brands and sampled endpoints. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and STAR share are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the reference point, 168 ft rounded elevation and Washington Center. FAA Level 6 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data via AirNav supplies surveyed 16/34 and 2/20 runway pairs, lengths, Class C and Richmond Ground/Tower plus Potomac Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Potomac Departure, not an unverified onward ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies three STARs, four SIDs, approaches and named fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION. The runways and ILS on 16/34 are published; reciprocal automatic 16/34 flows and 2/20 manual-only status are game choices. No current runway-use frequency was verified. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Richmond airport's airline and route pages list the modeled brands and sampled endpoints. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the reference point, 46 ft elevation, shared USAF ownership and Jacksonville Center. The FAA runs the tower; FAA Level 8 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data via AirNav supplies surveyed 15/33 and 3/21 runway pairs, lengths, Class C and Charleston Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Charleston Departure, not an unverified onward ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported STARs, SIDs, approaches and named fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION. The runways and ILS on 15/33 are published; reciprocal automatic 15/33 flows and 3/21 manual-only status are game choices. No current runway-use frequency was verified. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Charleston airport's nonstop page lists the modeled brands and sampled endpoints. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. Military sortie volume and ramp procedures are not modeled. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced coastline or waterway is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the reference point, 421 ft rounded elevation and Boston Center. FAA Level 6 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data via AirNav supplies surveyed 10/28 and 15/33 runway pairs, lengths, Class C and Syracuse Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Syracuse Departure, not an unverified onward ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported approaches and named fixes; Syracuse Two is published but yields zero usable legs in the generator, so departures use radar vectors. No STAR is published in this cycle. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION. The runways and ILS on 10/28 are published; reciprocal automatic 10/28 flows and 15/33 manual-only status are game choices. No current runway-use frequency was verified. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Syracuse airport's airline and destination pages list modeled brands and sampled endpoints. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band and handoff floor are calibration. Air National Guard sortie volume is not modeled. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the surveyed reference point, 5,355 ft field elevation and Albuquerque Center. FAA Level 8 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies all three runway surveys, lengths, Class C and Albuquerque Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Albuquerque Departure, not a verified onward ARTCC sector frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION WITH MODEL LIMIT. The game supports published instrument approaches only to 8 and 3. It cannot fly published RNP paths to 26 and 21, so those ends are visual/manual only. A second configuration lands crossing 3 and departs 26; this is a constrained gameplay split, not an actual permanent configuration. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The Sunport identifies modeled airline brands. Sampled routes are illustrative, not a verified timetable. Carrier weights, representative fleets, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. Military traffic and small carriers are omitted. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced Rio Grande is drawn. Mountain terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent; this seat must not be used to infer real terrain clearance. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the surveyed reference point, 809 ft elevation and Houston Center. FAA Level 9 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT WITH MODEL LIMIT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies all three runway surveys, lengths, Class C and San Antonio Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The published 13L/31R scheduled-passenger restriction cannot be enforced after a manual runway choice, so the runway is excluded from automatic flows. The handoff slot repeats San Antonio Departure, not a verified onward ARTCC sector frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION. Published instrument runway ends are real, but primary 13R/31L and northwest overflow 22 assignments are game choices. Runway 4 is manually selectable but not automatic arrival overflow because its published STAR transitions do not serve most northern gates within the sim's 60-degree origin-honesty limit. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and route level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport lists modeled carrier brands and sampled endpoints. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the surveyed reference point, 542 ft elevation and Houston Center. FAA Level 9 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies both parallel runway surveys, lengths, Class C and Austin Ground/Tower/Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats Austin Departure, not a verified onward ARTCC sector frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION. Published instrument runway ends are real, but long western arrivals and eastern departures are a fixed game split, not a claim about real-world permanent roles. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and route level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The Austin airport lists modeled carrier brands and sampled endpoints. Carrier weights, fleet subsets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the surveyed reference point, 944 ft elevation and Los Angeles Center. FAA Level 5 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies both parallel runway surveys, lengths, displacement, Class C and Ontario Ground/Tower/SoCal Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats SoCal Departure rather than asserting an onward ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT for limited large-aircraft preference; OUR DISCRETION for the game split. Ontario's published airport rules designate the northern runway for some large-aircraft departures. Fixed southern arrivals and northern departures for all game traffic is a model choice. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Ontario airport lists the modeled passenger and cargo brands. Carrier weights, representative fleets, sampled route network, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Mountain terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, tower operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the reference point, 62 ft elevation and Oakland Center. FAA Level 7 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies the two 11,000-foot parallel surveys, displaced thresholds, Class C and San Jose Ground/Tower/NorCal Departure frequencies. The handoff slot repeats NorCal Departure, not an unverified ARTCC frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and fixes; unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT for jet preferences; OUR DISCRETION for the fixed game split. FAA Flight Deck guidance prefers 12R/30L for jet arrivals and 12L/30R for departures. Applying that pair as fixed roles to all modeled traffic is our choice. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier and destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Airport airline and nonstop pages list modeled brands and sampled routes. Carrier weights, representative fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced waterway is drawn. Bay Area terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, facility and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. The FAA airport record effective 2026-10-01 supplies the surveyed ARP, 3,607-foot elevation, Class C status and Albuquerque Center assignment. FAA Level 6 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed 04/22 and 13/31 thresholds, published lengths, Amarillo Tower/Ground/Approach frequencies and the overnight Albuquerque Center frequency. The game does not switch frequencies at real-world closing time. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies six generated approaches, no supported STAR or SID, and the real fix population. FAA AIS supplies two KAMA Class C volumes. Unsupported ARINC legs and non-CIFP radar approach procedures are not fabricated. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION WITH PUBLISHED BASIS. FAA geometry and instrument coverage support reciprocal 04/22 primary operations. No current preferred-runway order was sourced. Runway 13/31 is modeled as crossing pavement, not a default flow. |
| Airline identity and destinations | PUBLISHED FACT at the network level. The airport-operated destination page lists American, Southwest and United with the modeled nonstop cities. Airline weights, exact daily timing and representative equipment are OUR DISCRETION. |
| Other traffic and workload | OUR DISCRETION. GA/business mix, type allocation, cadence, cap, VFR and pattern shares, altitude band, handoff floor and Busy tier are gameplay calibration, not observed counts. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water was drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, facility and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. The FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the surveyed ARP, 3,282-foot elevation, Class C status and Fort Worth Center assignment. FAA Level 7 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data reproduced by AirNav supplies surveyed 17R/35L, 08/26 and 17L/35R thresholds, published lengths, the lighter-aircraft restriction on the short parallel, and Lubbock Ground/Tower/Approach frequencies. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies eight generated approaches, no supported STAR or SID, and the real fix population. FAA AIS supplies two KLBB Class C volumes. Unsupported ARINC, high and back-course approach variants are not invented. |
| Runway flows | OUR DISCRETION WITH PUBLISHED BASIS. FAA geometry and procedure coverage support reciprocal 17R/35L and 08/26 instrument operations. No preferred-runway order was sourced. The 2,891-foot 17L/35R remains visible but is not a normal air-carrier flow. |
| Airline identity and destinations | PUBLISHED FACT at the network level. City of Lubbock passenger data identifies Southwest, American and United; the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance lists direct destination cities. Carrier weights, equipment and allocation of cities to individual carriers are OUR DISCRETION and not an observed movement schedule. |
| Other traffic and workload | OUR DISCRETION. GA/business mix, type allocation, cadence, cap, VFR and pattern shares, altitude band, handoff floor and Busy tier are gameplay calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water was drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
PUBLISHED FACT: FAA ARP, 2,872-foot elevation, surveyed thresholds and lengths for all four runway strips, runway 28 displacement, daytime frequencies and Midland callsign (AirNav FAA information effective 2026-10-01, retrieved 2026-10-02). Eight supported approaches and named fix coordinates come from FAA CIFP 2607; four Class C volumes come from FAA AIS. FAA Level 7 is secondary-source 123atc.com. The airport's own website lists American, Southwest and United and eight nonstop cities.
SIMPLIFIED: normal airline flows use 16R/34L and 10/28, not the restricted shorter strips. Published pavement/weight limits, ground taxi, terrain, MVA/MSAW, high VOR/TACAN procedures and rocket operations are absent. One daytime approach frequency replaces directional frequency sectors and overnight Center service. No unsourced local water is drawn.
OUR DISCRETION: four reciprocal flows, arrival-gate selection, carrier weights and city allocation, fleet mix, GA/business/VFR/pattern shares, altitude band, cadence, cap and Busy tier. No preferred-runway plan or complete current airline schedule was sourced. flowsProvenance states that distinction.
PUBLISHED FACT: FAA ARP, 559-foot elevation, three surveyed runway strips, published displacements and restrictions, daytime frequencies and Rochester callsign (FAA AirNav effective 2026-10-01, retrieved 2026-10-02). Procedures/fix coordinates are generated from FAA CIFP 2607; FAA AIS supplies Rochester and neighboring Buffalo Class C. Level 6 is secondary-source 123atc.com. Airline-to-city mappings are from the official airport nonstop page retrieved 2026-10-02.
SIMPLIFIED: 7/25 is excluded from normal air-carrier flows. Displacements are stored but not consumed. Published right-hand patterns, weight limits, seasonal/weekly service, ground movement, terrain and MVA/MSAW are not represented. Directional approach frequencies use one published frequency. XEROX EIGHT appears in the current chart list but no usable SID is emitted by the pinned cycle; departures use radar vectors. Lake Ontario and the Genesee River are absent pending USGS sourcing.
OUR DISCRETION: four reciprocal runway configurations (no preferred-runway plan sourced), weights, representative equipment, business share, gates, GA/VFR/pattern mix, cadence, altitude band, cap and Busy tier. Routes are real; traffic is not a timetable.
PUBLISHED FACT: FAA ARP, 46-foot elevation, two surveyed runways and lengths, Corpus callsign, published frequencies and customs landing rights (FAA AirNav effective 2026-10-01, retrieved 2026-10-02). FAA CIFP 2607 supplies approaches and fix coordinates; FAA AIS supplies Class C. Level 8 is secondary-source 123atc.com for the full tower/approach facility. The airport flight board corroborates American-DFW, United-IAH and Southwest-HOU. Frontier/Denver are omitted: the city's June 30 statement guarantees service only through August 17, and no later confirmation was retrieved.
SIMPLIFIED: an airport-only seat, not the complete regional TRACON. Nearby military training, Coast Guard operations, published right-hand patterns, ground movement, terrain, MVA/MSAW and coastal water are absent. One published approach frequency replaces directional splits. No supported STAR/SID is emitted; departures use radar vectors. Unsupported legs are not fabricated.
OUR DISCRETION: reciprocal flows without a sourced preferred-runway plan, weights, equipment, business share, gates, GA/VFR/pattern mix, altitude band, cadence, cap and Busy tier. Coastal water awaits a pinned USGS extract.
Sources retrieved 2026-10-02: [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KCAE), [airport airlines](https://flycae.com/before-you-fly/airlines/), [facility level](https://123atc.com/facility/CAE), FAA AIS and CIFP cycle 2607.
| Layer | Status |
|---|---|
| Geometry and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. Surveyed endpoints, 8,601-foot 11/29, 8,001-foot 5/23, 236-foot elevation and Columbia radio callsign. Published 124.15 is used as one approach outlet rather than reproducing the two directional sectors. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Ten modeled approaches, no STAR or SID, and three own Class C volumes generated from FAA sources. Unsupported legs and circling-only VOR-A are not invented; procedures remain on the repository's 2607 baseline. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. Current American, Delta and United hub connections are sourced; weights, fleet allocation, GA/business share, cadence, altitude band and handoff floor are modeled. Four single-runway reciprocal configurations are selectable, not a sourced preferred-runway plan. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. No local water extract, exact traffic timetable or cargo/military mix is claimed. The runway 23 displacement is stored but not applied to touchdown/rendering. Helipad and turbine noise-abatement turn restrictions are not modeled. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
Sources retrieved 2026-10-02: [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KMLI), [airport airline directory](https://www.qcairport.com/flights/airlines-destinations/), [facility level](https://123atc.com/facility/MLI), CIFP 2607, FAA AIS and the committed USGS Mississippi extract.
| Layer | Status |
|---|---|
| Geometry, frequencies and water | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Surveyed three-runway geometry, 590-foot rounded elevation, Quad City callsign, published approach and Moline RCAG frequencies. Shared Mississippi geometry is USGS-sourced; display width is OUR DISCRETION. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Eight modeled approaches, no STAR/SID, two Class C volumes. Unsupported legs are omitted. No instrument procedure is invented for 5/23. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. Sourced American, Delta, United and Allegiant route assignments; modeled weights, aircraft allocation, GA/business share, cadence, altitude band and handoff floor. Reciprocal 27/9 and 31/13 flows are not claimed as a published preference. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Exact timetable and detailed cargo mix are not claimed. Overnight closure is not simulated; the published closure-time Center outlet is reused as the simplified handoff. Runway 31 displacement is stored but not applied. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
Sources retrieved 2026-10-02: [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KAVL), [airport route directory](https://flyavl.com/flights/featured_destinations), [facility level](https://123atc.com/facility/AVL), FAA AIS and CIFP 2607.
| Layer | Status |
|---|---|
| Geometry and communications | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Surveyed 8,002-foot 17/35, 2,164-foot rounded elevation and Asheville callsign. Published directional approach frequencies are reduced to one; the closure-time Sugarloaf RCAG outlet is reused as the simplified Center handoff. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Six modeled approaches, no usable STAR/SID and three own Class C volumes generated from FAA sources. Unsupported departure geometry is omitted. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. Selected year-round American, Delta, United and Allegiant routes are sourced, not the timetable. Weights, fleet/GA/business allocation, cadence, altitude band and handoff floor are modeled. Reciprocal 17/35 flows are not a published preference. |
| Terrain and limits | OMITTED, CRITICAL. Asheville is terrain-defined; NO terrain, MVA or MSAW is modeled. Special climb gradients, overnight closure and closed-tower pattern rules are omitted. Local hydrography awaits a USGS extract. Do not use the simulated field to practice mountain terrain clearance. |
Sources retrieved 2026-10-02: [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KALB), [airport flight board](https://www.albanyairport.com/index.php/flights), [facility level](https://123atc.com/facility/ALB), FAA AIS and CIFP 2607.
| Layer | Status |
|---|---|
| Geometry and communications | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Surveyed two-runway geometry, 285-foot rounded elevation, magnetic labels and Albany radio callsign. One published approach outlet replaces directional frequencies and is reused for the simplified handoff, not presented as a Center sector frequency. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Eight modeled approaches, no STAR or usable SID and three own Class C volumes. ALB7 contains no usable legs; it is omitted rather than invented. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. Selected current airline/route assignments come from the airport's flight board. Weights, equipment, GA/business share, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal 19/1 and 28/10 flows are modeled, not a timetable or preferred-runway order. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Avelo's destination was absent in the retrieved flight-board row and is not invented. Detailed cargo/military mix and Hudson hydrography are omitted. Runway 28 displacement is stored but not applied. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
Sources retrieved 2026-10-02: [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KPHF), [airport flight board](https://newportnewsairport.com/arrivals-and-departures/), [facility level](https://123atc.com/facility/PHF), FAA AIS and CIFP 2607.
| Layer | Status |
|---|---|
| Geometry and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. Surveyed two-runway geometry, 42-foot rounded elevation, Newport News radio callsign and published Norfolk Approach/Departure outlets. The administrative Patrick Henry name is not substituted on frequency. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Two STARs, nine approaches, no usable SID and one own Class D volume generated from FAA sources. HENRY4 has no usable legs and is omitted; the tower seat does not preseed STAR arrivals. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American's Charlotte connection is sourced. Business operators, aircraft allocation, GA fractions, cadence, altitude band and handoff floor are modeled. Reciprocal 25/7 and 20/2 flows are selectable, not a published preferred-runway order. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Exact traffic counts, military schedules and coastal/James/York hydrography are not claimed. Overnight closure and special obstacle profiles are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and 984.5 ft surveyed elevation (rounded to 985 ft on the card). FAA NASR places the tower in Minneapolis Center; Level 6 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 14R/32L, 14L/32R and 18/36, including 18's 141 ft displaced threshold. Omaha Ground, Tower and Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot repeats Omaha Departure, not an invented ZMP sector frequency. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported STAR/approach legs and fix coordinates; it yields no usable SID legs here, so IFR departures receive radar vectors. FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted by the shared generator. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. FAA From the Flight Deck establishes the pair of 14/32 parallels and crossing 18/36. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands 14R and departs 14L, or lands 32L and departs 32R. It does not claim that split is a real runway-use directive or percentage. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Omaha Airport Authority's current nonstop list names the included airlines and city pairs. Exact weights, fleet subsets, route sample, GA share, cap, cadence, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. FAA describes the Missouri River and Carter Lake around Eppley, but the committed Missouri NHD extract stops south of Omaha; no unsourced water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and 1295.5 ft surveyed elevation (rounded to 1296 ft on the card). FAA NASR places the ATCT-TRACON in Fort Worth Center; Level 8 is from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 17L/35R, 17R/35L, 13/31 and 18/36. Rogers Ground/Tower and Oke City Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot repeats a published Departure channel, not an invented ZFW sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and real fix coordinates; FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. Unsupported ARINC legs are omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. FAA airport data establishes two 17/35 parallels, crossing 13/31 and short 18/36. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands 17R and departs 17L, or lands 35L and departs 35R. No exact real runway-use percentage or fixed role is claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport's current airline and nonstop-city pages name the included passenger brands and route sample. Exact weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and 957.9 ft surveyed elevation (rounded to 958 ft on the card). FAA NASR places the ATCT-TRACON in Minneapolis Center; Level 7 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 5/23 and 13/31. Des Moines Ground, Tower and Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot repeats a published Departure channel, not an invented ZMP sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported approaches, procedure-leg fixes and additional nearby terminal fixes. It yields no usable STAR or SID legs here, so arrivals enter without a modeled STAR and IFR departures receive radar vectors. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. FAA From the Flight Deck confirms the intersecting 5/23 and 13/31 layout. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands and departs on 5 or, in reverse, 23. Runway 13/31 remains visible but outside default traffic flows. No real runway-use percentage or exact assignment is claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport authority's 2025 quick facts names six passenger airlines and their nonstop city pairs. Exact weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and 886.6 ft surveyed elevation (rounded to 887 ft on the card). FAA NASR places Madison in Chicago Center; Level 7 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 18/36, 3/21 and 14/32, including displaced thresholds. Madison Ground, Tower and Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot repeats a published Departure channel, not an invented ZAU sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported approaches and displayed leg fixes. Its ILS 21 HOBIG-RW21 final rail is 2.3° off the surveyed runway centerline; a procedure-specific validator bound records the discrepancy without altering either published geometry. CIFP yields no usable STAR or SID legs here, so arrivals enter without a modeled STAR and IFR departures receive radar vectors. FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA record establishes the long 18/36 and crossing 3/21 and 14/32 strips. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands and departs on 18 or, in reverse, 36. Crossing strips remain visible but outside default flows; no real runway-use percentage is claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport authority's airline and nonstop-city pages name passenger brands and city pairs; seasonal routes are distinguished. Exact weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. Military flight profiles are not represented. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and 793.6 ft surveyed elevation (rounded to 794 ft on the card). FAA NASR places the tower in Chicago Center; Level 5 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 8R/26L, 17/35 and 8L/26R. Grand Rapids Ground/Tower and Great Lakes Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot uses published Great Lakes Departure rather than inventing a ZAU sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported approaches and displayed leg fixes. It yields no usable STAR or SID legs here, so arrivals enter without a modeled STAR and IFR departures receive radar vectors. FAA AIS supplies Class C volumes. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA record establishes the long 8R/26L, crossing 17/35 and short 8L/26R. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands and departs on 8R or, in reverse, 26L. The other strips remain visible but outside default flows; no real runway-use percentage is claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport authority's passenger-airline directory names eight brands. The nonstop map supports a representative route sample; exact weights, fleets, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. Cargo airlines are listed by the authority but not included in this passenger-mix build. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and 2871.7 ft surveyed elevation (rounded to 2872 ft on the card). FAA NASR places the ATCT-TRACON in Salt Lake City Center; Level 8 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 10L/28R and 10R/28L. Boise Ground/Tower and Big Sky Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot uses the within-15-nm Big Sky frequency, not an invented ZLC sector outlet. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies two supported STARs, eight approaches and displayed leg fixes. No supported SID was generated, so modeled departures use radar vectors (sidShare: 0). FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA record establishes two long 10/28 parallels. OUR DISCRETION: modeled east flow lands 10R/departs 10L; west flow lands 28L/departs 28R. No real runway-use percentage or exact role assignment is claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The City of Boise's current nonstop page identifies eight airlines, routes and seasonal limits. Exact weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. CBP lists Boise Airport as a general-aviation port by appointment; customs support is not a claim of scheduled international airline service. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Gowen military traffic is not modeled as military flight profiles. Boise's surrounding terrain, MVA, MIA and MSAW are absent; the flat scope is not a terrain-clearance model. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, operator and Center | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies ARP and surveyed 2385 ft elevation. FAA NASR places Spokane ATCT-TRACON in Seattle Center; Level 8 comes from 123ATC, a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 3/21 and 8/26. Spokane Ground, Tower and Departure frequencies are transcribed; the handoff slot repeats a published Departure channel, not an invented ZSE sector outlet. The FAA record gives 031/211 magnetic but 045/225 true for 3/21 (14E variation); the designator note preserves true sim geometry. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and displayed leg fixes. FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA record establishes crossing 3/21 and 8/26 strips. OUR DISCRETION: the game lands and departs on 3 or, in reverse, 21. Runway 8/26 remains visible but outside default flows; no real runway-use percentage is claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport authority lists seven passenger brands and identifies Sun Country as seasonal. Its live flight list and nonstop page support the route sample. Exact weights, fleets, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. FedEx and UPS are listed by the authority but not modeled as a separate cargo population. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Terrain, MVA and MSAW are absent. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, Center and tower level | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the ARP, surveyed 4414.9 ft elevation and Oakland Center. 123ATC supplies FAA Level 6 as a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed endpoints and lengths for 17R/35L, 17L/35R and 8/26, plus Reno Ground/Tower and Norcal Approach/Departure frequencies. The source gives 167/347 magnetic and 180/000 true for the parallels; the documented designator exception preserves surveyed true scope geometry. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and displayed leg fixes. FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The airport authority states south flow uses the 17 parallels, north flow the 35 parallels, historically about 80%/20%, and 8/26 under 2%. OUR DISCRETION: arrivals use the long western parallel and departures the eastern one; this role split is not asserted as the actual assignment. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The airport authority lists ten passenger brands and current nonstop routes. Exact carrier weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration, not a live schedule. AirNav lists customs landing rights, which require advance permission; cargo and Air National Guard traffic are not modeled as distinct streams. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. The surrounding mountains, MVA, MIA and MSAW are absent; the flat scope is not a terrain-clearance model. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, Center and tower level | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the ARP, surveyed 2643 ft elevation and Albuquerque Center. 123ATC supplies FAA Level 6 as a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed thresholds and published lengths for 12/30 and 4/22, plus Tucson Ground/Tower and Approach/Departure frequencies. The FAA record gives 126/306 magnetic and 135/315 true for 12/30; the documented designator exception preserves true scope geometry. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and displayed leg fixes. FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. RNAV (GPS) 4 has a published 3.0-degree offset final; the procedure validator records that specific exception rather than changing generated data. ZONNA2's runway-30 transition exists but has no entry leg within the sim's 60-nm spawn ring, so it is not treated as a usable alternative by the STAR-side guard. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA airport record establishes the two strips; an airport authority airfield study identifies 12/30 as the primary. OUR DISCRETION: southeast flow uses 12 and northwest flow uses 30; 4/22 remains visible but outside default flows. No runway-use percentages are claimed. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. Tucson Airport Authority currently lists six carriers and identifies Sun Country as seasonal. Exact carrier weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. The airport is an international entry point, but no scheduled international airline route is asserted. Military traffic is not modeled separately. |
| Geography and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Surrounding terrain, MVA, MIA and MSAW are absent; the flat scope is not a terrain-clearance model. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| ARP, elevation, Center and tower level | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport record effective 2026-09-03 supplies the ARP, surveyed 3961.6 ft elevation and Albuquerque Center. 123ATC supplies FAA Level 7 as a secondary source. |
| Runways and communications | PUBLISHED FACT. FAA airport data supplies surveyed endpoints and lengths for 4/22, 8R/26L and 8L/26R, plus El Paso Ground/Tower and Approach/Departure frequencies. True runway bearings derive from surveyed thresholds; the record gives magnetic bearings and 8E variation. |
| Procedures, fixes and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. FAA CIFP cycle 2607 supplies supported procedures and displayed leg fixes. FAA AIS supplies Class C airspace. Unsupported ARINC legs remain omitted. |
| Runway flows | PUBLISHED FACT WITH DISCLOSED DISCRETION. The FAA Flight Deck page confirms three runways and highlights visual confusion with Biggs AAF. The FAA diagram restricts 8L/26R for many passenger operations. OUR DISCRETION: supported IFR default flows use 4, 22 or 26L; no actual runway-use percentages or fixed assignments are claimed. Runway 8R has published RNP approaches, but the generator cannot flatten them into a supported IFR approach, so it is not a default arrival flow. |
| Airlines and workload | PUBLISHED FACT at carrier/destination level; OUR DISCRETION for play. The City of El Paso lists six passenger carriers and their nonstops. Exact carrier weights, fleets, route subset, GA share, cadence, cap, gates, altitude band, handoff floor and procedure shares are gameplay calibration. International entry capability is not a claim of scheduled international airline service. |
| Geography, border and terrain | UNKNOWN / NOT ASSERTED. No unsourced local water is drawn. Mexican sovereign airspace and coordination, Biggs military traffic, mountains, MVA, MIA and MSAW are absent; the flat scope is not a terrain-clearance or border-control model. |
| Roadmap era | Items |
|---|---|
| v0.2 (wind/weather) | Weather-driven ATIS rollover + code-on-checkin (§12); the 91.117(b) Class C/D surface-area 200-kt clamp, once the VFR visual-setup limit cycle it exposes is fixed (§7); vectoring a VFR onto a Bravo transition before it crosses the boundary (§16). |
| v0.3 (procedural depth) | MVA/MSAW terrain layer (§8, §19) — listed first because KLAS ships without it and §19 is the disclosure that buys that. |
| v0.3 (procedural depth) | CWT/B757 wake taxonomy (§2); correcting the modeled 3-min behind-Super departure interval to the real 4 min and adding the 3-min intersection case (§3); real racetrack holds (§10); anticipated-separation same-runway gate + Cat I/II/III (§5); LUAW 3-9-4 constraints (§6); MVA/MSAW terrain layer (§8); 5-5-7 15°-divergence test (§1); charted missed approaches (§9). |
| v0.3 (procedural depth) | The controller's own compression curve beyond the conflict case (§6.3a's full three-state table: lengthen while the crew answers, shorten while it is saturated, re-lengthen into a dead channel), and compression of non-command pilot transmissions (§18). |
| v0.3 (procedural depth) | Give GA/bizjet departures access to the published SIDs at the reliever fields that have them (§17.1 bound); source real per-runway departure headings instead of the modelled vector (§17.2); shelve/sectorise the TRACON bubble instead of a cylinder (§17.4). |
| Shipped | Class B clearance-to-enter for VFR — the pilot requests it, CB clears / RB refuses, an uncleared pilot holds outside, an unauthorized entry draws an advisory (§16); the 91.117(c) 200-kt limit beneath a Class B shelf, flown by the pilot and non-waivable by the controller (§7); the departure model rework — per-field SID mix, radar-vector departures, departures never routed through arrival fixes, and the TRACON-bubble handoff (§17); the airspace COUPLING — VFR control authority resolved by a point-in-volume test against the published boundary instead of the per-field class letter, plus the neighbour surface areas split into their own selectable layer (§16); the AIRSPACE map layer — published FAA Class B/C/D boundaries drawn on the scope as a selectable video-map-style layer, every modelled field (§16); Same-runway wake departure intervals (§3, 2026-07-06); the Super wake class (A380: "Super" suffix, 6–8 nm in-trail, a same-runway departure interval) (§2/§3/§13); crossing-runway pavement protection for the occupied-runway go-around (§5); facility auto-acknowledgments (radar contact + altimeter, standby, roger) (§13); published RNAV STARs + descend-via (§14, the Procedures Era batch 2); published SIDs + climb-via (§14 departure side, the Procedures Era batch 3, 2026-07-12); the two-clearance model, approach + landing clearances and "report field in sight" visuals (§9 / §14, the Procedures Era batch 4, 2026-07-12); the parallel-final exemption for aircraft established on different parallel localizers (§4A, 2026-07-13); the comms compression ladder — advisory payload sheds first, the evidenced-retained elements never shed, and a tower sounds terser than a TRACON at equal traffic (§18); conflict expansion — under a live conflict the ladder runs negative and the frequency gets longer, with the full callsign, the clearance restated and the explicit negative statement on a verified-clear runway (§18); the emergency arc's two silences — a 20–35 s onset gap before the mayday and a terminal silence inside the last 60–90 s to the ground, both COMMS states that never stop the aeroplane flying or complying (§18). |
| Academy (strict mode) | 2.5-nm reduced final (§1); "tree/fife" strict digits (§13); hold-short hearback verification (§13). |
This ledger is maintained alongside the code. When a refinement item ships, its row moves to FAITHFUL. Corrections from the controller community are welcome.
TWR_TYPE_CODE), responsible and boundary ARTCC, public/private use, surveyed ARP and field elevation behind every airport in the towered roster and every per-Center brick count (§21), and — via APT_RWY.csv joined to APT_BASE.csv — the runway counts and runway lengths behind the three sourced real-world claims on the public airport pages (§21b). Retrieved from nfdc.faa.gov and pinned by SHA256 in reference/faa-sources/MANIFEST.md; the extract is committed at reference/faa-sources/nasr-2026-07-09-towered.tsv. No third-party airport dataset was used.docs/research-ntsb-comms-patterns.md — the comms-pattern research pass behind §18, and the authority for it. Roughly 45 primary sources. The load-bearing ones: NTSB DCA23FA149 (Austin tower, the 13 clearance/readback pairs that settle the drop order), AIR-24-01 (JFK), DCA10IA001 (Northwest 188), DCA18MA142 (Southwest 1380), DCA09MA026/AAR-10/03 (US Airways 1549), AIR-18-01 (Air Canada 759); and the five voice-tape studies with denominators — Cardosi 1993 DOT/FAA/RD-93/11 (en route), Cardosi 1996 DOT/FAA/AR-96/19 (tower local) and DOT/FAA/AR-96/66 (TRACON), Bürki-Cohen (tower ground), Prinzo, Hendrix & Hendrix 2006 DOT/FAA/AM-06/25 (the key quantitative source), and Cardosi 2016 DOT-VNTSC-FAA (Kansas City ARTCC).validate:registry asserts that on every run.validate:registry asserts that on every run.| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KACT), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Waco comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 7 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/ACT), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American DFW service is sourced at https://www.waco-texas.com/airport/. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, business operators, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. Fort Worth 133.3 is published for use when Waco Approach is closed; the game omits that operating-hours condition. |
| Water | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Brazos River centerline and Waco Lake outer shoreline from USGS NHDPlus High Resolution, retrieved 2026-10-05 through the official Esri distribution. Extracts and exact source queries are pinned in the repository's USGS manifest. Width, spacing and simplification are display choices; lake islands are omitted. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Exact operations are not claimed. VOR procedure families, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KABI), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Abilene comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 6 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/ABI), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American and United regional service is sourced at https://iflyabi.com/. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and north/south runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Kirby Lake outer shoreline is generated from a pinned USGS NHDPlus HR source; islands are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KSJT), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Mathis comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American regional service and representative ExecJet and Flexjet business operators service is sourced at https://www.sanangelo.gov/173/Airport. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Twin Buttes Reservoir outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KGRK), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Gray comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. NASR identifies an Army-operated facility; no FAA facility level is assigned. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American regional service and representative ExecJet and Flexjet business operators service is sourced at https://flygrk.com/airline-information/. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations and the 50% eligible IFR SID share are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Belton Lake outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KTXK), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Texarkana comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American regional service and representative ExecJet and Flexjet business operators service is sourced at https://flytxk.com/travelers/book-a-flight. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Wright Patman Lake outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KGGG), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Longview comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 6 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/GGG), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. American regional service is sourced at https://greggcounty.texas.gov/departments/east-texas-regional-airport. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lake Cherokee outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KTYR), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Pounds comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. Scheduled service is sourced at https://www.cityoftyler.org/Resident-Services/Airport/Airline-and-Flight-Information. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lake Tyler outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KDTO), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Denton comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.dentonairport.com/. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lake Lewisville outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KTKI), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Mc Kinney comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.mckinneytexas.org/3378/About-Us. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lavon Lake outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KHQZ), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Mesquite comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.cityofmesquite.com/651/Pilot-Information. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lake Ray Hubbard outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KDAL), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Love comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 8 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/DAL), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. Scheduled service is sourced at https://www.dallas-lovefield.com/passenger-services/faqs. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. White Rock Lake outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KADS), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Addison comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 6 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/ADS), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.addisonairport.net/General-Information. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Mountain Creek Lake outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KFTW), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Meacham comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 7 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/FTW), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.faa.gov/flight_deck/ftw. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lake Worth outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KAFW), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Alliance comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. Facility level 6 from [123atc](https://123atc.com/facility/AFW), secondary source. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.perotfield.com/airport-features/on-site-partners. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Eagle Mountain Lake outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |
| Layer | Fidelity |
|---|---|
| Geometry, communications and identity | PUBLISHED FACT. [FAA data via AirNav](https://www.airnav.com/airport/KGKY), retrieved 2026-10-05. Radio callsign Arlington comes from COMMUNICATIONS. NASR identifies ZFW as the responsible Center. No FAA facility level assigned to this non-FAA tower. |
| Procedures and airspace | PUBLISHED FACT, SIMPLIFIED. Generated FAA CIFP 2607 procedures and FAA AIS airspace. These are not claimed as October procedure charts. |
| Traffic and flows | OUR DISCRETION. General aviation role is sourced at https://www.arlingtontx.gov/City-Services/Transportation-Streets-Traffic/Airport. Business operator selection is modeled. Carrier weights, equipment, GA mix, opening density, cadence, altitude band and reciprocal runway-role configurations are modeled, not measured. No preferred-flow plan was sourced. |
| Limits | UNKNOWN OR OMITTED. Lake Arlington outer shoreline is sourced from pinned USGS NHDPlus HR data; islands and detached smaller parts are omitted. Exact operations are not claimed. Center 128.3 is an unpublished neutral handoff fallback. Unsupported procedure legs, tower closure schedules and displaced-threshold touchdown effects are omitted. NO terrain, MVA or MSAW. |