Aerospace/Aviation/aviation

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Expert: - 2/21/2009


Question
What do the three different sizes of magenta airport symbol 'dots' on a sectional chart represent?

Answer

Some symbols of airpor
Hello,
I will try to answer your question. I'm a little confused by your question because usually there are only "two" types of airport symbols on airport sectionals, the ones that are round and the ones that are longer. The longer ones that are not round are runways longer than 8069 feet. http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/instruments/q0125.shtml is a good link about this. The blue airport symbols on sectional charts show airports with air traffic control towers on the field.
Another good link for information about symbols on charts is http://flighttraining.aopa.org/members/student_pilot/cross_country/pdfs/VFR_Char... .
There are magenta rings around airports showing the different floors of class E airspace, so maybe that is what you are meaning by the third size of an airport symbol. If an airport symbol has 4 little lines coming out of it, it means the airport should have fuel available there (though not necessarily all the time).

Thanks for your question. I hope I helped you out!
Laura
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 8Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentYou are right in that there are 'usually' only two type of symbols for designating airports, a round symbol and a boxy runway outline symbol. The box style varies as the runway length and layout dictates since it is an outline. However the round 'usually' is a circle for other than hard surface, and a dot or filled in circle for hard surface. This filled in dot is about 1/4 inch diameter. But, in looking on a real sectional chart, I found three sizes of these filled in dots. First, I thought they might represent longer runways got larger dots. But that is not the case as I have found medium size dots with longer runways than larger dots. An example on the Memphis sectional is West Memphis (AWM) with a 60 or 6000' runway on a medium dot , and Newport (M19) with a 50 or 5000' runway on a larger dot. I had already looked at the links you sent and this issue is not explained there. FYI, I have sent a question to the mapmakers also. If the ones who print the maps have no explaination for the symbols that they use, then it won't be the first time a government agency has disappointed me. Thanks very much for your timely answer, especially over a weekend. Regards, Rocky


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Laura Laster

Expertise

I can help with questions about aviation disasters, aircraft operations especially general aviation and King Air information, aviation safety, and education questions on how to get into an aviation career. I can also answer general aviation questions as I am a commercial multi-engine pilot. I cannot answer questions about flight training or MBA schools in countries other than the USA or provide advice for non-US citizens interested in flight training. I cannot answer questions advising you what school to choose. I have no experience with aeronautical engineering so I cannot answer questions relating to engineering or schooling for aeronautical engineers. PLEASE don't ask me questions about any kind of engineering because it is outside my area of expertise, and I will NOT answer your question. I also cannot help you to choose a master's program for study as I do not have a master's degree in aviation. I cannot help with MBA advice.

Experience

I have been studying aviation disasters through doing my own research and a lot of reading since I was 13 or 14 years old. I am very interested in aviation safety and also am a commercial, multi-engine pilot. I am a dispatch manager at a private university working in their flight training department. I also have worked as an operations mamager at a small charter airline and was involved in getting the airline certificated under Part 121 rules. I was formerly a flight operations division manager for a company operating a large fleet of King Air aircraft (60) and so I have some business aviation experience as well as having flight instructed for one year after college. My operations manager job frequently involved coordinating international trips for aerial survey clients and hiring qualified pilots to fly aerial survey missions.

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Science with Flight Management Concentration: LeTourneau University (2004) :: Dispatch Certificate: Sheffield School of Aeronautics (2010) :: Commercial Pilot: Single and Multi Engine Land, Instrument Rating :: Flight Instructor: Single, Multi and Instrument :: Ground Instructor: Basic and Advanced

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