Runway Hotspots. Locations on a particular airport that historically have hazardous intersections. Hot spots alert pilots to the fact that there may be a lack of visibility at certain points or the tower may be unable to see that particular intersection. Whatever the reason, pilots need to be aware that these hazardous intersections exist and they should be increasingly vigilant when approaching and taxiing through these intersections. Pilots are typically notified of these areas by a Letter to Airmen or by accessing the FAA Office of Runway Safety.

Runway Incursion. An occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in a loss of separation with an aircraft that is taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land.

Runway Safety Program (RSP). Designed to create and execute a plan of action that reduces the number of runway incursions at the nation’s airports.

Runway Visual Range (RVR). An estimate of the maximum distance at which the runway, or the specified lights or markers delineating it, can be seen from a position above a specific point on the runway centerline. RVR is normally determined by visibility sensors or transmissometers located alongside and higher than the centerline of the runway. RVR is reported in hundreds of feet.

Runway Visibility Value (RVV). The visibility determined for a particular runway by a transmissometer. A meter provides a continuous indication of the visibility (reported in miles or fractions of miles) for the runway. RVV is used in lieu of prevailing visibility in determining minimums for a particular runway.

Significant Point. [ICAO Annex 11] A specified geographical location used in defining an ATS route or the flightpath of an aircraft and for other navigation and ATS purposes.

Special Instrument Approach Procedure. A procedure approved by the FAA for individual operators, but not published in 14 CFR Part 97 for public use.

Special Use Airspace Management System (SAMS). A joint FAA and military program designed to improve civilian access to special use airspace by providing information on whether the airspace is active or scheduled to be active. The information is available to authorized users via an Internet website.

Standard Instrument Departure (SID). An ATC requested and developed departure route designed to increase capacity of terminal airspace, effectively control the flow of traffic with minimal communication, and reduce environmental impact through noise abatement procedures.

Standard Service Volume. Most air navigation radio aids that provide positive course guidance have a designated standard service volume (SSV). The SSV defines the reception limits of unrestricted NAVAIDS that are usable for random/unpublished route navigation. Standard service volume limitations do not apply to published IFR routes or procedures. See the AIM (Chapter 1) for the SSV for specific NAVAID types.

Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR). Provides a common method for departing the en route structure and navigating to your destination. A STAR is a preplanned instrument flight rule ATC arrival procedure published for pilot use in graphic and textual form to simplify clearance delivery procedures. STARs provide you with a transition from the en route structure to an outer fix or an instrument approach fix or arrival waypoint in the terminal area. STARs usually terminate with an instrument or visual approach procedure, but may also terminate with a heading or course to fly for radar vectors.

Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) Charts. Designed to expedite air traffic control arrival procedures and to facilitate transition between en route and instrument approach operations. Each STAR procedure is presented as a separate chart and may serve a single airport or more than one airport in a given geographical location

Standardized Taxi Routes. Coded taxi routes that follow typical taxiway traffic patterns to move aircraft between gates and runways. ATC issues clearances using these coded routes to reduce radio communication and eliminate taxi instruction misinterpretation.

STAR Transition. A published segment used to connect one or more en route airways, jet routes, or RNAV routes to the basic STAR procedure. It is one of several routes that bring traffic from different directions into one STAR. STARs are published for airports with procedures authorized by the FAA, and these STARs are included at the front of each Terminal Procedures Publication regional booklet.

Start End of Runway (SER). The beginning of the takeoff runway available.

Station Declination. The angular difference between true north and the zero radial of a VOR at the time the VOR was last site-checked.

Surface Incident. An event during which authorized or unauthorized/unapproved movement occurs in the movement area or an occurrence in the movement area associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of flight.

Surface Movement Guidance Control System (SMGCS). Facilitates the safe movement of aircraft and vehicles at airports where scheduled air carriers are conducting authorized operations. The SMGCS low visibility taxi plan includes the improvement of taxiway and runway signs, markings, and lighting, as well as the creation of SMGCS low visibility taxi route charts.

Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS). SVGS is a combination of flight guidance display technology and high precision position assurance monitors. The SVGS flight instrument display provides a continuous, geo-spatially correct depiction of the external scene topography, including obstacles, augmented by the display of the runway of intended landing. The SVGS display may be implemented on a head down Primary Flight Display, and/or a Head-Up Display (HUD). SVGS includes additional symbology elements, integrity and performance monitors and annunciations that support and enable low visibility operations. Additional flight instrument symbology and monitors to assure accurate rendering of the external scene are included.