Centennial Airport (APA)

The airspace at APA is Class D with a ceiling up to but not including 8000’ MSL.  It underlies DEN Class B airspace. (Refer to Sectional Chart)

Class D Airspace Requirements (CFR §91.129 and AIM 3-1-4; 3-2-5):

Class B Airspace Requirements (CFR §91.131 and AIM 3-1-4; 3-2-3):

Hot Spots 
HS 1   Pilots instructed to taxi to RWY 17L and monitor TWR sometimes enter the
           RWY without ATC clearance. Expect to hold short. 
HS 2   TWY A, TWY A8, TWY A9 and TWY C1 congested intersections. 
HS 3   RWY 10 hold line on TWY C1 is located 30 ft from edge of ramp. 
HS 4   Pilots landing RWY 17R and instructed to hold short RWY 17L sometimes
           enter or cross RWY 17L without ATC clearance. Expect to hold short on TWY
           B at TWY B8.

Departure

• Verify proper heading prior to starting takeoff roll on all intersection departures.
• When departing RWY 17L, and instructed to taxi via TWY A, TWY A1 and monitor TWR, do NOT enter the RWY or take off without clearance.  See HS-1 above.
• Remember, instructions to monitor TWR does not constitute a takeoff clearance nor does it authorize you to cross the Hold Short Line.
• Run-up areas are not located at the ends of TWY A.  
  • North run-up area is adjacent to TWY A2. 
  • South run-up area is adjacent to TWY A16
  • When run-up is complete, advise ATC and await further taxi instructions.
• TCAS advisories may occur when departing or arriving either parallel RWY.

Landing

• Wrong surface landing risk
• Two very closely spaced parallel RWYS 17R/35L and 17L/35R with staggered thresholds.
• Centerline to centerline distance is 700 ft.
• Aircraft overshooting final turn can conflict with aircraft on approach to parallel runway.
• TCAS advisories may occur when departing or arriving either parallel RWY.
• RWY 17L arrivals can expect low-level helicopter traffic northbound/southbound just east of RWY 17L final and in vicinity of reservoir 3 miles north of the threshold.

Surface Risk – Movement Area

• Increased distance from the RWY to its corresponding Hold Short Line on TWYs.
• HS 1   Pilots instructed to taxi to RWY 17L and monitor TWR sometimes enter the RWY without ATC clearance. Expect to hold short. 
• Hot Spot 2 – is a large concrete area and confusing to pilots not familiar with the airport.  
• Hot Spot 3 – Runway Incursion Risk - Hold Short Line is located immediately upon entering TWY C1.
• Hot Spot 4 – Aircraft miss the Hold-Short Line on TWY B8 and enter RWY 17L/35R without clearance.  The Hold Short Line is located immediately after making the turn onto TWY B8 from TWY B.
• Ramp Taxi-lane C is not a TWY and is not ATC controlled.  
  • It is located on the ramp and parallels the entire length of RWY 10/28.
  • RWY Hold Short Lines are very close to the Movement/Non-Movement Area Markings.

Additional Cautions

• If ever in doubt about your position or your instructions, ask the TWR.
• Numerous flight schools, business jet and helicopter traffic.
• Multiple large power lines approximately 3NM south of RWY 35R and RWY 35L.
• Numerous cranes in vicinity of airport. 
• Numerous flood lights ½ SM north of threshold.
• Radio discipline is critical due to frequency congestion, especially during periods of increased traffic.
   

APA Tower (TWR) operates 24 hours.

Traffic Patterns normally (unless otherwise assigned):

• RWY 17L left traffic
• RWY 35R right traffic
• RWY 17R right traffic
• RWY 35L left traffic
• RWY 10 right or left traffic as assigned
• RWY 28 right or left traffic as assigned

Ground 

• There is no need for VFR pilots to call Clearance Delivery before departure. Simply call Ground Control when ready to taxi. 
• VFR pilots state call-sign, type of aircraft, the fact that you are VFR, requested direction of flight and the ATIS code on initial call to ground.
• Do not join taxiways without contacting ground control unless instructed to taxi by tower.

Runway Crossings

• Aircraft that full-stop on RWY 17R/35L are frequently instructed to hold short of RWY 17L/35R at TWY B8. Read back all hold short instructions. The hold line for RWY 17L/35R at TWY B8 is very far back from the runway. Do not cross this hold line until instructed to cross. This is the location of frequent runway incursions due to the location of the hold line. Be careful!

Takeoff/Departure 

• When instructed to "Monitor Tower," switch to TWR frequency and listen. "Monitor" does not mean to call. Instruction to monitor tower is not clearance to enter a runway or to take off. When told to monitor tower, continue to hold short of the runway and listen to tower. They will call you.

Arrival/Landing

• Make sure the runway you are aligned for is the runway you were cleared on. RWY 17L/35R is larger and more visible. Sometimes pilots cleared for RWY 17R/35L mistakenly line up for the larger runway. Make sure the numbers written on the runway match your clearance.

Avoidance Areas

• Make sure you remain clear of the Class B unless you have been cleared into it. The base of the Class B over APA is 8,000.

Special Traffic (Military / Commercial / Helicopter, etc.)  

• Low level helicopter traffic proceeding north and south just east of RWY 17L final.
• Buckley Space Force Base (BKF) is just northeast of APA. BKF is also Class D airspace.
   

• RWY 10 threshold displaced 400’
• Noise abatement procedures in effect:
  • RWY 35R crosswind/base leg north of Lincoln Ave.
  • RWY 17L crosswind/base leg south of Arapahoe Rd.
  • RWY 17R-35L closed traffic remain south of Arapahoe Rd and east of Interstate 25.
  • RWY 10/28 avoid noise sensitive area 1 mi south and east of RWY
• See Special Notices – USAF 306 FTG Flight Training Areas, Vicinity of Colorado Springs and Pueblo Colorado. (Note: This Special Notice can be found in the SW Chart Supplement.)
   

Do: 

• Refer to the airfield diagram and/or airport moving map while stopped and/or prior to taxiing.
• Keep your eyes outside to observe traffic, potential threats and airport signs and markings.
• Ask the controller to repeat instructions and clearances if you are not sure.
• Ask for progressive taxi instructions if you are unfamiliar or have lost situational awareness.
• Taxi your aircraft to the side of the run-up area to allow other aircraft to taxi around you if you are not ready for departure. 
• Advise TWR on initial contact (ground or air) if you are a student pilot. 
• Using runway and/or taxiway designators to describe your position, and turning on exterior lights will assist the controller in identifying you.
• Acknowledge all ATC instructions and read back all hold short restrictions with your call sign. 
• Always make sure that your aircraft is completely behind all hold- short lines.
• Advise GND/TWR if you want an intersection departure and wait for TWR clearance to take off.  There may be a delay due to wake turbulence or traffic. 
• When using any RWY, verify mag heading and look for the white markings to avoid a wrong surface event.
• Consider backing up a visual approach with an underlying instrument (ILS/LOC/GPS) approach if time and workload allows.
• Remember that you must have a clearance to cross all RWYs, active and not active.
• Use caution when taxiing smaller aircraft/helicopters in the vicinity of larger aircraft/helicopters. Controllers may use the words rotor wash, jet blast, or prop wash when issuing cautionary advisories. A general rule of thumb is 100 feet behind a jet aircraft.
• Reference GPS User Waypoint, or if available, the assigned runway’s instrument approach. If unsure that you are aligned for the assigned runway, announce going around and why.
• Verify proper heading prior to starting takeoff roll on all departures. Consider checking and calling out, Wet compass, runway heading, runway paint/signage for departure runway, and directional gyro shows runway heading.  

Do Not:

• Do not taxi on your own without obtaining taxi instructions from ATC.
• Do not cross an active RWY without specific controller permission to cross that RWY. 
• Do not use a RWY as a turn-off during landing unless cleared to do so by TWR. 
• Do not wait until you are ready for departure to request an IFR clearance. Making your request to clearance delivery or ground control prior to taxiing will allow time for ATC coordination. 
• Do not, on departure, leave TWR frequency while still in TWR airspace unless previously approved. (Note: frequency change outside of TWR airspace is at pilot’s discretion.)

• Squawk Transponder Code 7600 if you experience loss of two-way radio capability.
• If you can hear other aircraft but nobody responds to your calls then you should check for proper frequency selection, popped circuit breaker, radio panel setup, or an improperly hooked up intercom.
• Weak batteries in intercoms are often the cause of “radio failure”. Your emergency checklist may come in handy for checking other areas specific to your aircraft.
• If you can’t hear anything on the receiver, check the volume control, squelch, intercom, circuit breaker, or a stuck mike. 
• After you have determined the extent of the radio failure, you can determine how to communicate with the ATC.

• Each pilot in command who (though not deviating from a rule of this subpart) is given priority by ATC in an emergency and shall submit a detailed report of that emergency within 48 hours to the manager of that ATC facility, if requested by ATC. Ref: CFR §91.123 (d)
• It is extremely rare that a pilot is asked to justify declaring an emergency. In most cases, when a report is needed, it can usually be accomplished with a phone call.
• Additional information is also found in the AIM in Chapter 6 – Emergency Procedures

• Special VFR is primarily intended to offer pilots a way to operate into, out of, and through tower controlled airspace when local weather restricts the visibility or ceiling to below VFR minimums.
• There are times, for instance, when visibility is below three miles due to ground fog or the ceiling is below 1000 feet AGL due to a cold front passage, it may be advantageous to use the Special VFR rules to be able to get to VFR conditions.
• There are rules and conditions that apply to Special VFR and the one that controllers deal with the most often is the requirement that the pilot must request the clearance. We cannot offer it, as we cannot determine your abilities as a pilot and have no wish to talk you into accepting a clearance that may be beyond your experience level.

The basic requirements for Special VFR are:

• The clearance must be requested by the pilot.
• If it is after sunset and before sunrise the pilot requesting the clearance must be IFR rated and the aircraft must be certified for IFR flight.
• A minimum of 1 mile visibility must exist as reported by the tower.

What you may do with a Special VFR clearance:

• You may depart for another destination
• You may transition
• You may enter and land
• You may do touch and go landings