AviationDecoders&Calculators&Tools

Home ACNandPCN
Weather ACNistheacronymforAircraftClassificationNumberandPCNisthePavementClassificationNumber.Theyarebothrelatedtotheweight,simplyPCNdeterminestheweightwhichaerodrome'spavementcancarrysafely
andACNistheaircraftsvaluefortocomparewiththepublishedPCN.
MetarInfo
TafInfo BothtermsareusedwidelyaccordingtoICAOsuggestionsandcurrentregulations.Ifyouwanttooperatetoanairport,youraircraftsACNvalueMUSTBELOWERthantheAerodrome'spublishedPCN.Otherwisesome
SnowtamInfo limitationswilloccurorintheworstcaseyouwillnotbeabletooperatethatairport!
SnowtamDecoder
ACN<PCN=OK
ACN>PCN=OPPS,Checkforlimitations!
ACN/PCN/LCN
Ifyouraircraft'sMAXACNislowerthanthePCNyouarefreetogo,butiftheMAXACNishighandtheMINACNislowerthanthepublishedPCNthenyouhavetodosomemathtodeterminethemaximumallowed
ACNPCNCalculation operationalweightforthatparticularrunway(orairport)
ACNCalculator
LCNCalculation

HowToFindTheAerodrome'sPCNValue(s)
ThisvalueispublishedattheAIPofthecountry(AIP>AD>AD2PagesofAirports[NotChartsSection]).AD2.8willgiveyoutheAPRON&TAXIWAY(ApronsTaxiwaysandCheckLocationsData)details,AD
2.12willgiveyoutheRUNWAY(RunwayPhysicalCharacteristic)detailsincludingthestrenghtofthepavement(PCNand/orLCN).

WhileoperatingtoanaerodromewehavetousethelowestpublishedPCNorLCNaccordingtoourusage.ForexampleiftheRunwayPCNis110andTaxiwayPCNis100andApronPCNis80wemustusePCN80forour
calculations'causeafterlandingandtaxiingintopositionouraircraftwillwaitonAPRON,orthinkitviceversa,wewillstartfromastrongapronandtaxitotherunwayandusetherunwayfortakeoff.

Someairportsofferdifferentapronandtaxiwaystrenghtsrelatedtotheirusage,ageneralaviation(oramilitaryonlysection)apronandrelatedtaxiwaymayhavealowerPCN,sowehavetochecktheairportlayout
chartsaccordingtoouroperationalstatus.IfweoperateanairlinerwecannotusetheGAApronfornormaloperations,thereforanyPCNinforelatedtothatapron/taxiwayshallbedisregarded.

AlsotemporaryorpermanentchangesdonetoPCN/LCNforanairportmaybepublishedbyNOTAM,soifyouseeanotamindicatingaPCN/LCNvaluedonotbesurprised.

AsanadditionyoucanuseJeppesen'sAirportDirectorysectiontoquicklyfindthePCNofanaerodrome.

Iftherearedifferencesbetweenthevalues,prioritywillbelikebelow

1.NOTAM
2.AIP
3.Jeppesen(orequivalentsourcelikeLido)

Someexamples

LTAIAYTAntalya/Turkey
LTAIAYTAntalya/Turkey(JeppesenAirportDirectory)
LRCLCLJClujNapoca/Romania

LRCLCLJClujNapoca/Romania(JeppesenAirportDirectory)

HowToFindTheACNmax&ACNmin(empty)values
Thisvaluesaredirectlyrelatedtothepavementstrenghtsystem,sotofindthevaluesyouhavetoknowthePCNoftherunway.JustopenyourJeppesenset(orequivalentdocument)andfollowthepagestructure
AirportDirectory>AirportDataGeneral>ACNTables(alsoLegendAndExplanationpageswillbeusefull).Alsothisvaluesarepublishedinyouraircraft'sAOM(withmoredetails).

AssaidbeforetofindthecorrectvaluesweneedtoknowthePCNandit'sdetails,therearefourdifferentcodesusedinPCNvaluesexplainedbelow.FirsttwodigitsarethevalueofthePCN,therestofthecodecontains
detailsaboutthepavementexplainedbelow

PCN36R/D/W/T

>TypeOfPavement

R:Rigid
F:Flexible

>PavementSubgradeCategory

A:High
B:Medium
C:Low
D:VeryLow(UltraLow)

>TirePressureCategory

W:High(NoPressureLimit)
X:Medium(PressuresUpto218Psi)
Y:Low(PressuresUpto145Psi)
Z:VeryLow(PressuresUpTo73Psi)

>CalculationMethod

T:TechnicalEvaluation
U:UsingAircraftExperience

Againinanycaseofdifferences,theAOM(andorlatesttechnicaldatasheets)ofthatparticularaircraftwillhavethepriorityoverJeppesen(orequivalentsource)info.

Asanexample,hereyoucanfindtwodifferentimageswhichIhadpreparedformypersonalusagefromJeppesenACNTables.
ACNCalculationFormula
Atlastwecancalculateouraircraft'sACNvaluleand/orouraircraft'sMAXIMUMALLOWABLEOPERATINGWEIGHTforanairport/runwaybyusingthefollowingformula

AlsowecanwritetheformulalikethisACN=ACNmax((MALTOWACTUALTOW)/(MALTOWDOW))x(ACNmaxACNempty),buttheupperstyleisthemostcommonwayyoucanseethisformulain
publisheddocuments.

PleasenotethatACTUALTOW(TakeOffWeight)willbealsotheMAXIMUMALLOWEDLANDINGWEIGHTforPCNlimitedairports!

Asseen,againweneedmoreinfotocalculatethe"actual"ACN.DOWandMALTOWvaluescanbefoundatyouraircraft'sDOW/DOITABLE,orAOM,orLOADSHEET.TheACTUALTOWvaluecanbeseenonyour
ComputerFlightPlan(CFP)and/oryouroperationalLOADANDTRIMSHEET.

Iftheairport'sPCNvalueishigherthanyouraircraft'sACNMAXvalue,thereisnoneedforcalculationsodonotwasteyourtime.Butifnot,letscalculateouraircraft'sACNandMAXIMUMALLOWEDOPERATIONAL
WEIGHTforarunway(herewewilluseLRCLCLJClujNapocatoseethelimitations)

Aircraft:B737400/Y168
MAXTOW:64,999KG(SourceDOW/DOITable)
DOW:35,086KG(SourceDOW/DOITable,2Cockpit+4CabinCrewwithPotableWaterandTwoWayInternationalCatering)
PAYLOAD:14,952KG(168PaxAllAdultHolidayCharter)
BLOCKFUEL:12,100KG(SourceCFP)
ACTUALTOW:62,138KG(DOW+PAYLOAD+BLOCKFUEL)

Airport:LRCLCLJClujNapoca
PCN:36R/D/W/T

A/CACNMax=48(SourceJeppesenACNTables)
A/CACNEmptyorACNMin=21(SourceJeppesenACNTables)

AsyoucanseetherearetwolinesforB737400attheACNTable,weusedtheonewithhighervalues'causeouraircraft'sMAXTOWishigherthanthefirstB737400lineinthetable,soweusedthenextnearestHIGHER
VALUEtobeonthesafeside.

FinallywehavetheACN,itis45,57withgivenvaluesbutthereisaproblem'causetheairportspublishedPCNislowerthanouraircraft'sACN.

45,57>36...ThismeansthatwecannotoperatetothatairportORwehavetoREDUCEOURLOADtolowerourACN,simplythismeansthatwehavetocarrylesspassengersortakelessfuel,buthowmuch?

Let'susetheformulatofindourMAXALLOWEDOPERATIONALWEIGHT(bothLANDINGandTAKEOFF)forClujNapoca.Thenwecanpassthisinformationtonessecarydepartmentssotheycancalculatetheprofit/
lossbalanceoftheoperation(Orwecandecidehowmanypax/cargowewillleavetobeabletooperatesafely).
SimplywewillputthePCNtothepositionofACNintheformulaandleavetheACTUALTOWempty,tofindthecorrespondingweight.

SoourmaximumoperationalweightforLRCL/CLJis51,704KG,wemustbebeloworexactlyequaltothisweightfortakeoffandlanding...

PleasekeepinmindthatforRigitPavementswehave%5tolerancefactor(forFlexiblethisis%10)accordingtoregulationssoifneededwemustaddthistolerancetothepublishedPCNvalueandrecalcultethe
operationalslimits.

CodeB.FatihKOZ(AirlineFlightDispatcher),SiteHostedByTurkSim