FOREWORD

Proper design and installation of visual aids are prerequisites for the safety and regularity of civil aviation. Accordingly, this manual includes guidance on the characteristics of visual aids used at airports.

The material included herein is closely associated with the specifications contained in Annex 14 — Aerodromes, Volume I — Aerodrome Design and Operations. Since the publication of the fourth edition in 2004, the guidance in this manual had been progressively updated in line with amendments to the Annex 14, Volume I, notably those of amendments 6, 10-A, 11-A, 13-A and 15. The main purpose of the manual is to assist States in the implementation of these specifications and thereby help to ensure their uniform application.

This fifth edition incorporates changes and additions resulting from an overall review made by the Secretariat. The more important of these changes/additions are as follows:

a) updated material on the description of testing criteria for precision approach path indicator (PAPI) light units, including single and doublet lens designs along with various methods of inspection and verification. Use of a clinometer, ground check, image analysis method and automatic monitoring are the newly incorporated guidance. Further to this, the examples have been revised for the calculation for siting PAPI and harmonization with the instrument landing system (ILS) (Chapter 8);

b) guidance on autonomous runway incursion warning system (ARIWS) (Chapter 11); and

c) updated guidance material on signs (Chapter 12).

It is intended that the manual be kept up to date. Future editions will be improved based on the work of the Aerodrome Design and Operations Panel of ICAO as well as on experience gained and comments and suggestions received from users of this manual. Readers are therefore invited to give their views, comments and suggestions on this edition. These should be directed to the Secretary General of ICAO.