Who must be informed whenever rubber-supported cables are in place at the approach end of the landing runway?

• A. U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy aircraft
• B. Air carrier and civil aircraft
• C. All aircraft
• D. Civil and U.S. Army aircraft

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that when a temporary or unusual hazard exists on the approach path, ATC must inform the pilots who could actually encounter it so they can plan a safe approach. Rubber-supported cables on the approach end create a specific danger that would affect certain operations, so the notice is targeted to those users who are most likely to use that runway under those conditions.

Informing civil and U.S. Army aircraft makes sense because civil aircraft share the same runway and could be on approach when the cables are in place, and Army aircraft are the other operators most likely to be using that airfield for certain missions or exercises. The equipment isn’t something that necessarily involves Navy or Marine operations at that site, nor is it practical to blanket-notify all aircraft if only civil and Army use the approach under those circumstances. Providing the notice to the appropriate group helps ensure safety without overburdening other operations.