FACT
SHEET
CAT II ILS Operations at
Sydney Airport
Introduction
CAT II Operations will be implemented at Sydney
Airport in late 2013 on Runway 34L and on Runway
16R early in 2014. The Category II Instrument Landing
System (ILS) systems will have frequency paired
Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). Procedures will
be published on the Airservices Australia website. The
ILS will continue to use the same frequencies, namely:
ILS RWY 34L = ISN 110.1 and
ILS RWY 16R = KS 109.5
ONLY THOSE AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN
AIRCRAFT OPERATORS THAT ARE AUTHORISED
BY CASA TO CONDUCT LOW VISIBILITY
OPERATIONS (LVO) WITHIN AUSTRALIA
ARE PERMITTED TO CARRY OUT ILS CAT II
APPROACHES AT SYDNEY AIRPORT
What is a Category II ILS?
height of 15 m (50 ft) or less above the horizontal plane
containing the threshold. Typically, it will have minima
of a Decision Height (DH) of 100 ft and a Runway Visual
Range (RVR) of 300 m (ICAO Definition).
An ILS which provides guidance information from
the coverage limit of the ILS to the point at which the
localiser course line intersects the ILS glide path at a
The RVR minima at Sydney will be limited to 350 m
due to taxiway light spacing requirements on
the airfield.
Approach and Runway Lighting
Cat II ILS Minima
Both ends will ultimately have an ALSF-2 Approach
Lighting System with Sequenced Flashing Strobe
Lights (“Running Rabbit”).
The CAT II ILS will enable lower minima to be used
for both Runways 16R and 34L. The minima will be a
DH/RVR of 100 ft HAT/350 m for both runways.
The minima for ILS CAT I approach for 16R will remain
at 210 (202) ft AGL/550 m RVR for RWY 16R, whilst for
34L, it will be 220 (206) ft/800 m RVR [previously 1500 m
(VIS)]. This means that all aircraft will benefit and not
only those aircraft suitably equipped and with qualified
crews to carry out CAT II approaches.
Runway 34L
Runway 34L will consist of a reduced length
High Intensity Approach Lighting System (HIAL).
The Runway 34L HIAL will have an ICAO compliant
420 m layout. This is due to the restricted land available
prior to the 34L threshold. Beyond this are the waters
of Botany Bay. An extensive consultation process and
risk assessment has been undertaken with all the key
stakeholders, including operators and pilot association
representatives, prior to the reduced HIAL array being
approved by CASA. A reduced HIAL system of 420 m
is already allowed in Europe and such a system is in
operation at Barcelona Airport.
For a B747 aircraft at 100 ft DH, RVR 350 m, the above
segment of the approach lighting system is visible:
• White cross-bar with red side barrettes – 150 m from
the runway threshold.
• Followed by 4 red sidebar barrettes and the
corresponding 4 white centreline barrettes
(spaced 30 m apart)
• Green runway threshold lights.
The exact view will, however, depend on the aircraft
design eye height and the slant range. For example, in
a control seat of the B747-400, sitting at design eye,
the flight deck is 43 ft above the Main Gear Height.
Therefore, at the 100 ft DH (main gear height), Pilot eye
height in a B747 is 143 ft.
Pilot eye height
ILS G/S antenna
height
“TCH”
Main gear height
Runway 16R
Runway 16R will have a 900 m lighting array.
A Full ALSF II Array at Hong Kong Airport
Approach Lighting System (ALS) 420m layout
Threshold Lights: appear green
for aircraft landing and
red for aircraft taking off
Approach Light
• Warning red light, which
a/c should not land yet
Cross Bar Light
• Indicate a/c wings status
Sequence Flashing Light
• To guide the pilot’s eyes toward
the runway centreline
Runway Touch Down Zone Light
• Gives depth view of the runway
Other Requirements for Upgrading ILS
Taxi Routes
In order to upgrade from CAT I to CAT II, in addition to
a HIALS (including touchdown zone lighting), centreline
lighting and a secondary power source for the ILS with
an instantaneous switch over time are required. Other
requirements are associated with the more stringent
monitoring of the ILS signal and protection of both
the ILS glideslope and the localiser. This is why we
see Pattern B Runway Hold Point used on Taxiway
ALPHA which is used to protect the present ILS CAT I
Critical Area. Inset stop bars have also been installed
at these locations, which are selectively operated
by Sydney ATC when the hold points are in use for
protection of the ILS (Cloud base less than 600 ft
and visibility less than 2000 m). The ILS sensitivity
area becomes more critical in CAT II, because generally
the aircraft are using auto-land.
During low visibility operations Taxiway routes for
aircraft other than A380 will remain unchanged.
Remember: Never Cross a Red Stop Bar
Issued: November 2013
For A380 aircraft, specific taxiway routing can be found
in The Sydney Airport Operations Manual.
This leaflet is for guidance only. Pilots should ensure
that they have reviewed the latest NOTAMS and other
information prior to conducting Low Vis Operations at
Sydney Airport. Pilots should operate in accordance
with the operator’s own SOPs.
References
[1] ICAO Annex 10
[2] ERSA
[3] ICAO Annex 14/MOS 139