AIP New Zealand   

Introduction

AIP New Zealand is a new document; it replaces the New Zealand AIP that was last rewritten in 1993.
While users of the new AIP will notice some substantial differences in format and structure, almost all of the information published in the ’old’ is included in the new document. This covering note explains the structure of the new document and how the information is presented.

The Reason for Change

In the words of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)”....aeronautical information publications are intended primarily to satisfy international requirements for the exchange of aeronautical information of a lasting character essential to air navigation”. As with most other countries, New Zealand uses its AIP to distribute aeronautical information for domestic as well as international operations. The New Zealand AIP was last rewritten in 1993, continuing with the same format that had been used for many years. In 1994 ICAO introduced a new standard format for AIP. For several reasons, based in the main on the cost of replacing the large number of paper documents that had just been issued, the decision was made to leave the New Zealand AIP in the old format, rather than reformat a document that had just been rewritten. By 2001, it was apparent that the New Zealand AIP had lost its focus, becoming part training manual, part reiteration of New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Rules, and only part what it should be — an aeronautical information package. As a consequence it had grown unwieldy, complex, and increasingly difficult to maintain and amend. In March 2002, with the release of a discussion document Rewrite/Reformat of New Zealand’s aeronautical Information Publication and the publication of an article in the March/April 2002 edition of the CAA News, the CAA announced the project “Tomorrow’s AIP” to rewrite and reformat New Zealand’s AIP to comply with the ICAO standard.

Why Adopt the ICAO Format?

The format adopted by ICAO for aeronautical information publications allows worldwide standardisation. Pilots operating internationally should be able to use the AIP from any complying ICAO State, confident that information can be found in the same place and provided to similar standards. Similarly, private pilots from any country should be able to use the AIP in any other country knowing that information will be presented in a similar way, and in the same format.

The ’New’ ICAO Format

The ICAO AIP format is divided into three parts:

Part 1 General (GEN), consisting of five sections, containing information of an administrative and explanatory nature.

The sections are:

GEN 0 Amendment lists, page checklists and Table of Contents — GEN
GEN 1 National regulations and requirements
GEN 2 Tables and codes
GEN 3 Services — AIS, charting, ATS, communication, meteorology, SAR.
GEN 4 Charges for aerodromes and air navigation services

Part 2 En-route (ENR), consisting of six sections, contains information concerning airspace and its use.

The sections are:

ENR 0 Table of Contents — ENR
ENR 1 General rules and procedures
ENR 2 Air traffic services airspace
ENR 3 ATS routes
ENR 4 Radio navigation aids/systems
ENR 5 Navigation warnings

Part 3 Aerodromes (AD), consisting of two sections, contains information concerning aerodromes and their use.

The sections are:

AD 1 Aerodrome/heliport introduction
AD 2 Aerodromes/heliports — detailed information for each aerodrome/heliport, including charts relating to each aerodrome
NOTE: The ICAO standard stipulates four sections, two for aerodromes and two for heliports. Since New Zealand does not have international heliports (as has Europe), the heliports are included with the aerodromes.

Information Structure

Considerable effort has gone into devising a structure that provides information in a clear and simple manner.

The AIP is divided into parts and sections, and thereafter each section is divided into ’chapters’. For example, Section ENR 1 — General Rules and Procedures, is divided into the following 16 chapters:

ENR 1.1 General rules and procedures ENR 1.2 Visual flight rules ENR 1.3 Instrument flight rules ENR 1.4 ATS airspace classification ENR 1.5 Departure, holding, and ENR 1.14 Air traffic incidents ENR 1.15 Emergency procedures ENR 1.16 VFR operations

ENR 1.9 Air traffic flow management ENR 1.10 Flight planning ENR 1.11 Addressing of flight plan messages ENR 1.12 Interception of civil aircraft ENR 1.13 Unlawful interference approach procedures ENR 1.6 Radar services and procedures ENR 1.7 Altimeter setting procedures ENR 1.8 Regional supplementary procedures

Paper Documents

AIP New Zealand exists as an entire document only in electronic form. It will become available free-of-charge on the internet in November. The AIP will be presented in pdf format, with the information appearing on the screen in exactly the same format as it is presented in paper documents.
In paper format the AIP is published in four volumes as follows:

Volume 1 contains all of the GEN and ENR parts, and also the contents of the AD part relevant specifically to planning.

Volumes 2 and 3, which are issued as a set for in-flight use, contain that information from the GEN and ENR parts relevant to IFR operations, and, from the AD part, all aerodromes and heliports for which instrument procedures are published.

Volume 4, for in-flight use, contains that information from the GEN and ENR parts relevant to VFR operations, and, from the AD part, all aerodrome charts and associated VFR procedures.