Want to go to the CMA's?

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher Reel
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 325th Fighter Wing Airfield Management and 325th FW Flight Safety office aren't talking about the Country Music Awards when they use the term CMA.

CMA means Controlled Movement Area. These can be found on any airfield. Not knowing the rules before going to the CMAs can cause risk of accidently having a runway incursion.

A runway incursion is a controlled movement area event that involves the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for landing and take-off of aircraft.

"It is imperative if you are planning on being on the airfield, you must be airfield driver qualified," said Tech. Sgt. Linda Smith, 325th FW deputy airfield manager. "Each unit has an airfield driving manager, who can train and certify qualifications to have permissions to access the airfield. They also provide annual refresher training.

"Personnel should always be cautious when utilizing the perimeter road around the airfield," added Sergeant Smith. "Always use situational awareness, because there could be times that you could be within the 200-foot safety barrier of a powered aircraft."

Personnel that are not trained or licensed to be on the airfield should never operate a vehicle on the airfield or within the CMA.

"Those that are properly trained and licensed need to maintain constant situational awareness and avoid becoming complacent in this dynamic and hazardous environment," said Mr. Michael Simons, 325th FW flight safety manager.

The flight safety office is responsible for conducting an investigation on all runway incursions or CMA violations.

"Our goal is to determine the root cause and make recommendations to prevent similar events in the future," said Mr. Simons. "Runway incursion and CMA violations are taken seriously. The worst-case scenario is that an aircraft mishap occurs due to personnel or vehicles intruding into the runway environment. This could result in injury or death to either party, as well as property damage or possible loss of an aircraft.

"Personal integrity is paramount," Mr. Simons said. "If your job requires tasks that may occasionally require you to drive on the airfield, please let your supervision know that you need to be trained and licensed. You don't know what you don't know. Having the knowledge required to safely drive on the airfield could prevent a serious mishap."