Definition
An FAA Advisory Circular that provides recommended procedures and best practices for flight crews during pushback, taxi, and takeoff/landing ground operations, with the goal of reducing runway incursions and other surface-movement errors.
Plain English
An FAA guidance document that tells pilots how to operate safely while moving on the airport surface, especially to avoid mistakes like crossing a runway without permission.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA training material about airport operations, taxi procedures, and runway safety.
Derivation
AC' stands for Advisory Circular, the FAA's standard format for non-regulatory guidance. The number '120-74' is a filing identifier: the '120' series covers air carrier operations, and '74' is the specific document number within that series.
Why Pilots Care
Following these procedures keeps ground movement orderly and greatly lowers the chance of colliding with another aircraft or vehicle on the runway or taxiway.
Intuition Check
“AC” here does not mean air conditioning or electrical current. In this context, it means an FAA Advisory Circular, which is an official guidance document.
Example Sentence 1
The airline's taxi procedures were built directly from the recommendations in AC 120-74.
Example Sentence 2
The captain used AC 120-74 to brief the first officer on sterile cockpit rules during taxi.