Definition
An FAA Advisory Circular titled 'Measurement, Construction, and Maintenance of Skid-Resistant Airport Pavement Surfaces.' It provides guidance to airport operators on how to measure runway surface friction, build pavement surfaces that resist skidding, and maintain those surfaces over time. The number 150/5320-12 is its FAA reference identifier within the 150-series of ACs, which covers airports.
Plain English
An FAA guidance document that tells airports how to keep runway surfaces grippy enough for safe braking, and how to measure that grip.
Context Anchor
Pilots may see this reference in the Aeronautical Information Manual or in discussions about runway surface friction, braking, and wet or slippery pavement.
Derivation
An 'Advisory Circular' is a non-regulatory FAA publication that advises rather than mandates. The 150-series numbering identifies airport-related ACs, so seeing '150/...' tells you immediately the document is about airports.
Why Pilots Care
The condition of a runway surface directly affects stopping distance and crosswind handling. Pilots don't read this AC, but they fly on the surfaces it governs — and braking action reports they receive are downstream of the standards it sets.
Grounding Statement
If the pavement has poor grip, the airplane may need more runway to stop and may be harder to keep straight.
Intuition Check
Do not read AC 150/5320-12 as an aircraft equipment code or a pilot checklist item. It is a numbered FAA guidance document for airport pavement friction and skid resistance.
Example Sentence 1
The airport's runway resurfacing project followed the friction measurement standards in AC 150/5320-12.
Example Sentence 2
During the annual inspection the pavement was tested according to the methods described in AC 150/5320-12.