Definition
A federally sponsored applied-research program, managed by the Transportation Research Board under the National Academies and funded through the FAA, that produces practical research on issues facing airport operators, including operations, planning, safety, environment, and design.
Plain English
A research program that studies real-world airport problems and publishes findings that airport operators can use to run their airports better and more safely.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA materials, airport planning references, and reports about airport operations or safety practices.
Derivation
The name describes itself: 'cooperative' because airports, the FAA, and researchers collaborate on problems that affect many airports in common, rather than each airport solving them alone.
Why Pilots Care
Most pilots will never interact with ACRP directly, but its research shapes the airport environment they fly into — runway markings, wildlife management, airfield lighting standards, and similar improvements often trace back to ACRP studies.
Example Sentence 1
The advisory circular cited an ACRP study when recommending updated wildlife mitigation procedures at general aviation airports.
Example Sentence 2
Funding from the ACRP helped test better ways to manage aircraft parking at busy terminals.