Definition
A numerical scale from 0 to 6 that reports the braking capability of a runway surface based on contaminants such as water, snow, slush, ice, or compacted snow. A code of 6 represents a dry runway with normal braking, while a code of 0 represents a runway where braking action is nil. Airport operators assess each third of the runway (touchdown, midpoint, rollout) and assign a separate code to each segment, which is then transmitted to pilots through the Field Condition (FICON) NOTAM.
Plain English
A simple number from 0 to 6 that tells pilots how well their tires will grip the runway. Higher numbers mean better grip; lower numbers mean worse grip. The runway is split into three sections, and each section gets its own number.
Context Anchor
Pilots see Runway Condition Codes in runway condition reports, NOTAMs, and weather or airport information used before takeoff or landing.
Why Pilots Care
Determines the landing distance required and whether the runway is safe for the aircraft's performance limits.
Grounding Statement
Think of the number as a quick runway stopping-condition score: the higher the number, the more braking you can generally expect.
Intuition Check
Do not read the number like a priority or runway number. For RwyCC, higher means better runway condition, and lower means worse runway condition.
Example Sentence 1
The ATIS reported runway condition codes of 5/4/3, so the crew recalculated their landing distance before continuing the approach.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots use the RwyCC values to calculate their required landing distance on a wet or snowy runway.