Ground training
26 short videos teach how to read an FAA airport diagram. Salinas (SNS) comes first, because North Aero is there. Other airports show what SNS does not have.
Watch them in order, about 41 minutes in all. Then take the quiz: 30 questions on real FAA airport diagrams.
What an airport diagram is for
Learn what an FAA airport diagram shows, when to use it, and how to get a current one, with the Salinas (SNS) diagram.
The header
Read the top of the Salinas airport diagram: the title, the airport name, the identifier and the revision date.
The frame
Read the frame of the Salinas airport diagram: the latitude and longitude grid, the north arrows and the distance ticks.
Runway numbers and headings
Read the Salinas runway numbers and magnetic headings, and use the wind to plan your runway.
Size and elevation
Read runway length, width and elevation on the Salinas airport diagram, and use them before every flight.
Displaced thresholds
Learn what a displaced threshold is, and why you do not land on the first 396 feet of Salinas Runway 8.
Past the runway end
Learn what the pavement past a runway end means: plain pavement, blast pads, stopways and EMAS.
Weight bearing and PCR
Read the runway weight bearing numbers and the PCR code on an airport diagram.
Runway slope
Read runway slope on an airport diagram, and learn how it changes your takeoff and landing rolls.
Lighting and visual aids
Learn runway lights and visual glide path lights, from the Monterey lighting box and the Salinas lights in the Chart Supplement.
Salinas taxiways and signs
Learn the 13 Salinas taxiway letters, how to say them, and how the signs on the ground match the diagram.
Runway holding positions
Learn the runway holding position: the hold lines, the red runway sign, and how to hold short at Salinas.
ILS critical area holds
Learn why ATC may hold you short of an ILS critical area, and how to find these holds on the diagram.
Runway approach area holds
Learn what a runway approach area hold is, and where Oakland and Long Beach print them.
Hot spots
Learn what a hot spot is, how the diagram shows it, and how to read its Chart Supplement description.
LAHSO
Learn land and hold short operations (LAHSO), with the Long Beach diagram and the Chart Supplement table.
Closed, construction and non-movement areas
Read the symbols for closed pavement, construction areas and non-movement areas on an airport diagram.
Salinas buildings and areas
Find the Salinas buildings and named areas: parking, the terminal, the beacon, the helipad, the tower and the North Aero ramp.
Salinas frequencies and tower hours
Read the Salinas frequency box, and work out when the part-time tower is open.
Busy-field frequency blocks
Read the frequency boxes at busy airports, where the tower and ground control split the radio work.
Notes boxes
Read the notes on an airport diagram: SAID, ASSC, runway status lights, a non-visibility area and declared distances.
Taxi out from North Aero
Plan your taxi from the North Aero ramp to Salinas Runways 13, 26 and 31.
Taxi in after landing
Plan the taxi back to the North Aero ramp after you land on Salinas Runway 31.
Taxi at a new airport
Plan a taxi at an airport you do not know, with the Oakland diagram and its hot spots.
Test yourself
30 questions on real FAA airport diagrams from seven California airports that the videos do not use, in 6 sections. Free, with no signup, and your progress saves in your browser.
FAA airport diagrams, d-TPP cycle 2611, effective 29 OCT 2026. Not for navigation. Before you fly, check the current airport diagram, the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.
A discovery flight is actual flight training with a certified flight instructor at the Salinas Airport. Your hands on the controls, with the airport diagram on your knee.
