TWR CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT NEW CRITERIA PERTAINING TO DEFINITION OF CLR OF RWY.

Narrative

THE MOST RECENT CHANGE TO THE DEFINITION OF 'CLR OF RWY' IN THE PLT CTLR GLOSSARY HAS CREATED A SAFETY PROB AT THE BILLINGS ARPT. DUE TO INADEQUATE DISTANCE BTWN OUR MAIN RWY 27R/9L AND OUR PARALLEL TXWY; ACFT ARE UNABLE TO EXIT THE RWY AND CONTINUE MOVEMENT ACROSS THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINES WITHOUT ENTERING THE PARALLEL TXWY. THE PRESENT 'CLR OF RWY' DEFINITION HAS CAUSED US TO SEND SEVERAL ACFT AROUND ON SHORT FINAL. SENDING ACFT AROUND IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT TO COMPLY WITH A PROC THAT IN NO WAY AFFECTS SAFETY IS INAPPROPRIATE. THE TAXIING ACFT POS IS IRRELEVANT. A PROB ONLY EXISTS IF WE ISSUE A RESTRICTION TO THE TAXIING ACFT'S MOVEMENT ACROSS THE HOLD LINES. WE CAN HAVE VEHICLES IN CLOSER PROX TO THE RWY AND HAVE NO PROB. WE CAN LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE THAT THE ACFT IS PAST THE RWY EDGE AND NO FACTOR YET. TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW DEFINITION WE MUST SEND THE NEXT ACFT AROUND IF WE HAVE TOLD THE FIRST ACFT TO HOLD SHORT OF THE PARALLEL TXWY. THE DEFINITION OF 'CLR OF RWY' NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO: A PLT OR CTLR MAY CONSIDER AN ACFT WHICH IS EXITING OR XING A RWY; TO BE CLR OF THE RWY WHEN ALL PARTS OF THE ACFT ARE BEYOND THE RWY EDGE AND THERE IS NO ATC RESTRICTION TO ITS CONTINUED MOVEMENT BEYOND THE APPLICABLE HOLDING POS MARKING OR CAN BE VISUALLY DETERMINED BY ATC OR OTHER PLTS THAT ALL PARTS OF THE ACFT ARE BEYOND THE RWY EDGE.