Issue the measured distance from the intersection to the runway end rounded down to the nearest ___ feet.

• A. 10
• B. 50
• C. 100
• D. 500

Answer: (B)

Rounding down to the nearest 50 feet standardizes the distance and keeps calculations conservative. You take the measured distance from the intersection to the runway end and lower it to the largest multiple of 50 that does not exceed the measurement. This prevents overestimating how far the end is and supports safer sequencing and timing in tower operations. For example, if the measured distance is 1,277 feet, the value used would be 1,250 feet. The 50‑foot increment strikes a balance between usable precision and simple mental math; smaller steps like 10 feet would be overly detailed, while larger steps like 100 or 500 feet would be too coarse. Therefore, the distance is expressed in multiples of 50 feet.