Local controllers must visually scan runways ___.

• A. periodically
• B. continuously
• C. never
• D. to the maximum extent possible

Answer: (D)

The main idea is maintaining vigilant visual surveillance of the runway to detect hazards and confirm conditions that affect safety. Scanning to the maximum extent possible means you’re keeping as much of your attention on the runway as circumstances allow—traffic, weather, and other duties may limit you, but you should maximize visibility and awareness. This level of vigilance helps catch debris, obstructions, lighting outages, or aircraft movements in time to issue guidance and prevent runway incursions. Periodically scanning leaves gaps, and while continuous scanning is ideal, practical workload can prevent perfect constant focus; saying “to the maximum extent possible” acknowledges both safety and real-world constraints. Never scanning is obviously unsafe.