Which braking action code corresponds to 'medium'?

• A. 3
• B. 2
• C. 4
• D. 5

Answer: (A)

Braking action is a numeric description of how much friction the runway offers for deceleration. On the common 0 to 5 scale, higher numbers mean better friction and stronger braking, while lower numbers indicate poorer braking.

Medium represents the middle level of friction, so it sits at the mid-point of the scale. That mid-point value is 3, which is why medium is coded as 3. In practical terms, you’d expect a moderate deceleration—not as strong as on a dry or well-brayed surface, but not as poor as on a very slick or contaminated one. If the braking action were better, the code would be higher (e.g., 4 or 5); if worse, it would be lower (e.g., 2 or 1).