Getting Around: Air Transportation in the 21 st Century

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2 Getting Around: Air Transportation in the 21 st Century Edwin E. Herricks Lecture #6: The airport operations and University of Illinois Fall 2018 operational considerations

3 Today we will consider what goes on at an airport to accommodate airline operations. The term accommodation is key here. Airlines have schedules, require space and facilities for aircraft, and require space and facilities for passengers. Airports meet all of these needs while complying with Part 139 regulations.

4 I am going to divide this presentation into two parts. The first focuses on the runway and the AMA while the second focuses on the terminal and the NMA. What goes on around the airport is controlled/constrained by the Airport Certification Manual, which has a major focus on runways, specifically the condition of runways to support airport operations.

5 In the organizational structure of the airport will be a group devoted to airport operations. It is these folks that inspect and maintain the AMA. This statement is not exactly true because some instruments dealing with aircraft control are installed and maintained by the FAA. Virtually everything else is the responsibility of the airport!

6 I am not going to cover all of the instruments that operate on the airport, but I would like to highlight what I think are those critical to flight operations.

7 ILS - You may remember from our previous lecture that the ILS system has two antennas the localizer and the glide slope with marker beacons up to 5 miles from the airport. The signals from these installations are critical! Because metal can interfere with the instruments the area around the antennas is controlled, even within the control areas of the airport. On your next flight see if you can identify these antennas. The localizer will be at the end of the runway, the glide slope indicator around 1000 ft from the end of the runway.

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9 RVR The runway visual range is the next critical instrument at airports.

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16 There are lots of other instruments on airports such as weather sensors and ceilometers (to measure cloud height or ceiling).

17 There are also loads and loads of lights. Airport lighting is highly regulated and is the responsibility of the airport. Minimum Runway Lighting Runway Edge Lights are omni-directional and are located along or just beyond the edges of the area declared for use as the runway as defined by edge markings and are white subject to certain specific exceptions. Runway Threshold Lights are provided in a line along the landing threshold at the touchdown end of a runway and define the beginning of the declared Landing Distances. They are green and can only be seen from the approach. Runway End Lights are provided in a line along the end of the runway available for use. They are red and can only be seen in the direction of runway use.

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19 In addition to instruments and lighting, when you look out of the terminal window, beyond the apron, you may see trucks driving around and people out on the AMA. A significant responsibility of the Ops folks is inspection and maintenance of the runways, taxiways, and all of the lighting and other things they have to deal with. Let s spend some time with inspections using a PowerPoint developed as part of a FAA training program.

20 FAA SOUTHERN REGION AIRPORTS DIVISION Federal Aviation Administration Airport Safety Self-Inspection Includes actual airfield inspection pictures By: Patrick Rogers, Lead Inspector Date: December 2012

21 Inspection Items Paved and unpaved areas Safety areas Markings and signs Lighting NAVAIDs Wildlife Fueling Obstructions December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

22 Inspection Items Hazmat Snow and ice Public protection Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Construction Wind Indicators December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

23 Inspection Techniques Vary daily inspection patterns to avoid complacency. Conduct runway inspections in both directions, time permitting. Drive slowly! Take your time! Don t rush! Walk into the safety areas, weather permitting. Keep pen and paper readily available to jot down notes. Take pictures of discrepancies. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

24 Runway Pavement Each certificate holder must maintain and promptly repair the pavement of each runway, taxiway, loading ramp, and parking area. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

25 Runway Pavement The pavement must be free of cracks and surface variations that could impair directional control of air carrier aircraft. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

26 Runway Pavement Longitudinal cracks on a runway could impair directional control of aircraft and must be evaluated, monitored, and repaired. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

27 Foreign Object Debris Mud, dirt, sand, loose aggregate, debris, foreign objects, rubber deposits, and other contaminants must be removed promptly and as completely as practicable. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

28 Runway Safety Areas Each safety area must be cleared and graded and have no potentially hazardous ruts, humps, depressions, or other surface variations. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

29 Vehicle Roadway Signs This is an example of the new standard. Vehicle roadways that intersect a runway should have an additional runway holding position sign. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

30 Taxiway Edge Marking Pavement markings that are no longer needed must be physically removed. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

31 Taxiway Edge Markings Do not always conduct your taxiway inspections from the centerline. This may have been missed, if the vehicle did not drive adjacent to the shoulder. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

32 Runway Threshold Each certificate holder must properly maintain each marking system installed and operated on the airport. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

33 Runway Aiming Point Marking Properly maintain includes cleaning, replacing, or repairing any faded, missing, or nonfunctional item; keeping each item clearly visible. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

34 Runway Safety Area No objects may be located in any safety area, except for objects that need to be located in a safety area because of their function. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

35 Airfield Signs The inside, reflective material on this red and white mandatory sign has delaminated. Both panels of this sign must be replaced. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

36 Runway Safety Area No objects may be located in any safety area, except for objects that need to be located in a safety area because of their function. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

37 Airfield Signs This concrete sign base is not at grade, which makes the frangible coupling higher than 3 above grade(non-standard). December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

38 Pavement - Ponding The pavement must be sufficiently drained and free of depressions to prevent ponding that obscures markings or impairs safe aircraft ops. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

39 Ponding - Birds In addition to obscured markings, ponding is a wildlife attractant. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

40 Safety Areas - Ponding The safety area must be drained by grading or storm sewers toprevent water accumulation. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

41 Wildlife Each certificate holder must take immediate action to alleviate wildlife hazards whenever they are detected. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

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43 Rubber Removal Each certificate holder must properly maintain each marking. To properly maintain includes keeping each item unobscured and clearly visible. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

44 ILS Critical Area Signs These signs are installed by the FAA, but must be maintained. The self-inspection program should identify when these signs need to be replaced. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

45 Airfield Markings The taxiway centerline beyond this runway holding position marking is painted very sloppy and non-standard. Taxiway centerlines are December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

46 Maintenance- Airfield Markings Sloppy paint job. This sign should be completely removed and repainted. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

47 Navaid - Runway End Identifier Light (REIL) Look closely at the mounts of this REIL. Are they frangible? All REILs must be frangible no greater than 3 inches above grade. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

48 Wind Cones This wind cone has accumulated water, which may effect how it swings. A drain hole should be provided to allow water to drain out of thefabric. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

49 Wind Cones This new wind cone was too small, damaged, but installed anyway. December 2012 Airport Safety Self-Inspection FederalAviation Administration

50 Airports have specialized equipment to deal with runway maintenance. One of the tougher problems is rubber accumulation on the runway. At the typical airport, rubber removal will be a contract activity and only performed periodically. At Changi airport rubber is handled by operations using specialized equipment.

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53 Painting is also something that is usually handled by contract and performed periodically as needed. At Changi, painting the runway center line is a very regular affair. Often done weekly, and sometimes more often as needed.

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56 Snow is also a major problem for airports. There is a lot of pavement to clear and time is of the essence. There is specialized equipment for snow removal.

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59 I was lucky one night when we had planned the assessment of a mobile FOD (foreign object debris) radar system at O Hare. We were out and it began to snow so I was able to stay out as the operations director managed the snow removal activities. Here are two videos!

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62 Not all of the maintenance on the AMA is on the runway, but runway use does control where and when you can do certain things.

63 In summary, the Ops folks have lots to do and limited time to do it. On Changi we were limited to two approximately 20 minute periods on each runway for pavement, FOD, and other inspections. We did have more time at night but usually only 3-5 hours to accommodate early departures. If you want to get a sense of operational responsibility you can look at the ACM.

64 Now I want to move close to the terminal and consider what happens in the NMA, particularly at gates and stands. I will start with the basic cycle for the use of a gate. With a gate expecting an aircraft the ground staff have a lot to do. One of the first check off items is a FOD inspection of the gate area, including the path that the aircraft will take to the gate.

65 Once the plane is guided to the proper position at the gate a lot happens. Blocks are put on wheels. Cones are placed to identify where the aircraft is overhead. Connections are made for power and air conditioning. Luggage handling equipment is moved to the aircraft and cargo doors are opened. Catering trucks arrive along with service vehicles for water/waste, fuel, etc.

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74 One of the most pervasive issues at airports, which gets a lot of attention from Ops, is FOD. Here are some examples.

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78 I have provided only a brief glimpse of airport operations! You can watch activity in the AMA and on the apron happen from the terminal window. The process is organized, even choreographed. There is a lot that happens on the ground to facilitate what happens in the plane as cleaners go to work, catering services the aircraft, etc.