In early 2014, the city of Dallas and Dallas Love Field (DAL) were in a unique and ultimately timely position from operational and funding perspectives alike. The expiration of the Wright Amendment in October 2014 allowed air carriers to modify flight routes out of DAL, thereby increasing air traffic and changing the aircraft types needed to handle traffic. In addition, the upcoming 2017 expiration of the letter of intent associated with the long-running Love Field Modernization Program will make federal discretionary and entitlement dollars available for airfield-related projects that had been deferred because of the modernization program.
Airfield maintenance can be tough at any location, but few places in North America present more challenges than northern Alaska. Keeping runway and taxiway lights working at the remote airfields that dot the state can be extremely challenging, and workers who undertake the job often work in downright punishing conditions.
When you hear the phrase "bright lights, big city," Las Vegas may be one of the first places that comes to mind. Effective light management, however, is an exacting science that takes into account many variables such as lumens, energy usage, lamp longevity and even light pollution. All of the above and more came into play when Henderson Executive Airport (HND), located in the very shadow of Vegas' world-famous "strip", expanded its airfield ramp area and installed new lighting during a four-month, $4 million project last fall.
There's no easy way-or good time-to shut down an airport for three weeks, especially a regional hub that serves as a major tourism gateway. But officials at Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) pulled it off with nary a hitch during a recent $18.5 million runway reconstruction project.
When the main runway at Alaska's Yakutat Airport (YAK) experienced damage from harsh hydrogeological conditions, the state's Department of Transportation and Public Facilities tread carefully when crafting a solution. As owner and operator of the airport, the department knows that any project in the lowlands area around the Gulf of Alaska includes extra hurdles-specifically weather and logistics.
In April, McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas reopened its 14,500-foot primary runway, following a six-month closure. Runway 7L-25R, which handles about one-third of the airport's traffic, had been temporarily closed from October to April during each of the past two years to replace nearly 366,000 square yards of deteriorated asphalt concrete pavement. Now, aircraft operate on 19-inch-thick, full-strength Portland cement concrete pavement.
When officials at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) began strategizing about how to comply with the recent runway safety area deadline, they did not expect to end up with a new airfield. One decade later, however, that's essentially what they have.
Armed with magnifying glasses and kneepads, crews spent the fall of 2014 examining the pavement and paint on every airfield at every public airport in Virginia. In total, they surveyed 62 commercial and general aviation facilities. As a result, airport operators and state officials now have a concrete plan to improve the safety and longevity of their runways, taxiways and aprons.
When officials at Meadows Field Airport (BFL) in Bakersfield, CA, started planning to replace the facility's aging main runway, they expected a price tag of around $10 million. But the initial tally approached $70 million, prompting a bad case of sticker shock.
Sometimes, the phrase "perfect storm" refers to a rare combination of events that leads to disaster. Other times, it describes similarly unusual circumstances that create an amazing outcome. Surprisingly, a recent runway safety area project at Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) met both definitions at various points.
Research that may lead to more widespread use of 'green' runway pavement materials is underway at the FAA National Airport Pavement & Materials Research Center, in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. Engineers at the new facility use a custom-designed heavy vehicle simulator to test asphalt and other pavement materials at high tire pressures and temperatures.
Denver International Airport (DEN) has a new tool at its disposal for managing winter operations: in-pavement sensors that help predict when ice will form on runway and other airfield surfaces. The system includes five clusters of sensors embedded in Runway 17L-35R, one of DEN's four north/south runways, and three more clusters in adjacent high-speed taxiways. The in-pavement sensors were installed as part of a $46.5 million runway resurfacing project.
