b'RAMPOSC 35Built to Last end, its all about safetysafety for aircraft, The structure at OSC is made primarily of roughlysafety for personnel and safety for anyone at 471,600 pounds of corrosion-resistant galvanizedthe airport.steel. The 16-inch-thick concrete pad it standsBrown says that if Kalitta allows other on required approximately 4,000 cubic yardscarriers to test engines at OSC, the airport of concreteenough to fill about 400 cementcould increase landing fees and collect other trucks. revenue. But thats a minor consideration Its designed to withstand bearing onecompared to the increased safety aspects, he of our aircraft fully fueled and loaded, whichemphasizes.weighs nearly a million pounds, Vette reports. The GRE has made our airport safer for Both he and Brown are pleased with howeverybody, Brown says. Big aircraft and the GRE has affected safety and functionalitylittle aircraft arent a very good mix, but we all at the airport.have to get along here because theres one runway. And this facility helps everyone get Its been really nice, Vette says. Our guys arealong great.happy that they can run engines at high power without worrying about air traffic. They dont haveThis really has taken our airport to a to talk to other aircraft that are coming in or worrydifferent level in terms of safety. Its a feather about missing a call from a pilot. (Theres no airin our cap. traffic control tower at OSC.) To see the ground run-up enclosure at The facility also brings down the noiseOscoda-Wurtsmith Airport in action, visitCrews used about 471,600 pounds of level because the exhaust deflects straight upyoutube.com/watch?v=lwM7naZec3Y.galvanized steel to build the ground run-up instead of horizontally, he adds. But in theenclosure. AirportImprovement.comJuly | August 2024'