Runway Surprises

[TheSoccerMom]

I thought I had seen a fair variety of objects on runways, but today I had to admit, I was SURPRISED.   

We landed at a small, paved airport that is surrounded by a little golf course..  the most dangerous thing about the whole place is trying not to run over mad golfers on little carts that sudddenly appear from behind hangars, doing about 40 mph.

As we rolled out, I could see a bright object on the runway..  in fact, exactly dead center on the runway, straddling the centerline!  It was a traffic cone!  The fluorescent ones that you stare at while stuck in traffic jams due to road construction!  And, there was its partner, abeam, and on the left edge of the runway.  As I slowly crept past, I saw they were out there to WARN OF SOFT, CRUMBLY SPOTS IN THE PAVEMENT.  Not holes, or potholes, just soft, broken-up spots.

I can't say I have ever seen anything like it!  Not only FOD, but..  large, neon-orange FOD!!  HA!!!   

 

[FlyboyGil]

Makes sense to me

[Frank N. O.]

What!? How does the runway remain functional with a cone in the middle of it? How big is it, can other planes except minivans land there? And how come golfcarts can drive thrue the airport area??? (I'm assuming the post was serious and not a joke). Got any pictures?

Frank

[undatc]

I wonder how you'd put that in an ATIS.....

[TheSoccerMom]

No joking, Frank..  usually it's just animals on the runway...  this is the first time I ever saw a traffic cone!  And there are quite a few little airports surrounded by golf courses out here...  it all works fine..  they have a sign saying "no carts on the runway" and it usually is obeyed.  Uncontrolled fields can have plenty of surprises..  one grass one up north of here had elk wallows (BIG holes) in it...  also you have deer and coyotes, and sometimes people in 4-wheelers...  you just never know. 

I was adding power for takeoff yesterday when I saw a Cessna tail bobbing through the far brush at the other end of the runway..  I called him several times on the radio to ask what exactly his intentions were...  he never did answer, just crossed down-field, and then parked again.  There's no requirement for a radio at these airports and so you need to be watching and looking, every minute.  It works out fine....      

[cj5_pilot]

LOL, a traffic cone--wild!  Closest I've come to FOD damage is nearly picking up a golf ball with the prop at PAQ.  Palmer golf course is right next door    Had to maneuver to avoid it after I touched down on 09.

Quoting and old Alaska Supplement on SWD (Seward):

"Unattended, Rwy cond not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using.  Four inch dip 15' wide 400' from North thld Rwy 15-33 during winter months.  Rwy 12, 4 in mound 20' rgt of centerline 400' byd dsplcd thld.  No snow removal on cross taxiway.  Heavy acft restricted to North taxiway and North 400' of apron.  Rwy 15-33 exposed tree roots pushing thru asp 600' from Rwy 15 thld.  Frost heaves all rwys."

[chuckar101]

LOL, a traffic cone--wild!  Closest I've come to FOD damage is nearly picking up a golf ball with the prop at PAQ.  Palmer golf course is right next door    Had to maneuver to avoid it after I touched down on 09.

Quoting and old Alaska Supplement on SWD (Seward):

"Unattended, Rwy cond not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using.  Four inch dip 15' wide 400' from North thld Rwy 15-33 during winter months.  Rwy 12, 4 in mound 20' rgt of centerline 400' byd dsplcd thld.  No snow removal on cross taxiway.  Heavy acft restricted to North taxiway and North 400' of apron.  Rwy 15-33 exposed tree roots pushing thru asp 600' from Rwy 15 thld.  Frost heaves all rwys."

I love looking for these odd descriptions of airports.  Here's one from Arizona.  The airport is called Sells
"Unattended.  Rwy 04-22 width 60 ft in some areas, narrower due to bushes growing thru pavement.  Livestock on and invof arpt.  Rwy 04-22 15 ft to 18 ft trees and brush in primary sfc entire length of rwy,  Rwy 04-22 3 ft ditches along Rwy edges.  Rwy 04-22 marked with 6 inch yellow centerline stripe only, markings faded."

[Baradium]

NUIQSUT   (we spell it Nuiqsik, this is one we go to daily):

Unattended.  Rwy condition not monitored recommend visual inspection prior to using. Rwy 04-22 may be soft during break up or heavy rains, ctc Nuiqsut Public Works Supervisor at 480-6223 for current rwy conditions. Birds and carribou on and invof arpt. Lighted twr 1/2 NM E of arpt 100' AGL.  Some rwy edge lgts may be OTS. Rwy 04 MALSF.  Rwy 04-22 NSTD HIRL.  Rwy 04-22 extended centerline marked with orange 50 gallon drums.

Anatuvuk Pass is one of the ones that includes "local vehicle traffic use rwy frequently."   

EUREKA:

Unattended.  Rwy cond not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using.  Arpt not maintained; rwy rough and undulates entire length.  Rwy 03-21 N half of rwy narrows to 15'.  Rwy 03-21 soft when wet, rough with dips and humps full length of rwy.  Recommend use by STOL acft only.  Not recommended for transit or nose gear acft.  Rwy 03 access road crosses apch end.  Access road crosses Rwy 03-21 at midfield.  Rwy 03-21 has no edge or thld markers.  Private road crosses end of Rwy 21 thld.  MOGAS avbl 1600-0800Z.  Need to cross road to pumps.  Rwy 03 last 1120' narrows to 15' wide.  Arpt maint by lcl parties on an unofficial basis.

EVA CREEK:

Unattended.  Emerg fld for lgt planes only, knowledge of strip recommended prior to use, severe turbulence at all times.  Rwy 08-26 loose rocks up to 4" on rwy surface.  Turf and brush growing on rwy surface up to 30" tall.  15(degree) dogleg to the south on west end.  terrain drops off sharply in all 4 quadrants.

That last one is 950 ft long and 40 ft wide with a kink in the middle....


There are a lot of good ones in the AK AFD.    A number of "one way" airports as well.

[Gulfstream Driver]

"Severe turbulence at all times" and "dogleg".  Hope there's a cooler of free beer at either end.

[cj5_pilot]

Look up Sparrevon some time.  They recommend contact on 121.5 after landing 

[tundra_flier]

McKinley is one of my favorites, apparently they get tourists strolling down the runway so there's actually a CTAF ativated siren to warn them! 

From the Supplement for PAIN (think they had a sense of humor when selecting the ID?):
"Unattended. Approach may have freak up & downdrafts due to sharp dropoff at each end.  Canyon to S and W subject to strong down drafts.  Winter maintenance. Commercial or business use of this airstrip is prohibited except under permit with National Park Service.  All tfc patterns to east side due to terrain clnc.  Frequent pedestrian tfc on rwy. Acft parking along sides of Rwy 16-34 may reduce usable width to 60'. Rwy 16-34 grass encroachment on both sides of rwy. Rwy 35 rgt trc.  ACTIVATE landing alert siren system for people and moose on rwy - CTAF."

They fail to mention that there's usually water running across the middle of the runway during the spring, along with deap puddles on the West side.  Good thing it's a 3,000ft runway so I could just land in the first half.    Anymore I try to get a PIREP before my first trip down there each year in case there's any washouts.

Phil

[Baradium]

Sparrevohn LRRS:


This is a really long one, so a summary for the first 2/3:  this is a military airfield, PPR, emergency landing only unless you're on official buisiness.


Verbatim:

CAUTION: Rwy surrounded by mountains.  Rwy located on slope of 3302' mountain.  Approach from S only, land Rwy 34 only.  Successful go-around improbable.  Take-off Rwy 16 only.  CAUTION: Winds in excess of 20 Kt (radome winds 25 Kt) may produce severe turbulence.  Radome winds not always avbl.  60' overrun S end of rwy.  Establish radio contact as soon as possible prior to landing.  After initial contact on 126.2 or 121.5 expect a 30 min delay for current airstrip conditions. Touchdown elev Rwy 34 is 1360', (1) Rwy 34.  VASI GS does not meet terrain clnc criteria except within 1 NM of rwy. (2) Rwy 34.


note that the touchdown elevation is 1360 ft.    Field elevation is listed at 1583'....



As far as McKinley:  My current (effective 5/10) AFD does not include a siren note, all else is very similiar to the note you posted (some other differences as well, mostly minor) .   Sounds like it's been decomissioned then?

[tundra_flier]

As far as McKinley:  My current (effective 5/10) AFD does not include a siren note, all else is very similiar to the note you posted (some other differences as well, mostly minor) .   Sounds like it's been decomissioned then?

Very well could be.  That was from an old Supplemental that I keep at my desk.  I should probably replace it with last years. 

Phil

[Baradium]

As far as McKinley:  My current (effective 5/10) AFD does not include a siren note, all else is very similiar to the note you posted (some other differences as well, mostly minor) .   Sounds like it's been decomissioned then?

Very well could be.  That was from an old Supplemental that I keep at my desk.  I should probably replace it with last years. 

Phil

Company has to provide us with the current charts, and once they expire they aren't any use to them so they don't want them back.   I'm looking at the one that expired on the 10th right now, you can have it if you'll ever meet somewhere.   

I save all my old plates and the directories and really would love to give some stuff to someone who'd like to have one... or five.      Guess I just hate throwing stuff away that I think someone somewhere might like to have.    The old directories and plates I'll probobly send down to TN in a mailing to some professors for classes, but I already have a number of copies of the directories and could spare one or a few....

[cj5_pilot]

ROFL Baradium, you actually looked it up?  I hope to hell I never have to land at Sparrevohn.  Only reason I know about it is back when I was in flight training my instructor used it to keep us wise.  Makes you REALLY stop and look at the Supplemental before you fly in to a place, ya know?  Only way I'd drop in there is on an "oh frell, it's the only place to land!" kind of deal.  BTW, my old supplement is out of arms reach.  What does little Diomede read?