nel and equipment to clean up. Such an event
Parked aircraft often leave an iced contact patch
may lead to the loss of the runway, or a portion
at each tire station. This is the combined result of
thereof, but cleanup should still be completed.
pressure melting and heat transfer from the aircraft
Every effort should be made to return the site to
to the ice. In addition, running engines and en-
its original condition.
gine heaters created large iced patches. These iced
Aside from the usual drips of fuel, hydraulic
spots have a sheen and should be roughed-up or
fluid, and other fluids, the most serious contami-
covered with a thin layer of snow as soon as pos-
nate is soot from engine exhaust. This will accu-
sible to avoid their acting as a solar radiation trap.
mulate and coat the runway surface particularly
Vehicles other than aircraft may also leave iced
in parking areas (load/unload and fuel areas), at
tire prints when parked. Thus it is a good idea to
the threshold where runup and takeoff start,
avoid parking anything on the runway. In addi-
and in the region where the wheels leave the
tion, nearly any object (e.g., vehicle, building,
ground. The soot will build up to a large concen-
implement, fuel hose) that is stationary on the
tration over the span of seasonal operations and
runway will act as a heat source due to absorbed
will probably persist into following years. In
radiation and is best kept off the runway except
these areas, it is advisable to keep a thin layer of
when performing necessary tasks. Such station-
expendable snow (25 cm). As soon as soot is
ary objects should be removed as soon as possible
present on the surface, it should be dragged or
and the area dragged or planed to freshen the
planed to mix the soot into the snowpack and
surface and remove any iced-over spots. Periodi-
remove it from the surface. After some time, re-
cally, it may be necessary to perform "touch up"
placing this protective cover with fresh snow will
grading at sites, such as where fueling is done in
be necessary.
order to remove surface melt features that have
Parking areas will collect the most soot if en-
become permanent in the runway or ramp area
gines are kept running during load/unload and
surface. If a very large area is to be regraded, the
fueling operations. We found that we could mini-
as-built blue prints will need to be consulted and
mize soot accumulation by explaining this prob-
the laser control used to maintain proper control
lem to the flight crews and requesting that they
over surface smoothness and final grade.
shut off engines as soon as possible. In most cases
they were very accommodating and often shut
down all but one engine soon after touch down
SCHEDULING
and turned it off when parked. When conditions
are particularly cold at a site, shutting down en-
The following is a list of approximate dates for
gines may not be wise. Flight crews can advise
aspects of operations at the Pegasus site. We cau-
runway operators in this matter and, when it is
tion that some of these dates are governed by the
cold, soot accumulation is not as much of an im-
results of measurements, not by the calendar. Such
mediate problem.
dates are listed in italic type.
Flight operating window after the peak temperature.
All buildings, fuel tankers in place
714 January
Stripping the protective snow cap
1016 January
Simultaneous proof rolling/patching, if required
1016 January
Runway markers in place
15 January
Radar reflectors in place, road dual flagged for shuttles
1016 January
Begin flight operations
1625 January
Flight operating window just prior to the peak temperature. Currently this would only
occur in an emergency situation if the sea ice runway were unavailable.
All buildings, fuel tankers in place
15 September
Stripping the winter snow accumulation
1525 September
Proof rolling/patching
2030 September
Runway markers in place
25 September
Radar reflectors in place, road dual flagged for shuttles
28 September
Begin flight operations
1 October
Last day of flight operations
31 October
Begin covering runway with protective snow cap
1 November
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