AIRMANSHIP

ACP 34 AIRCRAFT OPERATION

Part 1

INTRODUCTION

One of the activities that is available to you as a cadet is Flying.

You will not only be given the opportunity to fly in powered aircraft and gliders but also be allowed to handle the controls.

This lesson details some important facts that you must know, in preparation for this kind of flying.

The following will familiarise you with the place, the aircraft & the procedures, to ensure safe, and pleasant experience.

A I R M A N S H I P 1

AIRFIELDS - LAYOUT

What is an Airfield? Terms you need to know:

Airfield – an area (including any buildings and support installations) used for the accommodation, take off & landing.

Airport – an airfield with additional facilities for freight & passengers (e.g. customs, money-changing, immigration control, baggage areas & restaurants).

Aircraft Manoeuvring Areas – parts of an airfield which have been specially prepared for the movement of aircraft on the ground (e.g. runways, taxiways, aircraft servicing platforms, operational readiness platforms and dispersal hard standings.

Please note that:

Manoeuvring areas can be quite small level areas of grass to vast areas of asphalt & concrete.

Grass airfields are adequate for light aircraft.

Paved runways & taxiways are needed for heavier and faster aircraft.

A triangular pattern of 3 runways is useful as it helps aircraft to take off & land as near as possible into wind.

Today’s high performance aircraft rely on the length of the runway.

Points to note:

The present trend is for operations to be confined to one long runway, or at the most two.

The longer one is designated as the ‘main instrument runway’.

This will usually be in line with prevailing wind and will be equipped with full lighting, radio installations & safety equipment.

In summary, airfields fall into 3 categories:

The basic grass airfield. The triangular-patterned runway. The modern main instrument runway.

Typical Layout of a Main Instrument Runway:

Dispersal Hard standingSecondary Runway

Hanger & HAS Area

HAS Area Main Instrument Runway Station Buildings

ARIEL VIEW – RAF AIRFIELD

Runways are constructed of concrete layers & asphalt. Concrete stands up better than asphalt to jet engine blast & fuel spillage.

Runways vary in width & length according to the role of the particular airfield.

At a typical RAF airfield, the main instrument runway will normally be 45m wide & 1.800m or more long.

At airfields where transport aircraft operate the dimensions are 60m wide & 2,700m or more long.

Runways:

The markings on runways are illustrated below:

Markings:

Runway markings are WHITE. Do not confuse them with taxi-way markings which are YELLOW.

Each runway is marked by 2 white painted numbers – these indicate the magnetic headings of the runway direction – taken to the nearest 10 degrees.

Colour & Runway Numbers:

The runway threshold is donated by longitudinal white stripes painted symmetrically about the runway centre-line.

Where the landing threshold has been moved up the runway because of some form of obstruction such as a railway line, road etc, four chevrons and a bar are added.

This will make sure that the pilot lands further up the runway and avoids these obstructions.

The area between a displaced threshold marking and the beginning of the runway is known as the Sterile Area.

Note: This area is not necessarily sterile for taxying aircraft or for aircraft stopping after landing in the opposite direction.

Threshold Markings:

The runway centre is indicated by a broken white line. (Arrow Heads in the Sterile Area).

Where there is little contrast between the runway & surrounding area, and also on runways more than 45m wide, each side of the runway will be marked with a solid white line.

Centre Line & Side Stripe Markings:

Some runways are equipped with ‘arrester gear’ which can bring an aircraft to a stop in a very short distance.

To use this equipment, the aircraft must be equipped with an arrester hook which is lowered for landing to engage a cable suspended across the runway.

When the hook engages the cable, the cable is played out, cable braking occurs to a swift halt.

The cable can be braked in a number of ways: the system used by the RAF is the Rotary Hydraulic Arrester Gear – RHAG.

This relies on large paddles rotating in liquid for it’s braking effect.

Arrester Gear: