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Do airports clean runways?
Philadelphia and Schiphol airports outline why and how they scape their runways. (www.freightwaves.com) More...
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what a question. it is a sacred ritual on aircraft carriers of the US Navy to do a group walk for locating debris that could be injested into a launching aircraft or a landing aircraft. THis is done in other airports on land but not to the intensity and dedication of aircraft carrier crews. Lest we forget, AirFrance concorde was brought down in flames due to a metal part left by a departing airliner on the runway that got gobbled up , resulting in a fuel leak fire streaming behind concord just after takeoff at DeGaulle airport. One hundred plus deaths.
Interesting. Navy is necessarily thorough, as you say. In the case of average runways, though, I think the issue isn't loose debris as much as the rubber getting embedded in the tarmac and building up to make it slick. So different issues, but both ones that need constant attention to.
I could just see dozens of people walking a 12K or more runway several times a day. How would you or the person who posted this to start with ever suggest how often to do it on those? With and AC landing every few minutes on many of them? Am sure they check quite often or do a full sweep when possible.
