Posted on 12/27/2006 1:45:28 PM PST by george76
Snow removal a specialty of award-winning airfield.
the Little Airport That Could.
Centennial is an astonishing seven-time winner (plus one honorable mention) of a national snow-removal award for large general aviation airfields. That achievement gives it high-flying popularity among corporate-jetting executives who want to get where they're going quickly - and safely.
"We're clearly the airport of choice...
"Our crews know how to remove snow."
For the record: Along with most area airports, Centennial was shut down last week for about 27 hours...
What's the secret to Centennial's snow-sweeping success?
"Long before the snow starts to fly out here, they meet with all of of the major tenants," Olislagers said. "We go over the plan and we prioritize what we attack first...
There's a science to snow removal...
It's not just that Centennial is the second- busiest general aviation field - after one in Van Nuys, Calif. - in the nation.
With 325,000 takeoffs and landings last year (and a whopping 436,000 in 2000), it ranks among the top 25 airports for total takesoffs and landings in the U.S.
That's more than San Francisco International or JFK International in New York.
While DIA was still digging out last Friday, Centennial had one of its busiest days, as more than 1,000 corporate jets swarmed the airfield to pluck executives stranded in the Mile High City by the blizzard.
"Our folks take great, great pride in being open longer than most airports and shutting down for shorter periods of time," ...
(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...
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If you don't know where it's at, you could drive right by it. Its about 3 miles from my houwe.
Whats a Houwe?
I watched their operations from the double tree.
Lots of fun.
Sorry, I like some Freepers need "Mavis Beacon" to improve my typing skills.
I use to live there...its what Coloradans live in. It derives from the Native Indian expression "how are we", the plural of "how".
I am the father of the beeber I yam the king of typos and mispellings
I thought it was ebonics like houwe gonna get back to the hood
But on a series note that place has it snow removal down to the bone 435,000 tandl amazing
I live in the Springs and had no idear it was that busy.
He said he got hired too, because they gave his brother a really decrepit plow, and it needed a second person to hold it in gear.
Not at Centennial, but I have been in some of the big stuff.
They are very impressive.
For general aviation only, the numbers seem big.
The plows sweep the airstrip in a staggered formation, "each vehicle just behind and to the right of the other," so they "hand off" the plowed snow to one another until its pushed off the field, Olislagers said.
In heavy wet snow, the plows move more tightly together and make more passes to clear the weightier mass.
In fluffy powder, the plows spread out more, so they're not "just rearranging" the free-floating flakes.
So what is interesting, do they pull the staff in before the snow? They have much better business continuity plans it appears than most.
Next, do they have the ability to move in big jets, or just corporate jets?
Do we take a lesson from this: we need to move to smaller, local airports instead of the larger monsters?
For 13 years I worked for Airport Operations, overseeing the runways and taxiways for a medium size airport in the midwest. Without a doubt, the most difficult task the airport personnel have is snow removal. It's not just plowing the runways and taxiways. Advisories, known as Notams, must be issued showing the current snow condition of the runways and taxiways, how deep the snow is, whether it is frozen, blowing or slush, how wide the plowed areas are, and a test on the friction of the runway. With snow and high winds the conditions change by the minute and snow crews have to keep aware of everything. I have seen the crews plow a runway, have one aircraft land, and then have to go and re-plow the same runway to make it usable because of the blowing and drifting snow. Soon equipment starts to have maintenance problems and mechanics are needed. A good snow removal crew is worth their combined weight in gold. More than once I have bought our snow crews several dozen Krispy Kremes!!
Logistically, are we comparing apples to oranges in comparing Centennial to DIA?
I believe that more and smaller regional airports are best.
Not only for snow storm issues, but for many other reasons.
Many people go from one regional area to another. Going thru a big hub is a hassle and wastes many hours ( even in good weather ).
Often it is also cheaper to avoid the hub airport for the next town over airport.
"If you don't know where it's at, you could drive right by it. Its about 3 miles from my houwe."
I got a checkride when I moved to Colorado in 99' and the instructor had me touch and go at Centennial. Man, was I sweating when we left their airspace. I was used to flying in the boonies.
I flew recently, for the first time in 12 years, to the east coast.
First, DIA is so rushed that they didn't really check my carryon at security, and I felt like cattle being herded to market. Flew into Washington, then to my destination. On the way back, flew into Chicago. I had a 20 hour day on the way back; it was possibly one of the worst experiences I have ever had and talk about feeling helpless.
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