[rumrunner]

I don't understand why at the forward base where geraldo is, that the engineers haven't made a concrete base yet to alleviate the problem of sand swirling with the rotors.

[Henchster]

How about a simple tarp system for each landing pad? OK, a very LARGE and THICK tarp, and nailed down deep, but I would think that would be very easy to pack, transport, install, and remove and pack in a hurry.

Just think of the dust/sand they would save from kicking up, and the maintenance saved because of it, and the bleesing it would be to the nearby troops....

[Robert A Cook PE]

Concrete (or asphalt) covering for a runway, and taxiways, and ground stands (all are blown-sand sources from helicopters) takes LOTS of material, surface prep work (or the impact detroys the new pavement) and tons and tons of equipment, men, and secondary supplies.

(Extra rations, fuel, eqpt, and security for the people running the eqpt doing the paving, plus the tons of the paving eqpt itself. Anything shipped to do paving is something else that NOT SHIPPED to front-line units.)