Aviation operations in austere enviroments

    Operating aircraft out of austere locations can pose quite a few challenges. Runway surface, wind, air quality and contents (dust), and the lack of infrastructure. Specifically, I will be talking about how a poor runway surface affects aircraft performance and what steps can be taken to mitigate the effects.

    As learned in the PHAK (chapter 11), runway conditions affect aircraft performance substantially. Surface type, gradient, muddy or wet ground all play a factor on the ability to land and takeoff an aircraft from these locations. Many austere locations feature uneven dirt runways with lots of foreign objects on them. As surface friction is much lower on dirt than asphalt or concrete, not as much braking power can be utilized at the wheels to prevent skidding. Also, the less solid ground means that the aircraft's load needs to be lower to ensure that it will not sink into the soft ground if it rains. 


(U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

    Two mitigation strategies for combating the challenges are adding more tires and thrust reversers. An aircraft that takes these both to heart is the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. Because of the plane's planned operating environment, Boeing designed the plane with 18 large tires, to spread the heavy cargo load that it is capable of taking, allowing it to apply less pressure to any single point on the ground. Next, Boeing designed the powerplants to be fitted with thrust reversers, so that task of slowing the plane down can be spread to the engines. Reducing the work of the brakes increased the performance on wet and soft ground as it reduces the chances of skidding. 

References:
C-17 Globemaster III. U.S. Air Force. (2018, May 14). Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/1529726/c-17-globemaster-iii/.

FAA. (2016, August 24). Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. FAA.gov. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/. 

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