Post 2 - Environmental Factor - Wet Runways

 Hi Class,

This week I wanted to look more closely into landing performance on wet runways. As we read this week in our readings, wet runways can be extremely detrimental to the landing performance of aircraft. The two major factors that need to be considered is first, braking effectiveness. Braking effectiveness is the percentage of power that the pilot needs to apply to the brakes without allowing the aircraft to skid. When the runway is wet, there is a risk of dynamic hydroplaning, which is when the runway is covered with a layer of water that the wheels ‘ride’ on, leaving them unable to experience the friction of the runway and unable to brake effectively (“Aircraft Performance”, 2008, p. 11-1-11-28). 

Southwest Take Off | A wet runway and a fast aircraft.. nice… | Flickr

Even if there is not a full coating of water on the runway, the water present can still prevent effective braking. One way that this risk can be decreased or mitigated is the use of grooved runways at airports, which is considered one of the best options. Not only does a grooved surface provide a better surface for creating friction with the wheels to slow them down, but it is also a way to prevent water layers on the runway surface. Drying times of runways have also been found to decrease (Dispenza, 2019). But these runways often have to be regularly maintained, as the busier the runway, the more rubber is built up within the grooves. The rubber build up can greatly interfere with the effectiveness of the grooves in creating friction, so friction during breaking can become more difficult. (Martin, 2020).

File:Pista Congonhas03.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Wet runways can definitely play a large role in aircraft performance, particularly during landing. Many larger airports are working to add grooves into their runway for safety, but it must be considered that regular maintenance. But it is something that must be done, as rain and snow won’t wait for the planes! :)


References 

Aircraft performance. (2008). In Pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowledge (pp. 11-1-11-28). U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration. 

Dispenza, K. (2019, April 15). Runway grooving: A good solution takes off. AviationPros. Retrieved November 21, 2021, from https://www.aviationpros.com/aoa/runway-management/taxiway-ramp-maintenance-training/article/12433064/runway-grooving-a-good-solution-takes-off 

Martin, S. (2020, January 2). How runway surface and slope affect your airplane's performance. bold method. Retrieved November 21, 2021, from https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/performance/runway-surface-and-slope/ 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Air Traffic Control Entities - TRACON (Approach) & ARTCC (En-Route)

Image
When thinking about air traffic control within the world of aviation, most people quickly associate it with air traffic controllers who are on location - up in the control tower overlooking the airport. But that is definitely not the extent of air traffic control! Without a doubt, tower controllers have an important job, but there are two other main ATC entities that also make huge contributions to the safety of our skies. These entities include the TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) and the 'en-route' ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Centers). Today, we will look into these two entities to consider the roles they play in keeping the National Airspace System safe and keeping flights on time.  ARTCC - Air Route Traffic Control Centers There are 22 different ARTCC facilities representing different sectors across the U.S. Within each facility's designated sector, the sectors are further divided for different air traffic controllers to manage each area. As an aircraft fli...
Read more

Aviation and Transportation Security Act

Image
     Without a doubt, September 11 of 2001 was a day that changed the world forever. It shook millions upon millions around the world and left the aviation community in shock and pain. Therefore, the actions taken after 9/11 played a large role in shaping the aviation world that we know today. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act was introduced in U.S. Congress on September 21st and became law on November 19th of 2001 (Aviation and Transportation, 2001).      Within this legislation came many changes to the aviation industry, namely advancements in security. From this Act came the idea of TSA with "day-to-day Federal security screening operations for passenger air transportation" being noted (Aviation and Transportation, 2001, Section 101). Screening required that ANYTHING, whether that be people or objects, had to pass through a security screening before being released into the secure area of an airport to prevent weapons or terrorists from even ge...
Read more

Human Factors & Crew Resource Management

Image
      Humans play a massive role in the aviation industry. Therefore, human decisions and actions are naturally extremely important when it comes to many different situations within aviation. Humans and their impact when making decisions or taking actions within their job in aviation are considered human factors. Or, as the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority describes, "issues whether personal, social, environment or organization that affect how people perform tasks in their work reductions" (Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, n.d., para. 1). One of the most important  considerations within aviation human factors is the concept of human error and looking into how the risk of error can be reduced in the future. (Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, n.d.).     One of the areas that work to address the reduction of human error within aviation, particularly amongst the flight crew, is crew resource management (CRM). Crew resource managem...
Read more