Airport snow removal

[M20F-1968]

This is sort of Mooney talk given our 35' low wing aircraft.  Does anyone know what the FAA mandatory obstruction free area to either side of a GA airport runway is.  The airport I am thinking of is both State and Federally funded.  I am thinking about snow removal where the airport has 6 foot piles of snow immediately adjacent to the run way.  I though that there needed to be a protected zone of some width (? 25 -50 ft) where the only thing in the airspace above the runway allowed were items needed for navigation and operations.

I would like to hear your experiences with this one. 

John Breda

[Marauder]

This is sort of Mooney talk given our 35' low wing aircraft.  Does anyone know what the FAA mandatory obstruction free area to either side of a GA airport runway is.  The airport I am thinking of is both State and Federally funded.  I am thinking about snow removal where the airport has 6 foot piles of snow immediately adjacent to the run way.  I though that there needed to be a protected zone of some width (? 25 -50 ft) where the only thing in the airspace above the runway allowed were items needed for navigation and operations.

I would like to hear your experiences with this one. 

John Breda

John -- I spent years in Buffalo and I don't recall any requirement for snow removal. The airports that are serious about snow removal all use blowers attached to full sized plow trucks.

The snow we had here resulted in NOTAMs about taxiways being closed and warnings of high snow drifts. Chester County airport which is just north of me had an announcement on the ASOS instructing planes with wing spans greater than 50' needed to back taxi on the runway to the taxiway that was wide enough.

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[Hank]

Runways were never a problem, but I've been to airports where the lights were at the taxiway edges, going under both wings. Real high lights, so they would be visible after it snowed in Ohio. I was nervous there even in June.

[carusoam]

 

I'm not familiar with a requirement to clear beyond the edge of the runway.  I did a U-turn at our MSC on their 75' wide runway (four years ago).  That was pretty tight but doable. The deep piles of snow on the side were too much for the Mooney wings.

I believe the rule is line up on the left side, and turn toward the right for shortest turn radius.

turning limits for the O are 11° left and 13° right.  Check your POH under ground handling to see if it is different.  The towing paragraph is really clear about this limitation variation.

My third attempt to answer one of John's questions today.  Close, yet not so much...

Best regards,

-a-

[jrwilson]

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/advisory_circular/150-5200-30C/150_5200_30C.pdf

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[jrwilson]

Pg 24 looks like it had something useful at first glance

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[Hank]

Nope, nothing given in my Owners Manual. Maybe it's on the Type Certificate?

But yes, it does turn right better than left. Turning to back taxi on a 75' runway is something I did before takeoff and after landing for the first six years of ownership. The wingtips certainly extended well beyond the asphalt on both sides, though. Seems barely over 50' of asphalt was required, left main on the edge, throttle to idle, full right rudder, no brakes.

With 6' snowbanks, put the left wingtip as close to it as possible, hopefully partially over it, throttle to idle, full right rudder, add some right brake, add some throttle, add more right brake, watch the left wingtip. If too close, stop, shut down and use the towbar to push back and forth. The best option is to not fly that day, or if already flying, to land somewhere else.

[N201MKTurbo]

Back in the 80s I was based at 01V outside of Denver. For a while the airport had no operator. A bunch of us got together and ordered a tank of gas for the pumps. Once in the winter I had to hire a snow plow to plow from my plane to the runway and plow the runway. Cost me a couple of hundred bucks! 

You all got nothing to complain about.

[carusoam]

According to JRW's fine document and it's figures 4-1 and 2...

Up to a 3' snow bank out to 33' from the edge of the runway ( as defined by runway lights) is acceptable.  The drawing showed the snow as tall as the standard runway light rising up to 3' over the distance.

The document also defined how many operations per year the airport needed to have to need this particular guidance.

That would require some specialized snow handling equipment to plow off the top leaving 3' of snow below, out to 33' away...

My airport has some big plows and bucket trucks / front-end loaders to clear all the paved surfaces.  Beyond the edges of the runway seems to be more of a challenge.

The guidance also offered time required/allowed to clear the snow, which would be important if it had just snowed overnight and you want to land at the effected airport.

Best regards,

-a-