Airport Closure - What is Adequate Notification for Based Aircraft?

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kyleb

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For planned runway maintenance forcing the closure of an airport, what would you consider adequate notice to the owners of aircraft based at the field?

Is a notice on the FBO door a couple of days ahead of time reasonable?

How about a notice at the FBO a few weeks ahead of time? Is that adequate?

Would you expect a phone call or a letter a week or two in advance?

What's reasonable?

After a few comments, I'll come back and explain what's happening at my home field...
 
Last place near here that did that had the taxiway designated as a temporary runway and it was business as usual (well.. VFR.. but). If its something that is non-emergent, and was a bid job, mandating total closure I would expect at least a months notice and written correspondence to my address of record. Simply because planned outages like this take time to bid, award and plan... a month is perfectly reasonable.

Now.. cant say I expect people to actually BE reasonable.. but thats what I'd expect.
 
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Please explain what's happening. We do runway projects of all sizes, and it seems like no two are the same.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Please explain what's happening. We do runway projects of all sizes, and it seems like no two are the same.
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Sure. There are a couple of things going on construction wise. They are taking infrastructure to the undeveloped side of the runway to prep for development. I believe they are running a sewer under the runway and paving a new turnoff for the far side of the runway.

The issue I have is the communication (or lack thereof) and the lack of any opportunity for the pilot community to have input on when this would happen.

The summary of the communications about this is as follows. Last week, I dropped by the airport mid-week to grab something and found a sign posted on the FBO door "Airport closed for construction this Saturday and Sunday". So I changed my weekend plans. Today, I went by the airport again. Another notice on the FBO door - "Last weekend's construction was cancelled, now the field and runway will be closed *this* weekend." So that's two weekends in a row bolloxed on very short notice.

As I explained to one of the Airport Authority Board members this evening. I understand construction and scheduled maintence. Been there, done that. What I expect as the owner of an aircraft based at the field is some opportunity for input into what dates will be chosen for the closure AND a reasonable notice once the dates are established. For instance, it would have really helped if they had posted something 2 months ago in anticipation of a runway closure sometime in early spring. That way, everyone could have been aware of the situation, could have followed up for more specific info, and then could have made contingency plans if necessary. Beyond that, once the specific dates were chosen, they should have made an effort by phone or mail to reach all of the owners so nobody would be caught flat footed.

In my case, I'm wondering what I'm gonna do with my airplane when I get back from SnF this Sunday and the field is closed. Worse, my wife will be out of town, so that really screws me when it comes to the logistics of getting home (my car will be in my hangar), and relocating the airplane back to my home field later in the week.:mad2:

By the way, the runway is almost 6,000' and the work is being done at about the 4,000' mark. Most of the GA types would have no problem operating on the last 3,000', but neither that or operating from the taxiway were offered as options.
 
Our runway was closed about 30 days for resurfacing with 3-4 days notice. The taxiway was deliberately obstructed to prevent takeoffs and landings.

Rage ensued.
 
I've dealt with runway construction at my home base before, but they really did a good minimizing the pain to everyone. The project started the day after I got my PPL. They kept the runway open the whole time during the project, they just swapped which half we got to use and the length varied a bit. The only time it was completely closed was for painting the markings when it was all done. Communication was handled very well, emails, letters to the house, posted on the doors at the airport, and website. And to top things off, they finished a month or two ahead of schedule. The only downside to the whole thing was no night time operations. All the lights were out of service for duration of the project, but we knew about that and could plan around it.
 
ADS had a major reconstruction project on the runway last year; it was a pain, but the process was publicized in a number of highly-visible ways, including email blasts to all airport users (who subscribed to the free email news list), signs posted, visits to clubs and informational meetings. Notice was out many weeks in advance, and progress updates were continually posted on the web site, with photos.

It sucked, but needed to be done and the airport sponsor did everything reasonably possible to ensure that airport users were on notice.
 
Did they file a NOTAM?

KAPA is going to have major construction this Spring. Big runway closed to build run-up areas. It'll be fun to watch the jets using 35L/17R.

Touch-and-goes/pattern work requests will typically be denied during single runway ops.

They started communicating this early in the Winter and will probably continue to do so. Significant factor is weather. They need high enough overnight temperatures for the concrete to cure properly.

Additional closures to widen the "dead" area around the short runway are also planned later, which will allow more leeway during grass mowing ops along that runway.
 
SCCutler said:
ADS had a major reconstruction project on the runway last year; it was a pain, but the process was publicized in a number of highly-visible ways, including email blasts to all airport users (who subscribed to the free email news list), signs posted, visits to clubs and informational meetings. Notice was out many weeks in advance, and progress updates were continually posted on the web site, with photos.

It sucked, but needed to be done and the airport sponsor did everything reasonably possible to ensure that airport users were on notice.
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Addison did a good job of keeping people informed on their website. It was initially MillionAir who told us about the upcoming construction since they know we are a frequent transient visitor.
 
We had major construction at OLM a year or three ago and the community was kept well informed on what what happening and when. A simple notice on the FBO door would have resulted in our storming the airport office, but they did a fine job of communicating what was happening and providing alternates.
 
Have you tried calling the manager, explaining your situation and asking for permission to land on the end of the runway or taxiway? Sometimes it's as easy as asking.
 
Old Geek said:
Our runway was closed about 30 days for resurfacing with 3-4 days notice. The taxiway was deliberately obstructed to prevent takeoffs and landings.

Rage ensued.
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30 days to resurface a runway? The airport manager and whoever was responsible for procurement should be fired.

Ours is getting resurfaced this spring (3200x75') and the airport manager is talking about 2 days shut down; weekdays so the impact on the flight schools will be less.
 
Henning said:
Have you tried calling the manager, explaining your situation and asking for permission to land on the end of the runway or taxiway? Sometimes it's as easy as asking.
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Certainly a consideration. I've had that discussion with a couple of the "right" people, who weren't uncomfortable with it. But the airport manager's OK does not overide a Notam, so if someone wanted to make an issue of it...

The plan is to contact the FBO on Sunday to see how the construction crew is doing, then plan accordingly. There is the chance that they will finish early. Of course, the construction crews will be on double time on Sunday, so they may not be motivated to finish early.
 
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kyleb said:
Certainly a consideration. I've had that discussion with a couple of the "right" people, who weren't uncomfortable with it. But the airport manager's OK does not overide a Notam, so if someone wanted to make an issue of it...

The plan is to contact the FBO on Sunday to see how the construction crew is doing, then plan accordingly. There is the chance that they will finish early. Of course, the construction crews will be on double time on Sunday, so they may not be motivated to finish early.
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Incorrect, according to the FARs, only the airport manager can over ride. They are empowered to give the instruction," you go ahead and do what you gotta do and I'll meet you with the fuel truck and chocks." which is typically the response I get if I need to make an odd request like landing on the ramp straight into the lee of a hangar in 70 kt winds in West TX lol. Flying pipeline can get interesting weather wise, but I always made it through except for 3 times the low clouds were so dense I couldn't get out of my driveway lol.
 
My airport closed its rwy a year or two ago. The two FBOs emailed everyone in their records. I was a renter so I got word that way. I don't know how or if they notified the owners of aircraft based there.

The construction project was to repair a bucked rwy section on one end. They left the rwy open during the day, with a displaced threshold, then closed it overnight for work. This lasted a couple of weeks, maybe a month, but the impact to traffic was minimal - unless you didn't bother to check the notams and then tried to land at night when the only rwy was closed.
 
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