Tuesday, September 20
If you are flying to or from CHO today there is a good chance you will be flying in the rain. What you may not notice is that the 6000 foot runway you’re using has grooves.
The purpose of grooving is to help shed water from the runway to eliminate hydroplaning. The grooves also present a rougher surface to aircraft tires, increasing traction. This results in shorter braking distance of aircraft on wet pavement. According to the FAA and from our own observations, grooved surfaces drastically reduce all types of skids on runways during inclement weather such as rain or snow. Next time you fly out of CHO, take a look at the runway. You won’t see anything as groovy on the road.
Stay tuned to learn how CHO handles snow!
Thursday, September 1
Station 9 is owned and operated by the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport Authority and includes a full complement of personnel, equipment and apparatus designed to provide state-of-the-art fire rescue services to the passengers, employees and visitors of the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO). Station 9 activities include mitigation of and response to structural and aircraft fires, as well as response to medical emergencies, fuel spills and other airport related emergencies at and immediately adjacent to the airport.
The firefighters at CHO conduct training monthly and are held to federal guidelines regarding Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting. Like many small commercial airports, CHO’s Station 9 crew has other responsibilities. Currently, the airport maintenance employees and public safety officers are trained as firefighters, first responders and EMT’s.
The rescue equipment used at CHO is designed for emergencies on an airfield and is built for speed, water-carrying capacity, off-road performance and fast agent discharge rates. Unlike traditional fire trucks, airport rescue vehicles are also designed to pump water and move at the same time. Each of CHO’s 3 trucks can shoot foam, water or a dry chemical depending on the type of hazard. The goal is to put out 80 percent of a fire before a member of station 9 ever steps foot on the ground.
Click Here to See Our Station 9: Airport Firefighters Photo Set on Flickr
