Airport Engineering

Airport Engineering
The planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance of facilities provided for the landing and takeoff, loading and unloading, service, maintenance, and storage of aircraft.

 Concern of Civil Engineer

Civil Engineers are concerned with airports and allied facilities right from feasibility study to maintenance, renovation and extension

Concern of Transportation Engineer

His concern is much more. He should also possess sufficient knowledge of air traffic and airport elements affecting air traffic.

International Aviation Organizations

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Civil Aviation
is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial.

ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN Specialized Agency, is the global forum for civil aviation. ICAO works to achieve its vision of safe, secure and sustainable development of civil aviation through cooperation amongst its member States.

IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered.

Mission
IATAs stated mission is to represent, lead and serve the airline industry.All the Airline rules and regulations are defined by IATA.The main aim of IATA is to provide safe and secure transportation to its passengers.

CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (CAA) History a. Aviation matter were handled by Civil Aviation Department since independence till an autonomous and regulatory body created in December 1982 to handle all matters related to civil aviation in Pakistan. b. CAA ensures conformity to the standards laid down by the international civil aviation organization (ICAO).

CAA - Mission
To provide, for the promotion and regulation of civil aviation activities and to develop an infrastructure for safe, efficient, adequate, economical and properly coordinated civil air transport service in Pakistan

CAA - Functions
Plans and develops airport infrastructure ahead of demand. Enforces high performance standards for efficiency and service in airport operations. Promotes and facilitates the development of air cargo industries. Promotes safe and efficient commercial aviation, in a competitive environment.

CAA - Functions
Develops services and aviation infrastructure. Provides air traffic control service to ensure a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of aircraft movements within the Pakistan flight information regions. Provide search and rescue.

CAA - Functions
Regulate the operations of Pakistan registered aircraft. Ensure the certification and surveillance activities of all Pakistani operators. Certification of aviation training centres. Regulates / monitor general aviation activities.

CAA - Functions
Ensure airworthiness of all civil aircrafts, certification and surveillance of aircraft engineering activities. Regulates the operation of aerospace industries. Ensures medical fitness of all operational personnel. Advises the government on matters related to civil aviation authority.

DEFINITIONS
Aerodrome A defined area on land or water (including any building, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part of the arrival, departure and surface movement of aircraft. Aeroplane Reference Field Length. The minimum field length required for takeoff at maximum certified takeoff mass, sea level, standard atmospheric conditions, still air and zero runway slope, as shown in appropriate aeroplane flight manual. Apron/Ramp. A defined area, on a land aerodrome, intended to accommodate aircraft for purpose of loading or unloading passenger, mail or cargo, fuelling, parking or maintenance.

DEFINITIONS

DEFINITIONS
Aircraft Stand. A designated area on an apron intended to be used for parking of an aircraft.

Clearway. A defined rectangular area on ground or water under the control of appropriate authority selected or prepared as a suitable area over which an aeroplane may make a portion of its initial climb to a specified height.

DEFINITIONS
Runway. A defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for a landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runway Strip. A defined area including the runway and stop way if provided intended to reduce the risk of damage to aircraft running off a runway and to protect once flying over it during landing or takeoff. Taxiway. A defined path on a land aerodrome established for taxiing of aircraft and intended to provide a link between one part of an aerodrome to another.

DEFINITIONS

DEFINITIONS
Taxiway Strip. An area including a taxiway intended to protect an aircraft operating on a taxiway and to reduce the risk of damage to an aircraft accidentally running off the taxiway. Threshold. The beginning of that portion of runway useable for landing. Touchdown Zone. The portion of runway beyond the threshold where it is intended that the landing aeroplanes first contact the runway.

DEFINITIONS

AERODROME DATA
Aerodrome Reference Point. The designated geographical location of an aerodrome is called Aerodrome Reference Point. It is mentioned in degrees, minutes and seconds in world geodetic system.

AERODROME DATA
Aerodrome Elevation. It is the elevation of the highest point of the landing area with reference to mean sea level. Aerodrome Reference Temperature. It is mentioned in degrees Celsius i.e. CO which is the monthly mean of daily maximum temperatures for the hottest month (month having the highest monthly mean temperature) of the year, averaged over a period of many years.

AIRCRAFT CHARACTERISTICS AND IMPORTANT AERONAUTICAL TERMS

Principal Characteristics
A general knowledge of aircrafts is essential in planning facilities for their use.

Weight.
It has a bearing on thickness of runway, taxiway and apron pavements. It also affects the length of runway but it is not valid to assume large aircraft weights require longer runway length.

Principal Characteristics
Wing Span and Fuselage Length. It is a general function of aircraft weight. It has a bearing on gate size in aircraft stand, configuration of terminal building, width of taxiways and runways, distance between traffic ways, turning radius on curves etc. Instead of increase in fuselage length, multi deck are being preferred

Principal Characteristics

Fuselage

Principal Characteristics
Passenger Capacity. This has a direct bearing on facilities to be provided on land and airside on airports. Length of runway. It increases the area to be acquired if not already done in initial stages. The increase is not in runway length only but in all allied requirements and linked structures.

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Engine type and Thrust
Turbo-propeller refers to propeller driven aircrafts powered by turbine engines of earlier aircrafts. Turbojet engines are not dependent on propellers for thrust but obtain thrust directly from turbine. These have been discarded in favour of turbofans, which are more economical. Turbofan is turbo jet with blades (fans).

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Performance
Engine performance is measured in Specific Fuel Consumption (lb/ hour/ lb) i.e. fuel weight consumed per hour per pound of thrust. Volume unit is not used being variable with altitude. Consumption depends upon speed, weight, altitude etc. Practically it is different for taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise and land.

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Turning Radii It is a function of nose gear steering angle. Can be 60 to 80 degrees but more than 50 degrees is not recommended because of excessive wear of tires. Knowledge is necessary to determine aircraft position near the terminal building and geometry of movement paths elsewhere.

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Wing Tip Vortices
These are made up of two counter rotating cylindrical air masses, wing span apart.

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Wing Tip Vortices
These move down and in direction of wind and settle more quickly for heavier aircrafts.

Large Aircraft Characteristics

Wing Tip Vortices
Distance between parallel runways is designed keeping this in view as well. It affects the capacity and strategy of operations. Smaller aircraft landing path is above larger aircraft to eliminate the effect of wing tip vortices.

Components of Aircraft Weight

OPERATING EMPTY WEIGHT (OEW) includes basic aircraft weight, crew and necessary gear weights (excluding payload and fuel) ZERO FUEL WEIGHT (ZFW), weight above which all additional weight must be of fuel PAY LOAD (PL) is total revenue-producing load and includes weight of mail, cargo and passengers and their baggage.

Components of Aircraft Weight

MAXIMUM STRUCTURAL PAY LOAD (MSPL), the load aircraft is certified to carry.
MSPL = ZFW - OEW PL < MSPL

MAXIMUM RAMP WEIGHT (MRW) maximum weight authorized for ground manoeuvres including taxi and run up fuel weight.

Components of Aircraft Weight

MAXIMUM STRUCTURAL TAKE OFF WEIGHT (MSTOW) Weight at brake release for takeoff. Includes taxi and run up fuel and includes OEW, trip and reserve fuel and PL. MAXIMUM STRUCTURAL LANDING WEIGHT (MSLW), structural capability of aircraft at landing.

Components of Aircraft Weight

On landing weight of an aircraft is the sum of operating empty weight, the pay load, and fuel reserve. The landing weight can not exceed the maximum structural landing weight of the air craft. Total Aircraft Weight = OEW + PL + Trip Fuel + Reserve Fuel

Payload and Range

Distance to which aircraft can fly is referred as range. Main factor influencing range is pay load; revenue producing load. Other factors are route, altitude, speed, wind and reserve fuel. Normally the range is increased by decreasing pay load with the weight trade off occurring between the fuel to fly to destination and the payload which can be carried.

Payload and Range

Payload and Range

Point A represents the range Ra to which an aircraft can fly with maximum payload Pa. Aircraft takes off at MSTOW. Point B represents the maximum range Rb to which an aircraft can fly but payload is to be reduced to Pb so that the aircraft takes off at MSTOW.

 Therefore to extend the distance of travel from Ra to Rb the payload has to be reduced in favour of adding more fuel. Point C represents the maximum distance that an aircraft can fly without any payload. Sometimes this is referred to as the ferry range, and it is used, if necessary, for delivery of aircraft. To travel this distance Rc the maximum amount of fuel is necessary, but since there is no payload, the takeoff weight is less than maximum.

Payload and Range

Payload and Range

In some cases the maximum structural landing weight may dictate how long an aircraft can fly with a maximum structural payload. If this is the case, line DE represents the trade off between payload and range; curve would then follow line DEBC instead of ABC. The actual payload, particularly in passenger aircraft, is normally less than the maximum structural payload even when the aircraft is completely full. This is due to the limitation in the use of space when passengers are carried.