US goes for Arrestor Beds at end of runways. How about Essendon?

[Centaurus]

LaGuardia Airport will get a safety upgrade to slow and stop planes that overshoot the airport's two runways during landings or aborted takeoffs, the Port Authority announced yesterday.

The work will involve the installation of "arrestor beds," sometimes referred to as "flypaper for planes," that act like the "runaway truck ramps" seen on some steep highways.

Essendon Airport could do with these arrestor beds at the departure end of Runway 26 and 17 and 09. The overuns of grass at the southern end of 17 leads directly to a drop on to the Tullamarine Freeway and same grass problem with 26 where the Tullamarine freeway and tram rails tracks north/ south. Can't see it happening though because the thought is too progressive for Australia. A typical reply from the relevant airport authority would be they have never had an overun yet so why worry about the future.

[Sunfish]

Arrestor beds? Good idea anywhere there is jet traffic.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Cheap insurance...couple of thousand tonne of clean gravel as a last line of defense costs feckall compared to a worst case over run.

no real huge engineering just dig out a bed and fill it with gravel.

[Flying Binghi]

...Essendon Airport could do with these arrestor beds at the departure end of Runway.....

Can't see it happening though because the thought is too progressive for Australia...

I dunno, the Singaporeans seem to think YMEN is a well run operation worth looking at. Not long ago havin a look-see fer some ideas..:)






.

[Jack Ranga]

Are you lot kidding?

First there would be a feasibility study. This would involve a fact finding tour, consultation with all stakeholders including anybody who has sat in the tramstop of the end of RWY26 for the possibility of PTSS. It would then involve a cost benefit study, then approval from all levels of government, local, state, federal. Three years tops.

It would then move to the environmental impact study stage. The spotted, yellow belly green frog would have to be relocated to a suitable habitat. The water table would have to be monitored for 3 years to assess trends, obtain a baseline for installation. 3.5 years tops.

It would then move to tender, it would be found that: nobody in Australia has the necessary expertise to..........dump a whole pile of rocks in the required fashion. Project delay while contractor applies to the government for 457 visa approval. 2 years tops.

Project halted as it is found there is a new and better way to manage runway under/overshoots: longer runways. A feasibility study begins on a 2nd Melbourne airport

[Ultralights]

are the arrestor beds made of gravel, or that new very light, foam like concrete that crushes under the aircraft weight?

[Oktas8]

Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) are constructed of gravel or sand or similar - although firm enough for fire vehicles to be supported.

The foam-like concrete is I think called an Engineered Material Arresting System, EMAS. It is an expensive option when there isn't enough space to build a RESA according to ICAO Standards. A relatively short distance of EMAS will provide the same deceleration as a longer, cheaper RESA.

One of the most effective devices to stop aircraft, is a AU/ADC: Airport User/Authority Deceleration System. Basically it's just a large thickness of shredded $100 notes, confiscated by an Authority from an Airport User with a complex system of rules and Legislative Instruments. Double-blind studies show conclusively that AU/ADC's are most effective when they are built with a foundation of shredded Legislative Instruments equal to twice the thickness of the basic AU/ADC itself.

Happy decelerating,
O8

[thorn bird]

Oktas, Jeez mate I nearly choked!!
That deserves a whole box of Kharons chocky frogs!!
I always thought an "Arrester bed" was one short sheeted lengthways for those "headache" nights!

[Aussie Bob]

Why bother at Essendon, it will be more stuff to clean up when it closes.

[thorn bird]

Na Bob, perfect base for the supermarket parking lot!!

[ANCPER]

You mean Essondon isn't a shopping centre/car park already, what's wrong, haven't they seen what can done a la Perth, Brisbane, Mel and Syd?

[thorn bird]

always room for another parking lot or supermarket mate, just rip up another runway.

[kabukiman]

The only thing stopping a runaway aircraft at the end of 17 in particular is a knee high concrete wall, given the size of some aircraft that fly into Essendon, if ever something went really badly wrong it could end up on the freeway like you said

It would have to happen before they spend the money installing new safety measures

[kabukiman]

They should build another Great Wall car dealer at the end of each runway

[emeritus]

For many years the chain link fence at the western end of 09/27 at EN sported a large cable attached halfway up the fence across where any a/c overrunning 27 would hit the fence.

There was never any reference to it in any docs I saw. It was removed not long after Tullamarine opened.

Emeritus