Spectators Balcony (Spotters Corner)If you're not a professional pilot but want to discuss issues about the job, this is the best place to loiter. You won't be moved on by 'security' and there'll be plenty of experts to answer any questions.
The fire vehicles will crash through the gates out of the airport to get to a crash site just off the airport. Do NOT park in front of it, they will not ask you to move, and 50 tonnes of fire engine will not notice your car disappear underneath it.
Usually the airport authority will unlock them prior to the arrival of the outside safety services.
No they won't. terrain safe is entirely correct. Crash gates are to allow the airport RFFS to get out.
Outside safety services will report to the designated rendezvous point first and be deployed to the accident / incident inside the fence as required. There will only be one or two RVPs dependent on the airport layout and the message alerting outside services will inform them which one to go to. The RVPs could be at a crash gate in which case they would be manned pretty quickly, but most RVPs are at points that are already manned, quite often the fire station
However, there will be many more crash gates around the airfield.
I know Schiphol actually has 3 RVPs. They are called UGS in dutch and are signposted everywhere around the airport. Also see this link (in dutch) from the fire service: Brandweer Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
I know Schiphol actually has 3 RVPs. They are called UGS in dutch and are signposted everywhere around the airport. Also see this link (in dutch) from the fire service: Brandweer Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
I love how Dutch agencies just put a whackload of information out there
I bow to Suzeman's better knowledge. However, Donnlass's link provides this little gem: "It may seem obvious but if someone forgets it may mean the emergency services cannot access the airfield if there's an emergency."
i used to work at a large chemical works,we had similar crash gates around the site for emergency vehicles,and if need's be a fire engine could drive straight through them,after all a small padlock aint gonna stop a 50 ton fire engine. however it might struggle to barge down the steel girders that now form a barrier on the airside at man. perhaps the airport fire crew's and local fire brigades carry a small key with them to open the padlock,or failing that some bolt cutter's.
Last edited by purplehelmet; 9th Oct 2012 at 09:58.
Additionally, the hinges on the gates are built such that they will break more readily when driven into by the airport's fire engine exiting in an emergency. The reason being that less momentum, and hence time, is lost when rushing to the scene of a crash outside the airport perimeter.
Interesting. During 31 years working at a major airport I knew of only one off-airport incident requiring the airport fire service to attend. On the other hand, emergencies requiring attendance by outside safety services were not unusual occurrences...
Additionally, the hinges on the gates are built such that they will break more readily when driven into by the airport's fire engine exiting in an emergency. The reason being that less momentum, and hence time, is lost when rushing to the scene of a crash outside the airport perimeter.
So are they not designed to allow emergency vehicles access onto the runway in case of an accident from outside the airport, only to allow them out of the airport in case an aircraft comes down outside the perimeter?
However, in the event of an incident it is more critical for the Airport Crash Tenders to get to the incident site in a hurry as First Rescue Response with the appropriate fire-fighting media, specialist training and equipment for dealing with aircraft fires than for Local Authority who do not have the specialist aircraft fire fighting and rescue equipment or regular training in Aircraft fire and rescue techniques.
Speed is still of the essence for Local Authority however the primary function of the crash gates is to get the Airport Tenders to the site (as Local Authority Tenders are backup for Airport Tenders though LA Incident Command has primacy over Airport Incident Command)
Some of the gates at EGCC have substantial barriers on the airside, presumably to keep ram-raiders out. Do these barriers rise automatically, or is a 'chap with a key' involved?
So are they not designed to allow emergency vehicles access onto the runway in case of an accident from outside the airport, only to allow them out of the airport in case an aircraft comes down outside the perimeter?
They will open like a normal gate to let outside emergency services in, but, primarily it is to allow the airport's fire trucks out in a hurry.
(I'm feeling really dumb right now...)
