Originally Posted by
PoppaJo
Many GA airports in the US have more infrastructure (yes even the ability to handle a 787) vs half the third world stuff we have here. I really do laugh when all our airports put out statements regarding new taxiways and stronger surfaces as "game changing". Most of the world has had this game changing standard for 20 years. They build the taxiway riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight to the runways end. We seem to get lost three quarters down and call it a day. Sunny Coast is an embarrassment.
The problem stems from a particular combination of airport owners who, having been handed the keys to vast tracts of prime commercial real estate by the federal government many moons ago, simply don't know what they're doing ("What's a taxiway? Don't you mean the entry ramp to the carpark?!?") engaging large engineering consulting firms who also don't know what they're doing ("Does that taxiway really need to go right to the end? If we stop it here instead, there'll be more money for car parking").
It seems they're a bit more familiar with aircraft and airports in the US since most folks over there know what they're used for (a hint: no, it's not car parking).