Developing a runway

[sugam]

Dear PPRuNers

I'm in the initial stages of planning a real estate development project wherein I intend to develop a luxury residential colony on a tropical island that would be designed on the lines of an Airpark.

I intend to have a common shared runway for the residents, who would be wealthy businessmen who own a private jet and arrive on it.

They would then be able to park their aircrafts in a hangar attached to their homes.

I understand that runways at commercial airports are atleast 6000 - 8000 feet long and am trying to figure out the length of an ideal runway for business jets.

Would really appreciate help from people on here in trying to figure out the length with which I would then try and figure out the cost of developing such a runway.

Thanks in advance!

[john_tullamarine]

A little more to it than that, I suggest. Thread probably better in Tech Log where there are some airport design experts.

[mgahan]

Hi,

As JT says, it is a bit complex and distance is not the only issue.
I have a paper on the topic I'd be happy to share under some conditions. I've also a couple of associates who could assist. PM me.

A word of advice, from much experience: consultants only appear costly until you start working on an aviation project and have to call one or more in to "fix it". I work mainly on airside operations and procedures and professionally prefer to do this before people start laying concrete and asphalt: the bank manager prefers that I only start work when the batching plant is in place and the layout is set (literally) in concrete.

And as my grandfather used to say, "You can not demand quality when you have not paid for it."

MJG

[enicalyth]

Who will grant authority? If it is British Overseas Territory it will be done through ASSI.

[aterpster]

sugam:

I understand that runways at commercial airports are atleast 6000 - 8000 feet long and am trying to figure out the length of an ideal runway for business jets.

As the other two knowledgeable gentleman have said runway length is just one of many, many factors. If you were building an air park for light airplanes, it can be an easy undertaking. But, not so with business aviation jets. In that case it is somewhat like building a small airline airport. In addition to length and width there are load bearing issues, clearway issues, etc. And, there is the issue of having instrument approach and departure capability, which requires an airspace and obstacle assessment and related surveys.

As to the first basic question you ask, I can say that a runway of 6,000' length with a 75' width (100' preferable) is adequate for long-range biz jet operations. But, again, 7,000' would be preferable.

Bottom line: you need the planning and work done by experts who actually build runways/airports.

[g450cpt]

You stated the wealthy business men could taxi to their hangars attached to their homes. Well since most business jets are crewed by professional pilots, where are you going to have crew accommodations? I'm pretty sure the boss doesn't want the hired help living it up in the same house. Also with all of these attached hangars, have you thought about apu and takeoff noise? I doubt if a guy has enough cash to afford his own jet that has the range to whisk him to a tropical island, will want to listen to all of his neighbors' airplanes. There are plenty of other concerns for your development but these are two examples of what you will run up against.

[wanabee777]

Contact John Travolta or his agent.

He was asked to leave Spruce Creek.

[TCAS FAN]

If you are at this stage carrying out a feasibility study, ascertain what the market will need provide for. Determine the types of aircraft that might need to use the runway. Then go on line and determine what runway length is necessary for near sea level operations with the temperatures that you would expect, and what take-off landing weights are expected.

Determine who the civil aviation regulatory authority to determine whether they comply with ICAO Annex 14 Standards and Recommended Practices, if not what are their differences. Then get yourself a copy of Annex 14 Part 1 from the ICAO website. Annex 14 will give you the basic runway dimensions and what adjacent areas have to be free of obstacles.

If you have any general questions PM me. I'm just an hour drive away.

Caution there are a lot of cowboys out there who will be happy to take your money for dubious advice.

[Piltdown Man]

The runway length is not your problem. Your nemeses are the people you will be selling to. Wealthy people who fly their own planes are a menace. They insist that they are the only people on Earth who know what they are doing. Unfortunately they are not as good as they think they are. They are brilliant at stealing cash the likes of you and me but they don't fly enough to be good at it. They like ripping people off too much. If you build a 4,000M runway, 60M wide and they miss, it's your problem. Unless you specify who can operate into and out of your strip then you'll be destitute by the end of the first week as your rapacious clients attempt to their aircraft on your strip. The human inside of me says make your strip slightly too small and slightly too narrow to make safe operations possible. Make it so that they take at least one other greedy grasper out whenever they foul up.

Best of luck!

PM

[oggers]

I can't tell you the ideal lenght of runway but I can tell you that I lived on an airpark for a while that was home to 4 jets and the runway was only 5000'.

[Phileas Fogg]

The weight (LW/TOW) of the aircraft determines the length of runway it needs, i.e. a B737-800 fully loaded with passengers and fuel needs a significantly longer runway that a B737-800 with just a couple of posh tarts aboard.

6000' should be a long enough runway, regardless of exec jets most (lightly) laden) airliners should be able to get in and out on that, just look at what Bristol Lulsgate achieves with just 6,598' and they go in/out, perhaps, fully loaded there!