"Airside supervisors ensure runway safety"

Monday, October 23, 2006

Airside supervisors ensure runway safety
By Nicklaus Lovelady
The Henry (GA) Herald


When the midnight moon rises and the airplanes rest their wings, the runways
at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport belong to Tom Reinhardt.

Reinhardt, an airside operations supervisor, is one of the airport employees
tasked with ensuring the runways are safe to land on.

Once a week Reinhardt, or other employees, will hop in the airport's bright
yellow Saab 9-5 and check the friction of each of the airport's five
runways.

The Saab is a specially modified car combined with a Scandinavian Airport
and Road Systems (SARSYS) Friction Tester. When activated, the $150,000 car
measures the runway friction level using sensors connected to a measuring
wheel at the rear of the vehicle.

"You don't want the friction levels to drop too low because then you'll have
a situation where airplanes can slide off the runway," Reinhardt said.

The airport runways have grooves in road, and as airplanes land pieces of
the tires' rubber get lodged into the grooves. As the grooves fill up with
rubber, the friction levels decrease, Reinhardt.

Friction levels are measured by MU value. The highest MU value is 100 and
the lowest is 0. Reinhardt said a 40 MU value is considered unsafe.

"It is very complex, but at the same time it is very necessary, because it
helps us to be a safer airport," Reinhardt said.

When the MU value drops to around 60, the airport will pressure wash the
runways in order to unclog the runway grooves.

During winter weather when ice or snow is on the ground, the crew has a
specially made snow tire wheel sensor.

No matter rain, sleet or snow, those driving the tester have to drive 60 mph
down the runways.

"Sometimes it gets a little scary trying to stop it when it's slick," said
Matthew Coffelt, another airside operation supervisor.

Besides checking the runway's friction, the airside operation supervisors
are also responsible for making sure the runways are safe for takeoffs and
landing.

"One of the reasons I love this job is no two days are the same," Coffelt
said. "One day you're doing friction testing, the next day your chasing dogs
across the runway."

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