The White Falcon - 07.10.1983, Blaðsíða 8
8 THE WHITE FALCON/October 7. 1983
Airlift Operations Branch
The Snow and Ice Removal and Control (SIRC)
branch is responsible for maintaining and
clearing the runways and taxiways.
The Airfield Operations Branch has five
primary responsibilities. They are: (1)
snow/ice removal and control (SIRC) and
foreign object damage (FOD) control within
aircraft operating areas; (2) arresting
gear operations; (3) airl i ft cargo handling;
(4) runway inspections; and (5) ground han-
dling of transient mil itary (NATO) aircraft.
The personnel are cross-trained in all
functions and participate in job assign-
ments as the workload requires. The branch
is also responsible for all necessary main-
tenance and overhaul of assigned equipment,
except for the aircraft ground support
equipment (GSE) which is maintained by the
Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Depart-
ment (AIMD).
Because of the extreme climatic condi-
tions encountered, it should come as no
surprise that during the winter months the
majority of effort is expended in the SIRC
area. Currently the Airfield Operations
Branch is assigned 32 pieces of equipment
which are primarily used for this purpose.
Last winter -- from Oct. 1, 1982 until
April 24, 1983, which was considered to be
one of the most severe -- this equipment
was in service for nearly 16,000 hours.
Additionally, during this period more than
one million pounds of UREA (an ice-melting
chemical) and 1,000 cubic yards of sand
were used. Estimated total snowfall during
the period was 150 inches which was present
on 117 days. There were approximately 6,000
runway inspections performed to conduct
SIRC operations and to derive the braking
action, for the benefit of aircraft, on the
runways.
During FY 1983 the transient line has
handled about 1,600 aircraft and the total
weight of airlifted cargo received and sent
during the same period totals 9,000,000
pounds.
Five arresting gear systems are main-
tained and operated by the Airfield Opera-
tions Branch. These systems are kept avail-
able on a 24-hour-a-day basis, something
that can be very difficult during heavy
snowfal1.
In fulfilling these obligations with the
best results possible the Airfield Opera-
tions Branch has to work in close coordina-
tion with almost every other branch and de-
partment of the Naval Station.
The Airfield Operations Branch is responsible for all transient aircraft visits.
The Airlift Cargo Handling crew moved over 9 million pounds of cargo during FY-83.
The five arresting gear systems for the F-4's are maintained by Airlift Operations.