FAI CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING ARPT'S TIMING OF RWY CLOSURES FOR PAINTING.

Date: 2005-07

Anomalies: other-rwy-painting-closures

Synopsis

FAI CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING ARPT'S TIMING OF RWY CLOSURES FOR PAINTING.

Narrative

OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS; WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE RWY CLOSURES DUE TO PAINTING. THESE CLOSURES IN MY OPINION ARE VERY ILL TIMED. HERE AT FAIRBANKS WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RESURFACING TXWY A; WHICH HAS CAUSED THE CLOSURE OF MULTIPLE EXITS OFF OF RWY 1L. DUE TO THESE CLOSURES; WE ARE REQUIRED TO BACK-TAXI NUMEROUS ACFT ON THIS RWY. CLOSING RWY 1R ONLY DOUBLES OR EVEN TRIPLES THE AMOUNT OF TFC THAT NEED TO LAND ON RWY 1L. THAT IS BEGGING FOR AN ACCIDENT. ALL OF THESE CLOSURES OCCUR ROUGHLY STARTING AT XA00 AND END AROUND XJ00. THOUGH GOOD HRS FOR BANKERS; THIS IS A VERY BAD TIME TO CLOSE A RWY AT AN INTL ARPT. HERE IN ALASKA; WE DON'T EVEN LOSE SUNLIGHT BTWN MAY/MON AND JUL/WED (CIVIL TWILIGHT). I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THE ONLY TIME PAINT CREWS CAN PAINT RWYS ARE DURING OUR BUSIEST HRS OF THE DAY; AND DURING OUR BUSIEST MONTHS OF THE YR. MY RESOLUTION IS FOR ARPT MGMNT TO BETTER PLAN THESE RWY CLOSURES. THERE IS FAR LESS TFC OVERNIGHT WHICH WOULD IMPROVE SAFETY AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THESE CREWS COULD STAY ON THE RWY. I FEEL NO REGARD IS GIVEN TO THE USERS ON THE ARPT AND SAFETY; JUST THE EASIEST TIME TO SCHEDULE THESE CREWS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.