Airside Snow Removal Practices for Small Airports with Limited Budgets (2015)

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61 APPENDIX C Survey Instrument Airport Cooperative Research Program Synthesis S14-09-06 Airside Snow Removal Practices for Small Airports with Limited Budgets ACRP SNOW REMOVAL SURVEY QUESTIONS Airport: Airport Identifier Name: Title: E-mail: 1. Who performs snow and ice removal on the airfield at the airport (check all that apply)? Airport Public Works, Township, County, or similar (specify) FBO Contractor other than FBO Volunteers The sun works for us Other arrangement (explain) 2. What is the most demanding type of aircraft that uses your airport in the wintertime (check one)? Turbojet Turboprop Multi-engine piston Single piston 3. Is your airport certificated under 14 CFR Part 139? no yes If yes, what class is your operating certificate? 4. What type of winter conditions are you more likely to experience? mostly wet snow mostly dry snow 50/50 wet/dry icing other (describe) 5. What is the number of times you budgeted or expected to perform snow removal operations this past winter, or budgeting for next winter? Number of times 6. What is the typical accumulation for a snow event at your airport? less than 1 inch between 1 and 3 inches more than 3 inches 7. For a typical snow event, how much time does it normally take to remove snow from your main runway and its associated taxiways? Hours Minutes 8. Do you have a stipulation in any policy, contract, or agreement for how quickly snow removal must be accomplished? no yes If yes, how much time? Hours Minutes 9. To help prevent runway incursion, A. Does your airport have surface painted runway hold lines? no yes B. Does your airport have runway hold line signage? no yes 10. Does each vehicle or operator used for snow removal at your airport have an aviation radio installed or available for use when plowing the airfield? no yes some do/some do not If radios are made available, are they Scan only Receive single frequency Transmit & receive

62 runway vehicle or pedestrian incursion? aircraft excursion from pavement due to poor braking or contaminated surface? damaging aircraft collision with snow banks? damaging aircraft collision with snow removal equipment or vehicles? an incident or near collision between equipment or aircraft? damaged runway lights or signs from vehicle/equipment operation? damaged navigational aids from vehicle/equipment operation? vehicle/equipment breakage while on the airfield? inability to use snow removal vehicle or equipment due to maintenance/parts issues? radio miscommunication between equipment operators and air traffic control or aircraft? NOTAM not issued, revised, or cancelled properly by airport operator or flight service? 12. How do you report airfield surface or other conditions to pilots, tenants, or aircraft operators (check all that apply)? call to Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) call to Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) Automatic Terminal Information System (ATIS) UNICOM e-NOTAM system Digital NOTAM system call to Flight Service System (FSS) Internet web page Intra-net airport system Social media Telephone recording Hand or verbal delivery Posting on bulletin board or similar Pilots call airport or manager Other (describe) We don’t normally make reports 13. If your airport provides runway friction or braking action reports to pilots, what type of equipment or method is used? 14. What do you use to obtain and monitor weather information about approaching winter storms? 15. In the chart below, please list (1) all the equipment used at the airport to remove snow; (2) its age; (3) if it needs replacement; (4) whether it is sheltered in a storage building or not; (5) whether it is dedicated or shared, and (6) how it was acquired; • For Replace, write Yes or No if it should be replaced. • For Shelter, write Yes or No. • For Owns, who owns the equipment? Airport, Government, FBO, Contractor, Other • For Dedicated or Shared, type “D” if the vehicle or equipment is solely dedicated for airport use; or type “S” if it is shared with other departments (or for other purposes) outside the airport. • For How acquired, enter the corresponding number below: 1 FAA Airport Improvement Program grant. 2 State grant. 3 Purchased under state or similar fleet purchase plan. 4 Internal capital project funding or purchase. 5 Rental, lease, or lease–to-own. 6 Contractor provided. 7 Surplus property or hand down from other department. 8 Joint purchase with other department, community, or airport. 9 Other (describe ____ ). 11. In the last three years during winter operations has your airport experienced any of the following as a result of snow removal operations (check all that apply):

63 Type of vehicle/ Age Replace? Shelter Owns? Dedicated How equipment (years) (Y/N) (Y/N) (A,G,F,C,O) Shared Acquired? A. B. C. D. E. F. G. If more vehicles/equipment exist, please enter in Comments at the end of the survey. 16. Who performs the maintenance on your snow removal equipment? 17. Do you use runway treatment material such as sand, urea, or other chemical? no yes If yes, what do you use? 18. Given the cost of anti-ice or de-ice or sand, what factors affect your decision process for whether you will use it or not? 19. Do you have a written snow plan for the airport? yes no don’t know 20. FAA guidance material provides the below targeted performance times for clearing one main runway and related taxiway. The clearance times are for clearing 1 inch of wet snow. A. Based on the category of airport and the total number of operations at your airport, what is your airport’s targeted clearance time? Hours B. Are you able to routinely meet the target? no yes C. If unable to meet the times on a regular basis, what factors limit your ability to do so? Explain 21. In acquiring snow removal equipment at the airport, do you have flexibility in acquiring the equipment you need or are you constrained or limited in the purchasing process to only certain types of equipment? Flexible Limited Depends 22. What pieces of snow removal equipment, changes in policies or procedures, or other action would help you to improve your winter snow operations (airfield side only)? Please list or describe. 23. Which of the strategies below represent the typical snow removal actions taken at your airport (check all that apply)? A. Weather forecast is monitored and personnel are called in as the event begins. B. Runway conditions are monitored and when snow/ice starts to stick, employees are called in or contractor/FBO is notified. C. Wait until more than a certain amount has accumulated before commencing snow removal (how much? D. Snow removal is planned to coincide with scheduled or anticipated flight arrivals or departures. E. Snow removal commences after the snow event has passed. F. FBO has total responsibility for removal as part of an agreement. Annual Aircraft Commercial Service Airport General Aviation Operations (more than 2,500 enplanement) Airport 40,000 or more ½ hour 2 hours 10,000–39,999 1 hour 3 hours 6,000–9,999 1½ hour 4 hours Less than 6,000 2 hours 6 hours

64 G. City or county (or other entity) sends out a crew to plow the airport as part of an agreement or as time allows. H. Ice is common and we try to apply sand I. Ice is common and we try to chemical de-ice or anti-ice material. J. No ice or snow removal is accomplished. K. Other (please describe) 24. What pressures do you experience to keep the runway surfaces clean or open during a winter event (ex., time, expenses, tenants, flight training, commercial service, corporate, etc.)? 25. Please write about the most pressing challenges or perplexing problems you currently face or have faced in the past regarding the timely removal of snow at you airport? (For instance, problems can be related to budget constraints, availability of manpower, limitations of existing equipment, competing priorities within the municipality, timeliness of response, adequate supervision, operational needs, ice or snow accumulations, special weather circumstances, etc.) 26. How have you addressed or tried to solve the problems and ch allenges mentioned above in Question 25? 27. How do you limit the height or buildup on snow banks along the runway and taxiways? 28. Given your budget situation, do you have any unique methods or tactics that make for efficient and effective snow removal operations despite the challenging budget? no yes If yes, please describe 29. How many individuals are normally engaged in snow removal at your airport during any one normal snow event (enter number of each)? Full-time Part-time Contract employees 30. How do you normally arrange for or schedule personnel during a snow event? 31. What type and method of training is provided to snow removal personnel (check all that apply)? For method, enter the letter(s) associated with the delivery method used A - Computer or web-based based training B - Video C - Classroom instruction D - On-the-job E - Outside conference, workshop, or seminar training F - Self-study G - Written tests H - Oral or Practical testing I - Other (describe) J - No formal training, just experience over the years Type Delivery Method (Select A thru J above) Equipment manufacturer training Radio communication training Airfield driver training Runway incursion prevention training Field condition assessment training NOTAM training Post season review Pre-season review Other (describe) 32. Do you have any unique employee, volunteer, or contractor arrangements that make for efficient and effective snow removal operations? no yes If yes, please describe 33. Over the years, what valuable winter operational lessons have you learned about what works and doesn’t work at your airport? (Suggestions: write about contractor or tenant relations, snow or ice removal techniques, winter

65 forecasts, coordination with stakeholders, equipment operation, personnel resource allocation, NOTAM issuance, accident/incident situations, etc.) 34. What suggestions might you provide to other airports your size about how to manage snow removal on a limited budget? 35. Approximately what percentage of your operating budget makes up snow-related removal activities and supplies? percent 36. Does your state provide funding or grant assistance in the purchase of snow removal equipment? no yes 37. Do you have any snow related documents that you are willing to share and to help other airports, such as contractor agreement, training outline, snow plan, NOTAM instructions, equipment purchase plan, snow policies or procedures, price share agreements with other local agencies, agreements to purchase de-ice fluid or sand from another airport’s contract, etc.? no yes If yes, please list: 38. COMMENTS: Please enter any qualifying information or comments about your winter operations on any of the questions above. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for assisting other airports to learn and benefit from your snow removal situation and experiences!!! Best regards, Stephen M. Quilty, A.A.E.