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

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11 This section provides background information and characteristics of the airports surveyed for the study. It addresses the different kinds of winter operations encountered or planned for (type of snow or ice, frequency and timing of operations, anti- and de-icing chemical use), and FAA advisory circular guidelines for snow removal and equipment. Airports across the nation, both large and small, deal with diverse snow conditions, equipment types, governance, sharing arrangements, training, and condition reporting techniques. Although a fair amount of information exists on how larger airports manage snow removal, especially those certificated under Part 139, little guidance exists on GA airports. Difficulties in snow removal can arise at GA airports as a result of the organizational structures and responsibilities in place. One survey question sought to identify who has primary snow removal responsibilities at different sized airports across the northern tier of the United States. Table 5 provides a breakdown of the responses received. Thirty (30) of the airports surveyed are responsible for their own snow removal. As shown in later tables, the challenges of snow removal for small airports revolve around manpower and equipment problem. The basic and local category airports have the most problems, as they consistently rely on outside help more often than the other categories. Seven of the local airports have arrangements where they are responsible for the runways and taxiways and receive help from the fixed-base operator (FBO), a contractor, or volunteers who assist on the ramp, hangar and tie-down areas, and local street or roadway access. The basic, local and regional category airports associated with a city or county have the capability to call on their respective public works departments (PWD) to assist, once the roads in the city or county have been addressed. SNOW AND ICE CONTROL PLANS Airports with operating certificates issued by the FAA are required to have snow and ice control plans. The goal of a SICP is to provide guidance to personnel responsible for snow removal on how to safely and efficiently perform those operations. It is also a plan for providing tenant and community access to air transportation during winter weather events. For these reasons, a SICP is important for success- fully maintaining airport operations, even if only as part of a larger municipality’s snow plan for city or county streets and roads. The FAA has developed a number of useful winter operation guides for airports. AC 150/5200-30C is the primary source of guidance information. A sample template for developing a SICP for a Part 139 is provided in Appendix E. A related SICP checklist provided by the Eastern Regional Office of the FAA is provided in Appendix F. Both appendices can be modified for use at noncertificated Part 139 airports. Appendix G provides an example of a SICP for a GA airport. At a minimum, a SICP would identify equipment, personnel, airfield inspection procedures, snow removal priorities, and a list of key contact personnel involved in coordinating airfield operations. Of added importance is information about when to begin plowing, who will make the decision to start snow removal operations, how the snow will be removed, what work schedules will be used, and how equipment or materials will be used. Any additional consideration is for emergency response in the event of an accident or incident. Lastly, planning would take into account what to do if the airport chapter two SMALL AIRPORT WINTER OPERATIONS

12 and the community are overwhelmed with a snow event. Thirty (30) of the 46 airports surveyed have a SICP in place. Table 6 provides detail on the responses. AC 150/5200-30C is the main source of guidance for developing a SICP. A Guidebook for Airport Winter Operations provides examples of effective practices for SICP (McGormley et al. 2015). A review of the literature shows that a number of municipalities have published formal written policies or manuals on their home web pages. The policies outline their snow removal program, priorities, and procedures for snow removal. One sample is provided in Appendix G for Nampa, ID, a local category airport. Another example is the St. Louis Downtown Airport, a reliever airport with a part- time air traffic control tower (ATCT) (http://www.stlouisdowntownairport.com/cps-snow-plan.pdf.) Additionally, a number of states provide airport managers with guidelines for snow removal within their states. Appendix H provides an article from the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota highlighting effective practices for keeping an airport safe, open and accessible (AirTAP Briefings 2011). Airports examined in the appendices have adopted SICPs even though they are non- certificated and the SICP does not require FAA approval. More examples of SICPs can be found on the web. For example, St. Mary’s County in Maryland is an example of an airport SICP embedded into an overall county plan. Included in the section on the airport is a picture of the priority areas to be addressed for snow removal (Snow Removal and Ice Control Operational Plan 2010) (Figure 3). Geauga County in Ohio is an example of an airport that contracts out all its snow removal activity. The request for proposal (RFP) they use to solicit contractors is shown in Appendix I. A map is included in the RFP to delineate the areas of contractor responsibility. TIMELY SNOW REMOVAL The timely removal of snow from an airport surface can be an important safety and business matter for an airport. Three airports in the survey stressed the importance of being available for medical life-flights, while six airports cited the need to clear the runways to accommodate local corporate and business aircraft. Aircraft accidents have occurred as a result of incomplete snow removal. TABLE 5 ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING SNOW REMOVAL ACTIVITIES Responsible Party Basic (6) Local (21) Regional (7) Reliever (6) NP COMM SVC (6) Airport 2 11 6 6 5 Airport with Others — 7 1 — — City/County 1 — — — — FBO 1 1 — — — Contractor 1 1 — — — Volunteer 1 1 — — — Other — — — — 1* *One airport has no snow removal capability. — = no data. Source: SMQ Airport Services. Snow Plan Basic (6) Local (21) Regional (7) Reliever (6) NP COMM SVC (6) Yes — 14 7 3 6 No 6 7 — 3 — — = no data. Source: SMQ Airport Services. TABLE 6 NUMBER OF AIRPORTS THAT HAVE A SNOW AND ICE CONTROL PLAN

13 The FAA advisory circular on airport winter safety and operations provides guidance on the desired time to clear snow from runways that have accumulations of one inch of wet snow. The times are nor- mally two to six hours for the airports considered in this synthesis (Table 7) (AC150/5200-30C 2008). The clearance times identified in both Tables 7 and 8 are for what is known as “priority 1 surface areas.” For small airports, priority 1 surface areas are generally identified as the primary runway, an access taxiway leading directly to the terminal or ramp area, and any airport rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) FIGURE 3 Example of priority areas for snow removal depicted on a diagram. Source: Snow Removal and Ice Control Operational Plan (2010). Case Study: Yellowstone Airport, Montana One airport in the survey is a nonprimary commercial service airport listed as “other.” It is unique in that it is a Part 139 Class II airport, it is adjacent to a high elevation national park, and it does not have any snow removal equipment. Yellowstone Airport simply closes for the winter season. The airport has an FAA-approved snow plan that calls for it to close the runway when snow or ice accumulate beyond acceptable limits. In 2014, the FAA cited the airport for not being in full compliance with Part 139 and that SRE was necessary to keep the airport open year-round. The State of Montana is the operator of the airport and is currently seeking funding to acquire SRE to comply with Part 139, based upon the deficiency notation dur- ing its 2014 inspection. The matching share of AIP funding would need to come from airport operating revenues. The airport is an enterprise account within the state. It has budgetary issues associated with its proprietary account and is not financially self-sufficient. One budget challenge for airport management arises from its not having revenue-producing aeronautical activity during the winter season, and having added expenses if they do. Another budget challenge stems from its deed restrictions: While an active airport during the summer season, its major tenants are other governmental agencies that are exempt from being charged rentals and fees. The airport relies on funding infusions from the state to balance its operating budget. The local community of West Yellowstone, while benefiting from the airport, does not participate in any funding assistance, as it is under no obligation to do so. The airport is eligible for the annual $150,000 allotment for nonprimary airports under AIP. Other capital budget assistance comes through the state aeronautics division, which has been able to have SRE identified in its capital improvement plan for funding in the upcoming fiscal year. Still of concern is obtaining the matching share, which the airport enterprise account is unable to provide on its own. Additional outside resource support will be essential. Yellowstone Airport is an example of an airport having difficulty addressing winter operations because of operating and capital budget shortfalls. The written recommendation of an FAA inspector at a Part 139 airport can lend weight to the debate about acquiring SRE and about supporting winter operations snow and ice removal. For non-139 airports, the regulatory weight of Part 139 does not exist. Establishing the importance of snow removal activities at a GA airport often requires support from outside the airport organization, such as from a larger state or local governmental organization, the local community, or user and tenant groups associated with the airport.

14 station and emergency access service roads, Navigational Aid System (NAVAIDs), and other areas deemed essential, such as fueling areas and airport surveillance roads. However, the AC states that the term “‘reasonable’ time” is based on the airport type and number of annual operations, and that the guidance provided is primarily to assist the airport operator in determining minimum equipment needs. It is recognized that FAA guidance on reasonable times for the removal of airfield snow may not be achievable at some airports, especially GA airports. One airport in the survey stated it was not able to meet the recommended times because it uses snow removal equipment and personnel from the PWD, which has the airport as a last priority after the city roads are plowed. Although the AC states the clearance times shown in Table 7 are not to be interpreted as a require- ment to clear surfaces within any particular time, commercial service airports certificated under Part 139 have different standards (Table 8). As part of the requirements under Part 139, an airport organization is to address snow removal operations in its airport certification manual (ACM) by developing a SICP. The SICP often includes the clearance time as a target goal and is used to help the airport and the FAA determine compliance with the regulations. If the airport meets the snow removal clearance times, the airport is understood to have an adequate number of employees and equipment to meet the target. Table 9 provides a synopsis of the clearance time targets for the airports participating in the survey. As the activity level increases at an airport, the target clearance times decrease. Survey participants were asked whether or not they routinely met the targeted clearance time for their airport. Table 10 shows that half of the basic and commercial service airports, and a little fewer than half of the regional airports, do not meet the targeted clearance times. All of the regional and reliever airports stated they met the target clearance times. The reason cited for two of the commercial Source: FAA AC 150/5200-30C. TABLE 8 CLEARANCE TIMES FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIRPORTS Source: FAA AC 150/5200-30C. TABLE 7 CLEARANCE TIMES FOR OTHER-THAN-COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIRPORTS

15 service airports’ not meeting the targeted time was insufficient equipment or manpower. The third did not conduct snow removal operations. The survey then asked what the average clearing time was for the whole airport versus the Priority 1 paved areas. Table 11 reflects the average times airport operators take to perform snow removal for a normal winter event at their airport, given the manpower and equipment normally available. The length of time needed to remove snow at any one airport is dependent upon a number of factors, including the amount and type of snow, the time of the event, and the availability and capabilities of personnel and equipment. Table 12 describes the typical amount of snow normally received for any one event at the surveyed airports. Tracking the number of events, amount of annual snowfall, and single event totals is useful for providing justification for additional SRE to state aviation agencies and the FAA. 1 hour — 1 4 1 2 1.5 hours — — 1 1 — 2 hours — 6 1 3 3 2.5 hours — — — 1 — 3 hours — 7 1 — — 4 hours 1 3 — — — 6 hours 5 4 — — — Note: One commercial service airport is not included as it closes for the winter and does not conduct snow operations. — = no data. Source: SMQ Airport Services. Clearance Time Objectives Basic (6) Local (21) Regional (7) Reliever (6) NP COMM SVC (6) TABLE 9 TARGETED SNOW REMOVAL CLEARANCE TIMES AS REPORTED BY SURVEY RESPONDENTS Routinely Meets Time Objectives Basic (6) Local (21) Regional (7) Reliever (6) NP COMM SVC (6) Yes 4 15 7 6 3 No 2 6 0 0 3 Source: SMQ Airport Services. TABLE 10 NUMBER OF AIRPORTS IN THE SURVEY THAT REGULARLY MEET CLEARANCE TIME OBJECTIVES Average Clearance Time Basic Local Regional Reliever NP COMM SVC Hours 4.0 4.0 2.5 4.5 4.5 Source: SMQ Airport Services. TABLE 11 AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES TO MANAGE A SNOW EVENT AT SURVEYED AIRPORTS Typical Accumulation Basic (6) Local (21) Regional (7) Reliever (6) NP COMM SVC (6) 1–3 inches 3 12 4 2 3 > 3 inches 3 9 3 4 3 Source: SMQ Airport Services. TABLE 12 NUMBER OF AIRPORTS AND THE TYPICAL AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL IN A SINGLE EVENT

16 There is no one prevalent strategy among the surveyed airports for when snow removal is to commence, with the exception of basic airports, which predominately commenced snow removal after the winter snow event has occurred. It is a common practice from local to NPCS airports to commence snow removal at the beginning of a snow event. Doing so keeps the runway and taxiways available for use throughout the event and helps to maintain safe friction coefficients. The increased cost of a longer plowing period can be offset by the efficiency of operations and the potential for continued economic use of the airport. Waiting for the snow to stick to the pavement or for a certain snow amount to accumulate before commencing operations reflects a balance between a number of factors, such as expected costs, manpower availability, equipment capability, anticipated snowfall amounts, and pavement temperature. Waiting until after the storm to commence snow removal may be the simplest approach; however, it can result in higher operating costs resulting from increased strain on personnel and equipment, more difficulty in moving large accumulations of snow, lack of visual pavement area references, and longer time for cleanup activity. Figure 4 is an example of a snow removal effort after the snow event passed. TYPE OF WINTER EVENT The type of winter event an airport experiences, which depends on the geographic location of the air- port and the weather patterns that predominate, will dictate what equipment is needed and the timing of snow removal efforts. Dry snow is described as not having much moisture content and not being able to form a snowball, and can easily be managed with a broom or high velocity air blast. Wet snow is described as having enough moisture to make a snowball. Heavy snow has high water content that will drip moisture when slightly compacted; it is difficult to move because of its density, and requires a plow, loader, or snowblower to be managed well. A wet/dry mixture refers to the effect of different weather patterns at the airport resulting in one or the other, or both. Understanding weather forecasts is an important aspect of managing winter operations. An airport’s proximity to large bodies of water or its location in geographic areas where cold northern air masses collide with warm southern air masses can result in high moisture content (wet/heavy) snow. Three participants reported that they are seeing more icing events than in previous years. This has implications for their snow removal operations, as their existing equipment was purchased to handle primarily snow, not ice. Ice conditions are the most difficult winter event to manage, according to the respondents. Airports in the survey generally do not have equipment or resources to address the situation. As one respondent wrote: The icing line is moving further north. In years past we might have a single icing event at the beginning of winter. In the past 5 years we have endured wilder swings in temperature with 3–5 icing events per winter season. On December 3, 2013, we received a 3-inch slush fall followed by an inch of rain on cold (frozen) soaked ground. When it was done we had a solid inch of ice covering all our surfaces. Our equipment couldn’t push the slush/snow because the ice buildup on the surfaces was too slippery. The extended cloudy cold snap that followed (till December 30) precluded any sublimation or melting. Our runways were essentially shut down for the duration. Sand was applied; but it was too cold for it to do any good, it just blew off the surface. It was too cold to apply our limited supply of runway de-icer. Our public works department assisted us by using FIGURE 4 Example of difficulty plowing after a snow event ends. Photo credit: M. Daugherty, Mansfield, Ohio.

17 a grader with a special ice-scraping blade to remove the encrusted build-up. The blade gouged the blacktop in bare spots—but barely touched the ice build-up. BUDGETING FOR WINTER EVENTS Municipalities and airports located in geographic areas where snow accumulations are low and do not justify dedicated SRE are faced with multiple decisions about airport snow removal activity. The decisions and challenges include evaluation of costs and benefits as a result of limited budgets for continued use or replacement of old and/or inadequate snow equipment; determination of snow removal priority over other activities; equipment operator training for airfield winter operations; and keeping up to date with current NOTAM protocols. Budget allocations can be a reflection of the degree of importance a community places on the airport. It also represents the likelihood of a certain number of winter events occurring and the amount of time, effort, and supplies expended by the airport to address the events. The survey asked what per- centage of the airport’s operating budget is devoted to snow-related removal activities and supplies expenditures. The averages ranged from 13% to 24%, as shown in Table 13. Survey respondents indi- cated that fuel and personnel were the two main expense items associated with snow removal activities. When asked the number of snow events the airport normally anticipates and budgets for, airport operators provided the responses shown in Table 14. The range of anticipated annual snow events reflects the airports’ geographic locations. Annual budget allocations for snow removal are often based on the number of past winter events experienced by airports, and the dollar amounts are often a continuation from the previous year’s budget. When airports were asked what action is necessary if they exceed their budget, four main procedures emerged: For municipalities, the manager had to go “downtown” and request fund trans- fers after providing justification; managers transferred funds from reserve accounts, deferred sum- mer maintenance, or cut back on the frequency of snow removal activities on noncritical areas of the airport. The managers’ responses all reflected their perception of the importance of having the airport available for use and their willingness to seek fund coverage. Several of the airport managers cited the importance of keeping their city administrator or airport commission informed of the budget status so there would be no surprises. One airport operated on a calendar year cycle (January–December) rather than a fiscal year (July–June) budget. The calendar year budget allowed for better use of resources from January Budget Basic Local Regional Reliever NP COMM SVC Average 13% 22% 20% 24% 17% Source: SMQ Airport Services. TABLE 13 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ANNUAL AIRPORT BUDGET ALLOCATED FOR EACH CATEGORY OF AIRPORT IN THE SURVEY Budgeted Number of Snow Events Basic Local Regional Reliever NP COMM SVC Range of number of snow events 10–100 10–120 6–50 12–40 10–70 Average number of snow events for a year 49 36 23 20 35 Source: SMQ Airport Services. TABLE 14 RANGE AND AVERAGE NUMBER OF ANNUAL SNOW EVENTS BUDGETED FOR BY SURVEYED AIRPORTS

18 through the end of winter, but could pose a problem for snow events in October through December if earlier resources were not managed well, or if unexpected winter events occur sooner than expected. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT When asked how managers know, measure, or benchmark their snow removal efforts, the over- whelming majority cited tenant and user complaints, followed by the length of time it takes to complete snow removal operations, and then the number of safety incidents. Establishing performance measures assists airport managers to determine how well they do and whether justification exists for more efficient or effective measures. Two ACRP reports provide a list of performance measures that airports can use to benchmark their snow removal efforts (Infrastructure Management Group, Inc. et al. 2010; McGormley et al. 2015). Suggested measures include: • Runway closure duration • Annualized operating and capital costs • Tenant or user delay or time to respond • Amount of driver “windshield” time • Run time of equipment • Number of incidents • Number of aircraft operations • Gallons of fuel consumed • Miles driven • Amount of snow moved • Gallons of de-icing/anti-icing agent or sand dispersed • Hours of equipment downtime • Hours spent on equipment maintenance • Number of damaged lights or pavement • Number of NOTAMs issued. SUMMARY Complications in snow removal often arise at GA airports because of the different organizational structures and management that exist. Snow removal at the majority of surveyed airports is managed by the airport maintenance department. Other arrangements include snow removal accomplished by public works departments, FBOs, contractors, and even volunteers. A SICP is one of the most effective ways to meet the challenges of a winter event at small airports with limited budgets. The plan provides guidance to personnel responsible for snow removal; it is also a plan for keeping the community and airport tenants informed of how access to air transportation will be available during winter weather events. Sixteen (16) of the 46 airports, primarily in the basic, local, and reliever categories, do not have a SICP. Only 76% of the airports in the study are able to routinely meet FAA-recommended snow clear- ance times with the equipment and personnel available. Snow removal costs ranged from 13% to 24% of the surveyed airport’s operating budgets.