Page 5 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt July 1 2016

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Thunderbolt News July 2016 5
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Air eld rubber removal preserves aircraft safety

by Tech. Sgt. support,” Sawyer said. “It’s a serious issue,
LUTHER MITCHELL Jr. and we work with civil engineers to make
sure it gets done consistently and within
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs our six-month cycle.”

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — To remove the rubber deposits at Luke,
During a recent inspection of the ightline, contractors use a chemical treatment. The
the 56th Operations Support Squadron next time, Sawyer says he plans to use a
identi ed buildup of rubber deposits and high-pressure water treatment.
completed a project to remove them, a step
that keeps sorties in the air and aircraft “Alternating the methods allows us to
landing safely. prolong the life of the runway and keep the
chemical buildup to a minimum,” he said.
“When an aircraft touches down, it leaves
traces of rubber on the surface,” said Staff Both runways at Luke were last com-
Sgt. Charles Giertz, 56th OSS airfield pleted in May.
management operations supervisor. “When
an excess amount builds up, the aircraft Courtesy photo
braking action is reduced, and this creates
a hazard for landing aircraft, especially This is the Luke Air Force Base runway before receiving rubber removal treatment in May.
during the monsoon season.” Every time an aircraft lands, it deposits thin layers of rubber on the runway. Over time the
rubber builds up and poses a risk to landing aircraft, especially in wet conditions.
To remove this hazard, visual inspections
of the runway are performed daily to deter- pilot. “Too much buildup could cause us to To maintain a clean runway free of depos-
mine the need for rubber removal. lose some traction while landing at 160 its, rubber deposit removal is conducted on
miles-per-hour. If the rubber buildup isn’t a consistent basis.
“It’s very easy to tell when it starts to properly monitored and maintained, the ap- “We usually perform the process twice a
become a problem, because the rubber de- proach end of the runway would eventuallyT:9.5”year, but the process can vary based on the Courtesy photo
posits begin to obscure the runway center become unusable.” ying tempo of the base and the aircraft we
line and designation markings,” said Mas- This is the Luke Air Force Base runway
ter Sgt. Linda Sawyer, 56th OSS air eld after receiving rubber removal treatment.
manager.

Luke pilots experience the effects of the
rubber build up at high speeds.

“It’s comparable to a car sliding all over
the place in the rain,” said Maj. Brian Healy,
62nd Fighter Squadron F-35 Lightning II

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