Field airfield

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A field airfield is an airfield that is temporarily set up on land that was not originally intended for this purpose but suitable.

A distinction is made between military and civil field airfields, the criterion for this is the use of the facility and the duration of use. The size of field airfields is mostly based on the lower limit for the required take-off and landing distances and depends on the type of aircraft used .

Civil airfields

These are mainly found in areas where there is little air traffic, so that the construction of a conventional airport with concrete runways is out of the question. Examples are regions in Africa or South America. Many glider airfields are also field airfields with a grass runway in the broader sense. Often z. B. only a piece of forest cleared and leveled so that small and medium-sized propeller planes can take off and land. Jets are unsuitable because of the unpaved runways, as they are mostly designed for higher speeds and therefore also require higher take-off and landing speeds and runway lengths, which leads to problems on unpaved surfaces. The requirements for the aircraft are in particular short take-off and landing distances and stable landing gears. In most cases, civil airfields are not intended for a limited period of use.

Field airfields (usually only for helicopters) may also be necessary for long-term major incidents or disasters in order to avoid long and expensive flights, e.g. B. to avoid refueling with operating materials. Here i. d. Usually the relevant logistics of the military (e.g. Bundeswehr), the federal police or, in rare cases, civil helicopter operators are used. These airfields have i. d. Usually only a limited period of use of just a few hours or days.

Agricultural flights to expel starlings from vineyards in Burgenland have been operated from several field airfields since the 1960s, each with a Piper Cub and pilot stationed on call.

Military airfields

These serve to maintain air combat capability and are created if either regular airports have been destroyed or if tactical measures require take-off sites away from existing airfields. These runways are laid out on flat surfaces or paved roads and highways that have been laid out for this purpose. So-called sand plates are used to fasten the tracks in the field. These make it possible, within a very short time, to provide an area that can be used for aircraft and heavy equipment and that is relatively independent of the weather. Textile webs were also used in the Vietnam War.

The requirements for airplanes for unpaved runways are short takeoff and landing ( "Short Take-Off and Landing" ) as well as a stable suspension . Military field airports are subject to tactical considerations and are therefore limited in their useful life.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.austrianwings.info/2013/10/starfighter-die-fliegende-vogelscheuchen-vom-seewinkel/ Starfighter - the flying scarecrows from Seewinkel, Austrian Wings, Österreichs Luftfahrtmagazin, October 13, 2013. Accessed August 12 2015. - Pictures.