The information below was sent out in the winter of 2010/2011 and with such a mild winter this year snowplowing was not much of an event.  That has changed in the last couple of weeks and so below is a repeat of last years information with a few changes and updates.

My thanks to all of you for your patience and understanding as we wind down another winter season with hopes of warmer spring weather ahead.

Take care,

Gary Judd

“Greetings,

I trust all of you are staying warm and safe during our recent snowstorms.

I have had some inquiries and situations occur during the last two snow events. I would like to explain the process and procedures that we use to assure that the airport operates as safely as possible when nature decides to disrupts our lives with cold, ice and snow. 

There are 32 miles of plowing, if you use an eight foot swipe, which is about all you can get when a longer blade is angled. And unlike a nice highway where the snow is just pushed off of the side you have to find someplace to put all 32 miles of that snow.  It takes 4-5 hours to clear the parallel taxiways and runway. The rest of the airport can take two eight hour days, depending on conditions. Knife River currently takes care of the taxiways and runways and are radio equipped and operated by airport familiar operators.  The other areas are done by a City crew on an “equipment and personnel available” basis.

First off, when do we plow?  As easy as the answer seems (when it snows of course) a closer look needs to be taken.  First keep in mind that each snow event costs around $2,000 to remove the snow from all of the operating surfaces.  Most snow equipment wont pick up snow fall much under an inch as the blades are held slightly off the pavement to avoid gouging the pavement.  Large commercial airports use sweepers after plowing the snow to remove all of the residue but the costs for such units is beyond the scope of most GA airports. And it is no guarantee that the surface wont freeze and make the sweeping effort ineffective. Deicers can then be used, but once again the cost would be beyond the means of noncommercial facilities. Airport asphalt also has a “seal coat” that can be totally destroyed in a single plowing with an overly aggressive plow setting. The seal coat adds several years to the life of the pavement and it is important to preserve it. Very light snow will not be moved below this level either so it would most likely be a futile effort.

Normally we look at plowing at around 1.5 to 2.0 inches.  Very wet heavy snow at 1.5 inches and lighter amounts at 2 inches. Sounds simple enough. But what if the forecast is for a warming trend and it’s a light snow at 2 inches?
It would be gone in a couple of hours if it is left to melt. If it is plowed you will have snow berms to contend with, which are safety issues.  So it may be best left alone to melt off.  But what if it’s an inch of wet heavy snow and it’s going to go below freezing the next day?  It should be plowed as the frozen ruts are going to make taxiing and landing treacherous.  And what if the forecasts change? We may just spend $2,000 with very little benefit. And if we don’t plow and should have then flights are delayed or cancelled our users are unnecessarily inconvenienced.

It is not a perfect science but I can assure all of you that the plow operators and airport staff try very hard to minimize the effects, knowing that the weather can change the dynamics within minutes.

Once it is decided to plow a NOTAM will be issued closing the runway and parallel taxiways until the plow operators deem them safe for aircraft use. So be sure and check with FSS before heading out for a flight but don’t be surprised if the runway is closed on your way out. Why? Snow storm depths and accumulation rates cannot be predicted with any accuracy and NOTAMS are not issued for closures until after the decisions is made to plow and sometimes just before plows take to the runway to minimize the closure periods. Which brings up an interesting point.  It’s really the snow depth and or consistency that triggers the closure decision, not the plowing. The length of the closure is determined by how long it takes to plow. 

Which brings us to the next consideration.  What do we plow first?  Obviously the runway, then the parallel taxiways then what?  We consider who the airport is serving with critical air services coming first.  So areas around the State Patrol hangar, Fuel Island and AirLink are done as quickly as possible.  Followed by taxi routes to high use areas and then finally around the hangar areas.  We have had several hangar owners requesting plowing and although we will do our best please keep in mind that there are 200 aircraft based on the field and we have no way of knowing who might want to fly that day. It is also not possible to “target” a particular hangar as the snow has to be moved in “windrows” which can get quite long and unwieldily.  It may even require the use of snow buckets instead of plows to pick it up and move it to a better spot to pile it. So please, consider the big  picture when making plans and don’t follow the snowplow operators around with “special” requests. Approaching snow plows unexpectedly can also be dangerous as the operators may not expect someone to drive up behind them.

Which is where the last and most critical part of winter operations comes into play.  Aircraft and pilots vary widely in there ability to cope with snow and it’s associated changes to the airport environment. What is your wing clearance? Propeller clearance? Do you know how to stop or turn your aircraft on a zero friction surface?  Snow berms, snow balls and windrows can all ruin your day and although every effort is made to create a safe operating environment even the large airports require increased pilot skills and a heightened level of awareness of the limitations that snow can bring.  Wanting to fly does not mean that one should on any given day. If you have any doubts about your knowledge or ability to cope with snow covered ground operations get with a good flight instructor and go have some fun. It’s enlightening and well worth the time and expense.

 You, as the pilot, should consider all of the following:

I would urge you to always check NOTAMS before every flight in accordance with FAR 91.3 and 91.103, which I have included below:

Click to View

was sent to Ron Wyden on November 21st, 2010, detailing the request and providing some supporting ideas.

The letter has since been supplemented by this FAQ:

Click to View

Taxiway B is open for use! Feel free to check it out and use the full safety benefits it offers by being able to taxi the full length of the runway safely clear of landing traffic if Taxiway A is congested. You are also able to exit to either side if traffic on one taxiway or the other is creating an issue.

Please let me know if you note anything that needs attention. It has been thoroughly inspected but as you will note, that’s a lot of asphalt, reflectors and signs.

Have a great weekend,

Gary Judd
Airport Manager
Bend Municipal Airport
Bend, OR 97701
Phone 1-541-389-0258
Fax (same as phone)
Cell- 1-541-647-0828
email gjudd@ci.bend.or.us
PUBLIC RECORDS LAW DISCLOSURE: Emails are generally public records and therefore subject to public disclosure unless exempt from disclosure under Oregon Public Records Law.

Aerofacilities has a 60×60 available for immediate delivery. This insulated hangar is plumbed and wired for all utilities and includes a 150,000 BTU gas heater. The Schweiss hydraulic door was installed to provide added tail clearance.

For information, please call Kerry O’Neal or Josh Hansen with Strategic Realty, llc.

Kerry O’Neal 541-647-1491

Josh Hansen 541-678-0756

The Bend Airport’s runway be CLOSED next week on Tuesday, September 21st , Wednesday September 22nd, and Thursday September 23rd. 2010 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PDT

This email is provided as a courtesy only. Dates and times may change as the weather patterns become less favorable to construction activities.

Please check NOTAMS for each flight as that is the official source for airport notices.

Thank you,

Gary Judd
Airport Manager
Bend Municipal Airport
Bend, OR 97701
Phone 1-541-389-0258
Fax (same as phone)
Cell- 1-541-647-0828
email gjudd@ci.bend.or.us
PUBLIC RECORDS LAW DISCLOSURE: Emails are generally public records and therefore subject to public disclosure unless exempt from disclosure under Oregon Public Records Law.

Emails can be sent inadvertently to unintended recipients and contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to receive for the recipient), please advise by return email and delete immediately without reading or forwarding to others. Thank you.

Just a quick note regarding auto parking, including four wheelers.

Please be very careful where you park. I have had some instances of blocked taxilanes, obstructed glider trailers and in areas that infringe on aircraft safety clearances.

Auto parking is ONLY allowed in hangars or on your assigned parking spot when out flying. Any parking in areas on the “airside” not designated for automobiles is not allowed and is against County code.

On a more realistic level it also exposes the automobile owner to the liability for repair of an aircraft if an incident should occur.

I understand that everyone occasionally needs to drive out to their aircraft to transfer people or cargo but walking is always a good option if practical. One source of gravel on taxiways comes from particles stuck in tire treads when crossing unpaved access roads that then dislodges when traveling on the taxilanes. Kind of hard on propellers and turbine powered aircraft if it gets caught up in the prop vortices.

I can’t think of a more aggravating circumstance than not being able to go for a flight, open a hangar door or get through a taxilane because someone left their vehicle parked in the way.

So be considerate and “think be before you park”.

Thank you,

Gary Judd
Airport Manager
Bend Municipal Airport
Bend, OR 97701
Phone 1-541-389-0258
Fax (same as phone)
Cell- 1-541-647-0828
email gjudd@ci.bend.or.us

Use only taxiway B-4 (no signs yet but straight across from A-4) to exit the runway and go southbound on taxiway B when entering Aerofacilities/Epic or go northbound on taxiway B and use Taxiway B-4 to access or cross the runway when leaving Aerofacilities/Epic.

Do NOT attempt to use any other portions of the new taxiway B system. Those areas will remain closed and marked as such by orange cones.

Damage to the asphalt and your aircraft may occur if access is attempted before Sunday, July 11, at 8 AM due to FOD, soft asphalt and equipment still in use.

Gary Judd
Airport Manager
Bend Municipal Airport
Bend, OR 97701
Phone 1-541-389-0258
Fax (same as phone)
Cell- 1-541-647-0828
email gjudd@ci.bend.or.us