PROBLEM: Airport delays are causing government reduction of airline schedules for many of the Nation's major domestic and International airports; also government congestion fees and forced airline sequence lottery..
LIMITATIONS: New runway construction at airports will cost over a billion dollars or more, if at all possible. Airports are locked into expensive real estate, with houses, businesses nestled on their borders. Therefore, often land is not available for airport expansions and runway construction.
SOLUTION: The inexpensive medial division of long runways into two separate and independent halves, or where needed lengthening shorter runways - we create the innovative Safe-Runway [S-R] methodology to increase up to doubling runway sequenses for B-737, A-320 and EMB-190 type airliners.
SAFE-RUNWAY [SR] TECHNOLOGY: Creating two independant separate 7,000 feet long landing runway and an other 7,000 feet long take-off runway; with a 1,000 feet long buffer zone separating these two runways.
FAA REGULATIONS: FAR provides that a landing airliner can cross the approach end of the runway, if the air traffic controller [tower] can determine that the departing [taking-off] airliner is 6,000 feet or more down the runway. With the safe-runway system when the runway is split at 7,000 feet, this technology is within FAA regulations and meets all FAA operational and ATC separational requirements.
FUEL SAVINGS: By allowing the landing aircraft to turn off in the middle of the long 15,000 feet long runway, the aircraft is already close to the terminal and thereby saving long taxi time and considerable jet fuel. The departing aircraft by not taxying to the far end of the runway, coming from the terminal is in position in the middle of the runway to take-off and save not only time but over a minimum of 700 gallons of jet fuel.
RUNWAY INCURSIONS: The Split-Runway technology by providing a 1,000 feet long open area between the two 7,000 feet long take-off and landing runways, are used on airports with two parallel runways to cross traffic to and from the outside runway to the terminal. This will prevent all incidents and accidents of deadly runway incursions, which to date, no other government or industrial process or invention has been able to prevent..
SAFE-RUNWAY OPERATIONS: Implementaion is the key. The inventive process is implemented in three phases to provide a training and confidence period for airports, airlines and air traffic control. The full length of the runway is always available for any aircraft in need or request. As an L-1011 captain I flew from the LGA 7,000 feet long runways with out an overrun or any safety feature in case of a problem. The L-1011 in comparison to B-737, A-320 airliners is at least three times the gross weight of these much smaller airliners. With all the additional layers of afety we provide, these SR flight operations bring additional safety, increase in sequences and tremendous amount of fuel and tiem savings to airlines during these critical fuel expense days.
WINTER OPERATIONS The safe-runway system allows an aircraft to be de-iced and reach the takeoff position on the split runway quickly to assure safe flight operations into icing conditions.
During blizzard and heavy snow conditions, or with other runway contamination, the split runway design allows one part of the long runway to be cleared and remain operational.
A power point presentation is available on a Department of Transportation web-site, go to: Regulations.gov and then to: FAA.2008.0036.0010.1
BIG NEWS July 15, 2008 - after two serious nearmisses at New York JFK, the FAA has changed their unsafe ATC procedures. This is why the Safe-Runway System at JFK should be implemented by the FAA/DOT, not only to save considerable fuel - but add the necessary sequences in a completely safe manner, as provided.
Same direction traffic movement is the safest. Using crossing traffic arrivals and departures are extremely dangerous as often an aircraft has to miss an approach and go around.
Genneral Comment: my comments published by the FAA concerning airline congestion pay and airport delays:
Based upon the following facts I strongly oppose the Docket No. FAA-2008-0036. It is needless and more importantly it ignores the improvements we can make to increase the landing and taking-off sequences through modern technology. The Split-Runway [SR] methodology provides the splitting of the long JFK 14,572 runways 31L and 13R medially, [in the middle] and thereby creating two separate and distinct runways each 7,000 feet long with a 572 feet long dividing open area. This will allow B-737, A-320 and EMB-190 type airliners to land on the first 7,000 foot long [landing runway] and allow the further 7,000 foot long runway to be used for takeoffs by these smaller airliners. This will instantly increase the sequences at JFK, doubling and providing the same benfit as the building of a third new runway would provide. This will solve the congestion problem and avoid gridlock of JFK and also can be used at other airports. This method will allow the Split-Runway operations to be up and running in about six months or less. Save a tremendous amount of money and since the take off runway is in the middle, close to the terminal, it will save every B-737, A-320 airliner about 700 gallons of fuel during every JFK takeoff. Of course the 'heavy' A-380, B-747 and other heavy airliners will continue to use the full length of these runways. Also since these SR operations are implemented in stages, three phases, ATC can always move back to full runway operations if needed. This will allow JFK and other airports to maximize their operations and greatly reduce or eliminate delays with out resorting to the Docket proposed by the Transportation Department and the FAA.