"sterilize the runway"

Badger

Badger

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,136
Display Name
Display name:
Badger
On final Tower asks me to slow up as they "sterilize the runway" This was a new one to me.
Anyone want to guess what the situation was?

I know what was happening, I just never heard it addressed in these terms.
 
Based upon my limited knowledge of the term, I find it odd that they were sterilizing a runway that you were on final to land on.
 
Having an airport employee drive a vehicle down the runway looking for debris?
 
^^^^closest so far....
 
F16's landed before me and they had to complete putting the cables back down.
 
Isn't it closing a certain section of the runway?
 
Dozens of times I hear ATC mention putting cables up or cables down, but this is the first time I've heard the process via this verbiage.
 
Badger said:
Dozens of times I hear ATC mention putting cables up or cables down, but this is the first time I've heard the process via this verbiage.
Click to expand...
Do they go up every time a f16 lands or takes off? Or go up just In emergency?
 
“Sterilize the runway” is not in my pilot/controller glossary.
I would suspect it to mean they were waiting for traffic to clear the runway.
 
I suppose they could have been referring to the F16's clearing the runway, but they had already been taxing to the base. I often hear the cables up and cables up communications.
 
Criitter7 said:
Do they go up every time a f16 lands or takes off? Or go up just In emergency?
Click to expand...

Every time they take off and land, the departure end cable is raised. When they have an emergency both ends are raised. It is done by a switch in the tower or manually by maintenance.
 
Timbeck2 said:
They say "sterilize" because they can't say the word "clear" or some goober will interpret that as they are cleared for takeoff or to land.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! i knew someone would shed light in this.
 
Timbeck2 said:
They say "sterilize" because they can't say the word "clear" or some goober will interpret that as they are cleared for takeoff or to land.
Click to expand...
Either that, or the cables are held up by big plastic balls, and they have to remove the balls to let the cables down.... 1/2 :)

Ron "Where's Nauga?" Wanttaja
 
Check out KNMM for those who haven't landed at a Navy base. E-28 gear, you don't want to land short of it or try to taxi over it.
 
Cooter said:
Check out KNMM for those who haven't landed at a Navy base. E-28 gear, you don't want to land short of it or try to taxi over it.
Click to expand...

At NBC, we always had ours de-rigged at the approach end. Not sure if they still do that or not. Usually in heavy rain, airfield recovery would go ahead and rig it to anticipate engagements.
 
During summer months they load the de-icing trucks with a bleach solution and send the crews on daily excursions to spray the runways with this solution. There isn't much evidence this does anything and it wreaks havoc on the color in the line paint, but due to a longstanding dispute with the de-icing union many airports have been unable to dis-continue the practice. Rumor is the line painters are in on it since the damage from the bleach solution creates 2-3x the amount of work for the line painters with all the extra repainting each summer during "sanitation season."

Could also be they just need to remove some object that's on the runway.
 
Believe it not Air Force fighters occasionally engage the cables, usually as a precaution or emergency such as loss of hydraulics. Even inadvertently! Had an F-15 land one night and apparently didn't realize his tail hook was down and engaged the approach end cable (BAK 14). Called up and transmitted, "uh tower (call sign) think I engaged the cable". I was dying to say why, hard to taxi, but didn't.

We even had barriers (MA1A) for cargo aircraft that was a steel/nylon net across the departure end about 4' high. The plane's gear would run into net and then the plane would roll out into the 1000' overrun. They actually used huge ship chains laid out along side the runway to dissipate the plane's energy, link by link, as the plane rolled into the overrun.

The cable on the other hand is braked by actual brakes from a B-52 (BAK-14). That's what we had when I was in the USAF, don't know if they're the same now or something different.
 
Last edited:
mscard88 said:
Believe it not Air Force fighters occasionally engage the cables. Even inadvertently! Had an F-15 land one night and apparently didn't realize his tail hook was down and engaged the approach end cable (BAK 14). Called up and transmitted, "uh tower (call sign) think I engaged the cable". I was dying to say why, hard to taxi, but didn't.

We even had barriers (MA1A) for cargo aircraft that was a steel/nylon net across the departure end about 4' high. The plane's gear would run into net and then the plane would roll out into the 1000' overrun. They actually used huge ship chains laid out along side the runway to dissipate the plane's energy, link by link, as the plane rolled into the overrun.
Click to expand...


Saw an F-15 in Bagram land hot and sling his tire through the air like a flying doughnut. Took the departure end gear and fouled the runway for over an hour. Happens.
 
Croomrider said:
Why would F16's use cables? They are not Navy aircraft and don't land on carriers.
Click to expand...

Military or joint use runways can have barrier cables that can be deployed to prevent overruns. They can be manually or remotely deployed. Air Force fighters do have hooks that can be deployed to engage the cables. They are marked with a series of round painted dots crossing the runway, and when deployed/elevated they stand about 6 inches above the runway grade. Not a big deal for a bigger plane to run over. Might be a big deal to hit it with a GA wheel..

Attached google maps image of Luke AFB.. yellow circles across the runway... https://www.google.com/maps/place/L...a4320e0143a2f!8m2!3d33.5414884!4d-112.3755018
 
Doggtyred said:
Military or joint use runways can have barrier cables that can be deployed to prevent overruns.

when deployed/elevated they stand about 6 inches above the runway grade. Not a big deal for a bigger plane to run over. Might be a big deal to hit it with a GA wheel..
Click to expand...

Actually mainly for fighter that have control problems, usually caused by loss of hydraulics.

The cable is held up off the runway by a series of rubber 'donuts' across the width of the cable on the runway.

arresting cable.jpeg
 
Yep, F-4, F-105, F-104, and F-111 all had one. Current USAF fighters F-15, F-16, F-117 (actually retired), F-22 all have one. Don't know about the F-35.

Here's an F-16 about to engage.

f16-tailhook-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Zeldman said:
I thought "tailhook" was a secret navy aviators club.......;)
Click to expand...

In typical form, I decided to go googling tailhook (I was a teen when the scandal broke....but hadn't looked at anything about it lately...).. and the Tailhook Association had this awesome tribute to one of their own, who perished just before the scandal.

Its worthy of a read if you've never heard of LtCdr "Bug" Roach.

https://www.tailhook.net/A_Bug_Roach_Prayer.html
 
Zeldman said:
I thought "tailhook" was a secret navy aviators club.......;)
Click to expand...

Talked about it at work with another vet the other day. I look at the early 90s as when the military went from a war fighting institution, to bending over backwards to be politically correct. Tail hook set the precedent. It's only gotten worse since.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top