Question 1

Airfield planning – key factors linking aircraft characteristics to facilities Which of the following statements correctly relates aircraft characteristics to airport facility sizing and operations?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Airport design must align aircraft performance and geometry with facility dimensions and operational planning. Several fundamental relationships guide apron, taxiway, and runway design, and even traffic scheduling. Given Data / Assumptions: Representative commercial aircraft fleet. Standard planning principles for manoeuvring areas and airside capacity. Concept / Approach: Turn radii directly inform the size of fillets and aprons to prevent excursions. Take-off run available (TORA) and landing distance available (LDA) must at least match aircraft requirements, setting runway length. Typical stage length affects aircraft selection; longer hauls favour larger aircraft and fewer frequencies, whereas short hauls can increase frequency. Step-by-Step Solution: Relate geometry: turning radius → apron and taxi curves.Relate performance: take-off/landing distances → runway length.Relate operations: stage length → fleet mix → frequency.Each statement is valid; therefore, select All the above. Verification / Alternative check: ICAO/FAA geometric design manuals and airline scheduling practice reflect these linkages. Why Other Options Are Wrong: “Only (a) and (b)” ignores the operational reality that stage length influences frequency and aircraft size. Common Pitfalls: Designing aprons without checking the fleet turn radii; setting runway lengths from historical norms without matching to performance of the design aircraft. Final Answer: All the above

Question 2

Runway length adjustments – cap on combined corrections In runway length design, the total combined correction applied for elevation, temperature, and longitudinal gradient should not exceed which percentage of the basic runway length?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Basic runway length (sea-level, standard temperature, level grade) is increased by correction factors for elevation, temperature, and gradient. Practical design imposes a cap so that cumulative adjustments do not inflate lengths beyond reasonable limits without a performance basis. Given Data / Assumptions: Basic runway length computed for the reference aircraft. Corrections: elevation (lower air density), temperature (hot-day performance), gradient (uphill/downhill effect). A design cap is applied to the combined correction. Concept / Approach: While each factor could be significant, their sum is typically limited to a maximum percentage to preserve practicality and ensure that more precise performance calculations are used if the cap would otherwise be exceeded. A widely used examination value for this cap is 35%. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify that the question asks for the maximum allowed combined correction.Recall the standard cap employed in many syllabi: 35%.Select 35% from the options. Verification / Alternative check: Worked examples in airport engineering textbooks commonly use a 35% limit on total corrections unless aircraft-specific performance methods are adopted. Why Other Options Are Wrong: 15–30% are lower than the commonly taught upper bound and would prematurely limit justified corrections in hot-and-high sites. Common Pitfalls: Applying the cap before computing individual corrections; forgetting that aircraft manufacturer performance data can override simplified caps. Final Answer: 35%

Airport Engineering Questions