52nd Fighter Wing modifies runway at Spangdahlem to reduce optical illusion

[unhappycamper]

A C-5 glides through its approach Thursday at Spangdahlem, Germany’s newly refurbished runway. Safety improvements include moving red antennas, seen below and to the left of the C-5, and the addition of a dark epoxy coating at the ends of the runway to give pilots a better visual reference for landing.


52nd Fighter Wing modifies runway at Spangdahlem to reduce optical illusion
By Scott Schonauer, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, February 13, 2008

PANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — Seeing is not always believing.

For years that has been the case at Spangdahlem Air Base, where pilots have had to cope with a potentially dangerous and well-known optical illusion when approaching the runway.

The approach has long been considered risky, but the Air Force has made changes to the airfield to reduce the illusion in hopes of improving safety. Last year, crews added a dark epoxy coating to the ends of the runway and shifted antennas about 10 meters. The changes cost more than $1 million and were finished up last October. The base also completed a $3 million resurfacing job last year.

The illusion stems from the runway’s incline. When approaching the base from the southwest end, the runway has an upslope that makes pilots erroneously believe the aircraft is coming in too high. The natural response is to reduce altitude to compensate for the illusion. The exact opposite phenomena occurs when a pilot approaches a runway that slopes down.

It is the first time the Air Force has made such changes to one of its runways, and engineers had to get special permission to add the coating, said Lt. Col. Kathryn Kolbe, 52nd Civil Engineering Squadron commander. But a unique solution was needed for a unique flight hazard, officials said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52432