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Improving Alaskan Aviation Safety with Turf Airstrips

Improving Alaskan Aviation Safety with Turf Airstrips. Stephen C. Brown, Ph.D. District Agriculture Agent Copper River/Mat-Su District University of Alaska Fairbanks. How do you recognize a redneck’s home?. You look for the car on blocks…. In Alaska you look for…. Unalakleet. Palmer.

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Improving Alaskan Aviation Safety with Turf Airstrips

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  1. Improving Alaskan Aviation Safety with Turf Airstrips Stephen C. Brown, Ph.D. District Agriculture Agent Copper River/Mat-Su District University of Alaska Fairbanks

  2. How do you recognize a redneck’s home? You look for the car on blocks….

  3. In Alaska you look for…. Unalakleet Palmer …an airplane on blocks! Talkeetna

  4. Alaska is a national leader in aviation crashes/failures …presumably a leading reason is landing on gravel

  5. Why gravel airstrips in Alaska? • Cost • Remoteness • Lack of topsoil • Temperature extremes Gravel runway in Brooks Range Frost heave on Alaska Hwy

  6. A visit to a jet engine turbofan resurfacing plant… …or, getting more money from Alaskanswith gravel

  7. The story of an Alaskan airpark developer How much topsoil do you need for a 2,500 x 75 foot runway to grow bluegrass?

  8. Demonstration Project Palmer Experiment Farm grass research Talkeetna Demonstration Runway

  9. Why not grow something that likes gravel? • Red Fescue is a conservation grass • Aggressive and sod forming • Can prevent invasion of willow and alder on runways • Excellent erosion control • Little fertilization • Excellent in gravel

  10. Project assumptions • Seed must be cheap • Seed is available to the Alaskan Bush • Bush practical • Little maintenance Alaska Reality The Dream

  11. Which Red Fescue? Arctared Red Fescue (use north of the Alaska Range Boreal Red Fescue (use south of the Alaska Range)

  12. Preparing the runway Properly grade runway to encourage drainage and prevent puddling Remove large cobbles Submit a soil sample for nutrient analysis…this is important!!!

  13. Surface Preparation Runway should be “roughened” so that seeds will “penetrate” the surface Alaska ski trail groomer

  14. Seeding Rates Red Fescue SWG 8 pds/1000 sq. ft. State of the art equipment!

  15. Experimenting with Precision Agriculture Grass seed is hard to see from tractor Hard to know the edge of your swath Soaked to the bone

  16. 9 Months Later

  17. Establishing and Managing Grass Airstrips in Alaska Learn these fundamentals: -Runway preparation -Proper grass selection -Establishment techniques -Fertilization strategies -Soil sampling/interpretation Properly maintained grass airstrips cangreatly enhance aviation safety by reducing propeller, engine and airframe damage from rocks. Learn from aviation turf research conducted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks how to cheaply establish and maintain grass airstrips. Participants will also receive free technical assistance from UAF’s Cooperative Extension Service when establishing/maintaining their own grass runways. Free program, but registration required. Registration deadline is August 17th, 2009 For more information or to register contact: Stephen Brown 745-3639 Email at: scbrown4@alaska.edu

  18. Contact me Steve Brown (907) 745-3639 scbrown4@alaska.edu Alaska “Monster Truck”

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