CALGARY- While city crews work feverishly to clear off snow-covered roads, workers at the Calgary International Airport are doing the same for the busy runways.
The runways have been closed for 15 minutes increments so crews can clear away the snow with special plows while also sweep the pavement before blowing the flakes away with fans.
Those fans generate winds of 160 km/h, all while the vehicle is moving.
“We will take two landing slots, we will get in there, sweep the runways and get them to bare dry conditions in the interest of safety for everybody,” explains Roy McLeod, director of YYC Airside Services.
Braking tests are also conducted to check friction levels, and the results are sent to approaching pilots as part of a surface condition report.
“What types of contaminants, how much, how deep,” says supervisor Jim Lightfoot. “Basically, you are trying to paint a mental picture for a pilot who is coming in to land on the runway.”
With the new runway set to open at the end of June, the airfield will soon double in size. To keep up with the expansion, the airport authority has already bought nine new snow plows.
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