Random Thoughts on Preventing Runway Incursions

By Charles Jackson

Those of us who fly out of Hollister (California) Airport are fortunate to have a very good general aviation airport with a long, wide main runway and a very much needed crosswind runway.

But, like many uncontrolled airports with crossing runways, runway incursions are an ongoing threat, one that must be guarded against constantly. Because of this, a look at our hazards and the precautions we take might be helpful to those flying out of similar airports.

We have quite a mix of traffic – light airplanes coming and going as well as doing flight instruction, fire fighting aircraft, gliders being towed and landing, even a few jets. It can be busy, especially on weekends, and there have been close calls, but so far no runway accidents.

Probably our biggest handicap on this airport is the fact that the approach ends (the ends from which takeoffs begin) of the two runways are not visible from each other due to the hangars on the main ramp. Add to this the fact that the firefighting aircraft, because of their weight, cannot use the crosswind runway for takeoff.

So we are very dependent of radio communications to stay out of each other’s way, and it works. Those of us who are familiar with the situation are quite conscientious about talking to each other. As long as we do there is rarely a problem. We are almost all willing to help each other out.

Talk to each other… and Listen

The guy who scares us is the guy who isn’t talking – or listening. A lot is said about proper radio communications in terms of what to say and when to say it, but not nearly enough is said about the need to listen to what everybody else is saying. As long as we are talking to each other and hearing what the other pilot says, things run smoothly. At our airport nobody is better at this than the pilots of our firefighting aircraft, and well they should be. Because of their weight and the resulting high takeoff speed, they are probably the least maneuverable aircraft on the field.

Another hazard here is that almost all aircraft will have to cross the other runway after landing to get to the ramp. The only exceptions to this are aircraft that land and turn off in less than 1,500 feet – before the runway intersection. We teach students to stop short of the runway and report crossing. Surprisingly to me, this report isn’t among those recommended in the Aeronautical Information Manual for uncontrolled airports. It should be. Just taking a quick glance down the runway before crossing makes it awfully easy to miss seeing an oncoming airplane. We teach students to stop, look, make their announcement, then listen in case someone asks them to hold their position.

Airplanes are designed to be very good, maneuverable vehicles in the air, but because of the compromises necessary to make them that way, they are , at best, poorly maneuverable ground vehicles. An airplane on takeoff or landing can’t turn or stop quickly. Maybe a good procedure would be to takeoff and land with landing and strobe lights on to make ourselves more visible to other ground traffic.

Ground Traffic

Finally, like many other airports, we have problems with ground vehicles. A few years ago, hangars were built on the other side of the runway from the existing ones. There is a gate from the street to these hangars, but it saves a little time to drive across the runway (about a minute). I understand that the people who work at the airport have valid reasons to drive on the ramp, but they usually aren’t the problem. I also realize that aircraft owners sometimes need to, but there are a few who drive their vehicles on the ramp and across the runways for no apparent reason. Maybe it makes them feel macho to do so.

I’ve had two incursions from trucks entering the runway to cross it while I was landing. In both cases they saw us at the last instant and stopped about a truck length onto the runway, and in both cases we saw them stop in just enough time to avoid heading for the tall grass to avoid a collision. No harm done in either case, and in both cases they were conveniently gone by the time we parked.

None of these faults, of course are exclusive to Hollister, and it remains a pretty safe airport to fly out of. But it is safe only because we make it so. Most of us who fly there regularly communicate well and look out for each other. I’m still happy to call it my home airport.

Charles Jackson is a retired airline pilot and a flight instructor.