New equipment helps Fairchild meet mission more safely
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (USTCNS) --- Fairchild is the first Air Force base to make a home for the Mu-Meter MK6. The new equipment uses computer technology to measure, record and transmit friction levels of the base’s runway, taxiways and aircraft ramp surfaces, to help prevent skidding.
The Mu-Meter is a small three-wheeled trailer that encases measuring sensors in cast iron; it can be towed with any hitch-connected vehicle. Then, airfield management can take instantaneous readings of surface conditions with a touch-screen laptop in the towing vehicle’s cab.
Dennis Locke, airfield manager, and Tech. Sgt. Randall Simonson, chief, airfield management operations, both of the 92nd Operations Support Squadron, said the Mu-Meter is a significant improvement over previous equipment for several reasons.
They said the previous equipment, a decelerometer, couldn’t measure large portions of the runway, required a non-anti-lock braking system vehicle and was time intensive.
“This new system will produce better information in a third of the time,” Simonson said. “What’s nice about this system is it’s not vehicle-dependent. The vehicle laptop is mobile and once we get the data link hooked up, we’ll be able to transmit via modem and cell phone from the vehicle’s computer into base operations so aircrews receive the data that much faster.”
Currently, they take the data into base ops on a small disk and load it onto another laptop. The readout looks similar to a cardiogram and the computer software interprets the data into parameters aircrews interpret during pre-flight.
“It’s go/no go information for aircrews,” Locke said. “There’s a certain number aircrews know they can operate within, taxi, take off and land, known as RCR. If the numbers don’t meet requirements, the aircraft isn’t leaving the ground. The MK6 has the capability of providing instant RCR numbers without needing to convert from the Mu scale.”
Readings are taken every hour during inclement weather conditions such as icing, snow and rain for as long as the conditions exist, Simonson said.
Additionally, Locke said the fact the meter can operate within a speed range of between eight and 60 mph, means a wider range of surfaces can be measured - from aircraft parking areas to taxiways to runways. Other similar equipment in the U.S. Air Force inventory requires minimum vehicle speeds of 40 mph, which is not safe around parked aircraft.
Capt. Richard Cook, airfield operations flight commander, said team research to find the $35,000 equipment began in May as a local initiative to improve the efficiency of the friction measurement process. Finally, after extensive Web research and hundreds of phone calls, they found this product in England. They said that was probably the most challenging part, getting it across the ocean and through customs. And they praised the local senior leadership support as well for making the initiative a reality by providing the funds.
“The wing may have provided the funds but it was the imagination and initiative of the folks in airfield management that really made it happen,” said Col. Randal Fullhart, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. “Thanks to them, our aircrews will now have safer, more reliable data in a timelier manner.”
Once on site locally, product specialists from Britain provided all the airfield management flight training.
They currently only have one Mu-Meter, but project they’d like to have a second one. At this time, they are providing the manufacturer with constant feedback with suggestions how to best configure the meter to Air Force needs. They are also working with several other Air Force bases interested in the technology such as Andrews AFB, Md., and McGuire AFB, N.J.
The Mu-Meter is a small three-wheeled trailer that encases measuring sensors in cast iron; it can be towed with any hitch-connected vehicle. Then, airfield management can take instantaneous readings of surface conditions with a touch-screen laptop in the towing vehicle’s cab.
Dennis Locke, airfield manager, and Tech. Sgt. Randall Simonson, chief, airfield management operations, both of the 92nd Operations Support Squadron, said the Mu-Meter is a significant improvement over previous equipment for several reasons.
They said the previous equipment, a decelerometer, couldn’t measure large portions of the runway, required a non-anti-lock braking system vehicle and was time intensive.
“This new system will produce better information in a third of the time,” Simonson said. “What’s nice about this system is it’s not vehicle-dependent. The vehicle laptop is mobile and once we get the data link hooked up, we’ll be able to transmit via modem and cell phone from the vehicle’s computer into base operations so aircrews receive the data that much faster.”
Currently, they take the data into base ops on a small disk and load it onto another laptop. The readout looks similar to a cardiogram and the computer software interprets the data into parameters aircrews interpret during pre-flight.
“It’s go/no go information for aircrews,” Locke said. “There’s a certain number aircrews know they can operate within, taxi, take off and land, known as RCR. If the numbers don’t meet requirements, the aircraft isn’t leaving the ground. The MK6 has the capability of providing instant RCR numbers without needing to convert from the Mu scale.”
Readings are taken every hour during inclement weather conditions such as icing, snow and rain for as long as the conditions exist, Simonson said.
Additionally, Locke said the fact the meter can operate within a speed range of between eight and 60 mph, means a wider range of surfaces can be measured - from aircraft parking areas to taxiways to runways. Other similar equipment in the U.S. Air Force inventory requires minimum vehicle speeds of 40 mph, which is not safe around parked aircraft.
Capt. Richard Cook, airfield operations flight commander, said team research to find the $35,000 equipment began in May as a local initiative to improve the efficiency of the friction measurement process. Finally, after extensive Web research and hundreds of phone calls, they found this product in England. They said that was probably the most challenging part, getting it across the ocean and through customs. And they praised the local senior leadership support as well for making the initiative a reality by providing the funds.
“The wing may have provided the funds but it was the imagination and initiative of the folks in airfield management that really made it happen,” said Col. Randal Fullhart, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. “Thanks to them, our aircrews will now have safer, more reliable data in a timelier manner.”
Once on site locally, product specialists from Britain provided all the airfield management flight training.
They currently only have one Mu-Meter, but project they’d like to have a second one. At this time, they are providing the manufacturer with constant feedback with suggestions how to best configure the meter to Air Force needs. They are also working with several other Air Force bases interested in the technology such as Andrews AFB, Md., and McGuire AFB, N.J.
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