scope:

PURPOSE

Facilities Criteria

This Facilities Criteria (FC) provides design, construction, and maintenance details, dimensional criteria, and structural evaluation criteria for compacted snow and/or ice runways used by wheeled aircraft. Three potential surface conditions are considered:

• Wheeled aircraft operations on glacial ice

• Wheeled aircraft operations on white ice (glacial ice capped with processed snow)

• Wheeled aircraft operations on sea ice

The dimensional criteria are the same for all surfaces. Although these criteria were developed from operational experience on the airfields at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, the concepts are generally applicable to any runway composed of glacial ice, white ice, or sea ice. Appendices B-12 and B-13 provide drawings of the layout of an operational glacial ice airfield which includes a skiway and sea ice airfield located on the Ross Ice Shelf and McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.

Note: The use of the name or mark of any specific manufacturer, commercial product, commodity, or service in this FC does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. Antarctic Program.

The airfields in Antarctica are operated by the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) and primarily support Air Force aircraft. Three airfields have been used at McMurdo Station and one skiway has been maintained at the South Pole Station.

Williams Field Skiway.

Williams Field is located in an area that receives heavy annual snowfall and is built in an area with a deep snow layer overlying the Ross Ice Shelf. The Williams Field skiway is comprised of a compacted snow surface. This FC does not apply to Williams Field skiway or other skiways. See AFI 13-217 for skiway criteria.

Pegasus Glacial Ice Runway.

Starting in 1993, the Pegasus airfield supported C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter aircraft from an exposed glacial ice surface. In 2002 a compacted snow surface ("white ice") was placed over the glacial ice and C-130, C-141, and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft have since performed routine operations from this white ice surface.

Sea Ice Runway.

The sea ice runway on McMurdo Sound has previously supported C-130, C-141, C-5, and C-17 aircraft. For many years C-130 and C-17 aircraft have completed routine operations from an exposed graded sea ice surface. Since 2002, they have occasionally operated on a sea ice surface overlain by either a moderately processed thin snow cap or a thin layer of fresh, loose snow.

South Pole Skiway.

The skiway at South Pole Station is a high-altitude skiway constructed on compacted snow. It is served only by LC-130 and other ski-equipped aircraft. See AFI 13-217 for skiway criteria.