AIRBASES TO AIRPORTS

摘要

Throughout Europe numerous 'aerodrome for sale' advertisements have been going up as air forces have been downsized and, as a result, have withdrawn from many bases where past investment has been considerable. An 8,200ft (2,500m) runway is typical on most modern fighter and attack aircraft airbases, and is ideal for commercial operations. The state of the pavement, in most cases, can be expected to be good, and the bases are often only tens of years old. Many have good taxiway configurations, offering access to either end of the runway, and perhaps with intermediate taxiway entry/exit points, too. Dispersal areas are not always quite as ideal - the military being unwilling to group their aircraft on large aprons - but there would usually be large hangars. All the technical paraphernalia of modern aviation is invariably at hand, such as an instrument landing system (ILS), air traffic control tower with approach radar facilities and, perhaps, a powerful radio beacon. A few other items are not quite as useful - hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), gun and missile defence emplacements, a sizeable (often village-sized) set of houses and bombproof storage areas. Although a lot of infrastructure will be in place, the military will often remove all moveable equipment, so such things as radio navaids, ATG equipment, rescue and fire-fighting services, may all disappear. To reinstall these, re-activate the operational strip and build a terminal and support facilities - plus, possibly, an apron and new taxiways -will still require a major investment.