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Airfield management: 'Hub of airfield operations'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Without the work of 15 Airmen assigned to the 20th Operations Support Squadron Airfield Management Flight, operations on the airfield would be like an orchestra without a conductor, said Capt. Jonathan Townsend, 20th OSS airfield operations flight commander

As the hub for airfield operations, the airfield management team coordinates many different moving parts, oftentimes monitoring and coordinating other unit's operations, Captain Townsend said.

"For example, we do not fix aircraft nor do we tell maintenance how to do it, but we do monitor their activities to ensure they conform to airfield policies and safety," said Master Sgt. Barry Kennett, 20th OSS airfield manager.

They also don't control aircraft, but if there was a problem with a section of the airfield, airfield management would advise air traffic control and the flying squadrons and give courses of action as a result, Sergeant Kennett said.

To do these tasks, the flight is divided into two sections: the operations desk and airfield management, Sergeant Kennett said. 

Operations desk personnel process and coordinate flight plans, Sergeant Kennett said. Once the pilots file their flight plans, which specifies their flying route, altitude and speed, the operations desk Airmen input this information into a computer system that interacts with air traffic control's computer system. The computer system also tracks the wing's flying goals, giving people an idea of how many flight plans were put into the system during any one month. 

The operations desk also operates the secondary crash phone, a conference call system used to pass on emergency and urgent information, such as an in-flight emergency, Captain Townsend said. 

In addition, the operations desk Airmen check the runway every two hours during wing flying to ensure no danger to aircraft operations exists, he said. 

These runway checks means going out onto the runway and searching for anything that could cause harm to the aircraft, such as nuts, bolts, chunks of concretes or even pieces of the aircraft, Captain Townsend said.

While checking the runway for debris, they also look for birds. The birds could cause damage to aircraft by being sucked into the jet. To prevent this from happening, they use pyrotechnics. Pyrotechnics is a gun that shoots a round a certain distance away and when it explodes, it makes a loud noise and scares the birds away from the runway, Sergeant Kennett said.

Airfield management personnel oversee the airfield.

"We make sure all the airfield pavements, markings and lighting are within limits set forth by Air Force regulations," he said. "Any of these areas not within limits could seriously impact flight operations." 

Airfield management personnel are also responsible for the base flightline-driving program, Sergeant Kennett said. All flightline drivers must come through airfield management to get their certificate of competency for flightline driving. 

"Without their hard work, we wouldn't have an 'airport' to fly from," said Lt. Col. Thomas Littleton, 20th OSS commander. "The day-to-day work in airfield management is what keeps the 'airport part' of the air force base in operation."