I am pilot flying into LHR/LGW regularly. A couple of weeks ago, low cloud forced auto landing at LGW (CAT I STILL requires visual reference even for auto land). UK strips are properly maintained and thanks to the brightness of the lights I acquired visual reference with 60’ to go. Saving going into full LVP saves huge delays, wasted fuel (while aircraft hold) and people’s travel plans. The difference when going to some countries abroad is marked. The work these guys do is safety essential. ❤ to them.

@asimismo6476

Жыл бұрын

FKU

@MohammadTaher

Жыл бұрын

Hi Graham, Thank you so much! Im mohammad in the video and show videos of behind the scenes on my page !

@grahamsalmons2027

Жыл бұрын

@@MohammadTaher No thank YOU! I mean it sincerely. I’ll go and check your page too! I’ll see your work in a couple of weeks (LGW-UVF!)

@southparklion

Жыл бұрын

How much rubber accumulates on runways at smaller airports that just don't keep up with rubber deposition? Is there a maximum rubber standard? How unsafe do they become?

@grahamsalmons2027

Жыл бұрын

@@southparklion I’m going to let Mohammed give his more informed answer, but my guess is the problem is much less acute, because they are much smaller lighter aircraft going in, with fewer wheels. A Boeing 777 can weigh 250 tons on landing and has 14 wheels. A Dash-8 Q400 won’t weigh more than 28 tons on landing and has six. A Boeing 777 approach speed will be around 130-140 kts, a Dash-8 maybe 100-110. And a Dash-8 is a comparatively heavy regional aircraft. I’m thinking of Southampton specifically. When I was base manager there I think we used to clean rubber once or twice a year (but I’m sure someone will correct me!) and the guys were excellent at cleaning runway lights if we observed they were dim. Something else about runway lighting: big airports like LHR and LGW have touchdown zone lights buried in the runway as part of CAT III approach systems - such lighting is mandatory for this. They also require centreline lights, typically with 15m spacing. A smaller regional airport has little requirement for such high precision approach capability as the aircraft that serve it aren’t so equipped. As a result they wont have touchdown arrays or possibly even centreline lights. So lighting issues are less acute. Finally, regional airports just aren’t as busy. LHR has departures and arrivals every minute (or less) at its peak, where’s airports such as Southampton tend to have periods of activity (for example first thing, lunchtime, evening) but the rest of the time are quiet. The sheer volume of traffic is much lower, consequently so is rubber deposition. For those more expert than I please comment and correct as appropriate!

Even as a private pilot, I never really thought about this before. Fascinating stuff. Respect to those who keep our world functioning.

@billlets5460

Жыл бұрын

Wow.

@4seeableTV

Жыл бұрын

They could've gone into a bit more detail on the actual removal of the thickest rubber on the runway. We see what looks like melted rubber being collected, but they don't really discuss it. They went on too much about the lights.

@fifafutwizard

Жыл бұрын

Alright big time…

@jessihawkins9116

Жыл бұрын

gee I’d feel real safe flying with you 😒

@thejackbox

Жыл бұрын

@@fifafutwizard privet jet pilots are pilots to..

As airport operations personnel it's always cool too see stuff like this covered for the public to see. So much interesting stuff imo

He hit the nail on the head when he said it's something people never really think about. 10k pounds a day holy cow.

@tompw3141

Жыл бұрын

That's five tons!

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

That's a big lie though, divide that by 100.

@kylehenline3245

Жыл бұрын

@@Iseenoobpeoples Pretty sure at busy airports it is way more than 100 pounds a day but point taken.

@fantabuloussnuffaluffagus

Жыл бұрын

@@Iseenoobpeoples 10,000 lbs divided by 1300 daily aircraft movements is about 15 lbs per landing (half of aircraft movements are takeoffs). That aligns rather well with the 20 lbs for an A380 landing quoted in the video. 10k pounds/day is the right order of magnitude.

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

@@fantabuloussnuffaluffagus 90% goes up in smoke and is not laid on the tarmac.

For people wondering why the wheels on planes don’t spin up before landing, it has to do with the inertia generated by the wheels spinning. It makes corrections by the pilot significantly harder and landing much more dangerous.

@ThomasBomb45

Жыл бұрын

they'd be little gyroscopes! Plus the systems to spin up tires would add extra things that could fail, and need maintenance etc

@sheppodiddly

Жыл бұрын

Ha, always wondered this. Thanks!

@believeachieve2847

Жыл бұрын

@@ThomasBomb45 and weight

@tw25rw

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking they should design the tread of the tyre so that the airflow starts them spinning. But what you say makes sense.

@Xxtictoc1216xX

Жыл бұрын

My exact thought answers thank you

One thing I love about aviation is, you will always learn something new.

Very interesting, I never thought about the rubber on runways.

Not only is lighting important for any approach in poor visibility or night conditions, it's actually legally considered to be part of the Instrument Landing System (ILS)

@NOOne-li1pj

Жыл бұрын

Do you know what is ILS? If not don’t comment on it.

@dr.barbeque2767

Жыл бұрын

@@NOOne-li1pj AIM 1-1-9 Subpart a (3)(c): "The system may be divided functionally into three parts: Guidance information: localizer, glide slope. Range information: marker beacon, DME. Visual information: approach lights, touchdown and centerline lights, runway lights."

@RikestRik42

Жыл бұрын

Right. Even when bringing a plane in on ILS, the pilot needs to be able to see the runway before reaching minimum altitude which is usually 200' AGL. If the field isn't in site by the time minimums are reached, a go around is required.

@sharpvolt2669

Жыл бұрын

@@NOOne-li1pj chill my guy

@VictoryAviation

Жыл бұрын

@@NOOne-li1pj He's 100% correct. It says it right in the FAR under what components of a precision ILS exist. You're definitely out of your element Donny.

No idea why I never thought to wonder about this thanks.

As an ILS technician with the FAA, I found this video to be pretty interesting. 👍 I always like when the city takes a runway out of service. Then I have a free window to check up on our systems without additional service interruptions! Thanks city guys! Also, thanks for not scraping my localizer ground-check paint marks off the runway!

@RickySpanish168

Жыл бұрын

what

Thank you for this video. I had never thought of the work involved in maintaining those runaways before but I am now very appreciative of all the work being done "behind the scene" so to speak.

The thing is though on a normal dry day rubber to rubber contact is very strong and that’s why drag strips, race tracks etc. become more grippy once the rubber from tires has been laid down after tons of laps or runs down the strip. However yes during wet weather it becomes very slick.

@MendTheWorld

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for that clarification regarding the coefficients of friction. I'm just supposing, but I think another aspect of wet runways would be that if an accumulation of rubber is filling the grooves in the concrete, water will not be able to flow off as readily and hydroplaning will occur.

@bradcrosier1332

Жыл бұрын

@@MendTheWorld - You are 100% correct - that is a significant consideration as well as the direct reduction in the Coefficient of Friction in such wet conditions!

Nice to see someone talk so passionately about how they do their work.

Always watching from Georgetown Guyana south America 🇬🇾🇬🇾🇬🇾

@Comet-2011-W3-Lovejoy

Жыл бұрын

Hebes Chasma, Valles Marineris, Mars 🔴

That was an excellent video. A rather obscure topic very well explained. Thank you

@MohammadTaher

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure

I never thought about what happens to all of that rubber. Thanks much for the information. I used to work at an airport. Good to know.

The normal average person probably would not have known about this! I knew a little because I was in the Air Force for 20 years. Thanks for sharing!

So interesting, thank you

I have been involved in aviation and have flown quite a bit throughout my life since i was a small child. I never once thought how they maintain the runways. At La Guardia Airport in NYC, they close one runway on a Saturday morning and so maintenance on it. But I never thought what it involves. This is amazing!

I used to travel by plane a lot. Thank you for your job, guys!

Excellent informative video, critical stuff we take for granted.

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

It's a big lie divide the number by 100

Nice bit of footage of the Airmen maintaining their runway. 😉

Yeah dude like you said, ive literally never thought about this or thought it was an issue. So many things that make our world work everyday.

Good vid!

I might not live around a very busy plane commerce area but I can honestly say this is something I have never actually thought about. Interesting

I knew there was a team of people cleaning between the last and 1st flight,s but didn't ralise how much went into it, thanks for keeping it safe guys.

Simply mind-blowing! Amazing work by amazing people, they keep the world connected in so many ways 👏👏💯👌

Anybody noticed that destroyed plane at 2:24?

@get2dachoppa249

Жыл бұрын

It was this accident: "19 May 2013, at approximately 0950 Zulu (1420 local), a C-130J, tail number (T/N) 04-3144, assigned to the 41st Airlift Squadron, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB), Arkansas, ran off the end of a runway at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shank, Northeast, Afghanistan, struck a ditch which collapsed the nose gear and eventually ripped the right main landing gear from the fuselage. The right outboard engine struck the ground, pressurized fuel and oil lines were broken, fluid was sprayed over the cracked engine casing, and the right wing caught fire."

@lightsoul5812

Жыл бұрын

@@get2dachoppa249 dope 😂

@zaffo757

Жыл бұрын

@@get2dachoppa249 Shank...mortar city. Don't miss it.

@get2dachoppa249

Жыл бұрын

@@zaffo757 I was at Kandahar for a good while, don't miss it either.

Great informative video! Interesting how rubber tires which are grippy make the tarmac slippery

Great video

You learn something new everyday!!!

lol i did never actually thought of this entire topic. not knew it exists. but it makes so much sence haha great video thanks !

I was the guy that sprayed the cracks so weeds didn't grow, all around the fuel tanks and drainage. I got to be on the runway while a Concord took off, at JFK. Well, extremely close to the runway....

I never knew this activity before. Fascinating

I'm about to travel to Japan and this made me even more grateful for the folks who enable air travel every day

I came across this interesting info researching airplane tires: It's always a sensitive subject when you discuss the causes of accidents, or the fact that retreaded aircraft tires do much better than original ones. Retreaded tires get 30 to 50 percent more landings than new ones

excellent video

Always wondered about this! And for F1 race tracks as well

I didn't know about this at all ! .... Amazing ! .... 🙂 ....

VERY INTERESTING 🧐 THANKS FOR SHARING THIS 🤗💚💚💚

Very interesting, thank you!

Very interesting video!

Just a thought : Would some kind of low-tech small windmill that drives the wheels help? So that the wheels get up to speed before hitting the ground.

@PrismarineGaming

Жыл бұрын

Probably not, when the tires touch down and you see all the white smoke they're getting very hot which makes them stickier and allows for more braking.

@norgeek

Жыл бұрын

The cost benefit isn't there. The additional weight of anything powerful enough to drive the wheels plus the costs for getting it certified plus the costs for ongoing maintenance wouldn't be less than the cost of the reduction in tire wear, and it would probably be minimal compared to what is lost trying to stop how many tons of airplane seconds later anyway

@JudeFurr

Жыл бұрын

Manual transmission commercial airliners have clutches, the pilot just needs to upshift

@briancunningham483

Жыл бұрын

This was tried in WW II using pockets on the side of the tire. The problem is that spinning tires become gyroscopes that impede the ability of the plane to maneuver at a critical time

@luka3532

Жыл бұрын

@@briancunningham483 Thanks for the info, that makes perfect sense as to why that hasn't been implemented.

People like him are the type of people who make it to the top. Even though he doesn't need to, he wants the pilots input. That helps the machine of a business run smoother and more efficiently

I was totally unaware of all this. I was simply thinking that most of the landing rubber went up in smoke.

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

Because it's a big lie divide the number by 100

@leopinty5103

Жыл бұрын

@@Iseenoobpeoples what?

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

@@leopinty5103 You must have low knowledge about science, I'm I right?

@jackcumins6320

Жыл бұрын

@@Iseenoobpeoples and you have no knowledge about English. You can prove nothing

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

@@jackcumins6320 I can spot BS when I see it. I speak multiple languages how about you?

Thanks for your sharing

So what becomes of the rubber that is removed?

“How many machines does it take to change a lightbulb?” “Yes”

A Ryanair flight typically deposits 9 to 12 pounds of rubber on a runway

Never knew that. Thank you for sharing very interesting

@tellegraammemartijndoolaard2

Жыл бұрын

Congratulations 👆👆👆, I have a package for you🎁🎁🎁

Very informational. Doesn't seem that Midway in Chicago does it often enough.

Excellent 👍🇺🇸 Thank you for sharing this. Mad respect to all the men & women who work hard in the background for us to stay safe 👍👍👍🇺🇸

Very interesting video.

Makes total sense. I never thought to much into it, but those wheels go from not moving … to moving very quickly instantly lol

It would be nice to have a system that spins the tires up to landing speed just before touchdown. Then they could save 10,000 lbs of rubber every year, or roughly 38 tires worth.

@SmackcrackIV

Жыл бұрын

And waste a whole lot more time, effort, weight on the planes and obviously money both coming up with (and certifying) and maintaining such systems. The idea sounds nice but if you even think about it for a few minutes, you’ll probably find even more reasons not to

Interesting!

Great video. We'll done.

I had no idea. Wow!!!!!

The amount of rubber laid down by a single jumbo jet landing is insane.

@Iseenoobpeoples

Жыл бұрын

It's a big lie divide the number by 100

What do they do with all the collected rubber?

@00bean00

Жыл бұрын

Maybe they make playgrounds with it

God bless you for giving us the answer within the first 30 seconds.

Best video ever.

@tellegraammemartijndoolaard2

Жыл бұрын

Congratulations 👆👆👆, I have a package for you🎁🎁🎁

Do they use any method with the air speed to help pre spin the tires before touch down? Or would that much spinning mass do some crazy things for stability?

@jlentztube

Жыл бұрын

Same thought. Would save wear on tires. Probably wouldn't want to have motors because of the weight but some air powered turbines on the hub caps wouldn't add much.

@captainalieth

Жыл бұрын

They've probably come up with stuff to do that but I doubt it would be cost effective or durable enough.

@vinnieboombatzmd3508

Жыл бұрын

Had the same question. I'm thinking though that if it were practical it would have been implemented by now considering the complexity of modern jets. I'd like to know if there's a specific reason that it's not done as well. Maybe the additional braking force from the wheels being motionless on landing helps with landing distance? Saves on reverse thruster and wheel braking maybe?

@RoyalMela

Жыл бұрын

Any extra mechanical solution is another mechanical issue. More service, more malfunctions and so on. Add weight, more pressure on landing gear and more maintenance and service. Also spinning wheels become gyroscopes and make plane harder to maneuver.

@bradcrosier1332

Жыл бұрын

They would literally not be worth their weight in fuel to carry.

This guy Mohammad Taher has a small KZread channel but it’s amazing to see for young aerospace Engineers!

It’s with everything’s in the world, that for what’s happening well and right, we fail to notice and estimate how many people have been working to make it right. But we realise them only when something goes wrong. It takes effort and wisdom to see and appreciate what’s contributing to something’s success before it becomes an evident failures.

...Traction while landing on a wet runway. Yes, that's an important one at Heathrow airport. I was once in the back of a commercial plane when it landed there during typical wet conditions, I could feel the back of the plane sliding back and forth due to the slick surface. Not a sensation one wants to feel in the back of a plane traveling on the ground at high speeds.

Very interesting

this is where my skills in power wash simulator benefit the most. im gonna apply tomorrow

Satisfying job that

Fantastic - I've always wondered where the rubber ends up as vehicles tires wear out. Can the recovered rubber be recycled into new tire compounds afterwards?

@marcmcreynolds2827

Жыл бұрын

FWIW, decades ago a vehicle tire manufacturer looked at the disposition of worn off or shredded tire rubber and concluded about 95% of it stays on the road or within a few meters on either side.

@grab2337

Жыл бұрын

It might be able to be recovered and recycled, but it probably isn't since it is contaminated with a bunch of other stuff also on the runway.

That sounds like a very important and critical job. I think I would enjoy doing this. How does one find a job like this?

I’m an old man, I never knew this! So thanks!

Always wondered why they didn’t put motors on the plane that speeds up the wheels prior to landing to the same speed as the plane. Would save a ton of money in tires changes and lost time

@paulbradford6475

Жыл бұрын

If you "motorise" the wheels of an aircraft and these pre-spinning wheels touch down at any off-angle to the direction of travel of the aircraft, the aircraft will careen off the runway.

@mrcontroversy222

Жыл бұрын

weight. fuel. efficiency

@danesebruno

Жыл бұрын

The added weight of the motors would increase fuel consumption. It has been calculated already and it is cheaper to change tires than to carry extra weight and have extra maintenance of said motors the main reason is landing on wet runways. That brute first contact helps disperse water and ensure the tires touch the tarmac before the brakes are applied. Spinning wheels make it far more likely to aquaplane. You need the tires to drag so they can "cut thru" the water.

@kco1270

Жыл бұрын

I doubt that spinning wheels could have enough momentum to have any significant effect on these aircraft, but agreed that they often land with some amount of crab, so the wheels will skid in any case.

@Quarterpounderspatch

Жыл бұрын

I was told the centifugal forces without being under load would shred them to pieces.

Something else I didn't know. Now I know everything!

Amazing of technology

Cool

What’s hilarious is that this is the complete opposite of what happens to race tracks, you want the added rubber to the track to make it slick to increase speed and fuel mileage, of course in some racing series they strip the rubber because tire brands want to keep their tire formulas secret

@clayboi6939

Жыл бұрын

That's the dumbest thing I've ever read. Thanks for the laugh.

@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606

Жыл бұрын

@@clayboi6939 what part is dumb

@clayboi6939

Жыл бұрын

@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 well all of it but especially the part where race tracks want to add rubber to thier tracks to make them slick

@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606

Жыл бұрын

@@clayboi6939 Race tracks don’t want the added rubber, the drivers want the added rubber. Race tracks will diamond grind the track to add friction and that causes a layer of rubber to form

@gnranger

Жыл бұрын

@@clayboi6939 He’s not wrong. A green track is slower and has increased wear.

See jobs that are important but they never tell you about. To the people who do this job. You are my heros.

Good

Cool vid. Anyone else notice @2:25 the crashed C130?

so spinning up the wheels before landing would be beneficial. sounds like a case for "small" electric motors in the wheels. would make taxiing and pushback easier/more efficient as well.

@leopinty5103

Жыл бұрын

it would not be more efficient. and a small motor would not work for a 70 tonne 737.

Safety must 👍

Another thought, with lights maybe have a automatic roll-off system built into lights, like motocross racers wear on their goggles. Cheaper way would be tearoff lenses like in mx. We get mud, sand, dirt and rocks slam into our googles stopping you from seeing while doing one of the most dangerous sports. 1 little pull or tear and you have 100% vision again.

never knew how much rubber gets built up. insane

What happens with the rubber that is scraped off the runway?

@stevencramsie9172

Жыл бұрын

It’s possible the rubber gets dried out and then recycled along with car tires that are no longer useful.

If their problem with lights is they cant clean all of them in one night, why not just have interchangeable lights that you could swap in and out, then maintain off-site? They could just quickly swap the lights using pre-existing plug and play technology, then clean the dirty lights, and when the clean lights get dirty, swap them out again. This would also allow quick replacement/repair of damaged lights as well

@arjunyg4655

Жыл бұрын

I don’t think that’s an actual problem…they only clean them twice a week, so they’re not exactly short for time..

@MonkeNeuronActivated

Жыл бұрын

It showed in the video they can and do remove lights on a schedule. 3:13 you can see one removed, and 3:52 you can see one in the runway, and see the bolts they undo to remove them. They do maintain then off-site since they can't do all of them at once.

@bradcrosier1332

Жыл бұрын

You can’t have ANYTHING which could possibly come loose easily due to foreign object ingestion risks, hence why most maintenance for in-runway lighting is either minor in place things like cleaning, changing bulbs/lenses and such or remove and replace the fixture for off-site service.

that's like my kart track after a race. But we like the build up, gives more cornering grip, except in the rain.

Would be curious to know what is done with the rubber that is removed from the runway? It is recycled and made into new tires or other products?

I bet you can make some pretty decent race track tires with that rubber

Wow I had no idea

"Like trying to fly a plane into a black hole" that's actually rather easy to do since of how big those are and not to mention gravity will assist in the pull in

So the next plan is better on double runway or double place then,destination could be mantainance the run way or other methode that need double system back up,,thanks,,hhe

Is it possible and or feasible to spin up the tires before impact to match touchdowm speed? Would this even make a difference or more harm then good?

@RoyalMela

Жыл бұрын

Any extra mechanical solution is another mechanical issue. More service, more malfunctions and so on. Add weight, more pressure on landing gear and more maintenance and service. Also spinning wheels become gyroscopes and make plane harder to maneuver.

Know what doesn't waste rubber when you reach your destination? Trains.

@lukmanalghdamsi3189

16 күн бұрын

uh...i see you are an Adam something enjoyer

@imogen1

16 күн бұрын

@@lukmanalghdamsi3189 I have been seen

£10,000? that's a lot of money in rubber i wonder how much it all weighs

I can usually tell when theres skidmarks by giving things a quick visual before hoisting them back up.

I'm surprised Tom Scott didn't make a video on this!

I worked as an apron control officer and did runway friction test that was cool but what’s messed up is that I’m just learning on how to remove the rubber I know we didn’t own a machine like and we never removed the rubber I’m now working there anymore but I will mention it to them

Interesting. Rubber on rubber already has a descent coefficient of friction, but of course the rough texture of the tarmac offers even more.

It seems if large aircraft can accurately measure ground speed, they could be engineered to pre-spin their wheels, and there could be considerable cost savings. But one issue could be if one side failed to spin up, that could send the aircraft off course at touchdown.

@RoyalMela

Жыл бұрын

Any extra mechanical solution is another mechanical issue. More service, more malfunctions and so on. Add weight, more pressure on landing gear and more maintenance and service. Also spinning wheels become gyroscopes and make plane harder to maneuver.