What is an airfield? Purpose, types, differences from the airport

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Many people have repeatedly wondered what an airfield is and how it differs from an airport. To answer it, one should consider their device, types and significance in aviation. Only then will it be possible to get an accurate idea and draw conclusions.

What is an airfield?

Airfield is a piece of land with various facilities, equipment and airspace. Each such site includes an airfield, an air traffic control complex and one or more runways.

It is worth noting that even the smallest airfields are quite difficult to manage and require a large number of tasks to ensure the proper safety of take-off and landing of aircraft. In this regard, special aviation services were created, which are in constant interaction.

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All airfields are divided into several types depending on the purpose and nature of the service.

According to their operational purpose, they are:

1. Specialapplications. Created to perform special aviation work (for example, household). They are used for aerial photography, medical care in hard-to-reach places, etc.
2. Airfields of airports. Designed for takeoff and landing of transport aircraft.
3. Factory. Used during testing of new aircraft or models that have been repaired or upgraded.
4. Sports. The type and arrangement of such airfields depend on the type of aircraft used and the events held by sports clubs.
5. Combined. Designed on the basis of several airfields. For example, they may include special and household lanes.

Depending on the nature of the service, airfields are divided as follows:

• Initial and final - the sites where the planes start or, respectively, end the flight.
• Intermediate - used for temporary aircraft parking.
• Spare - designed to land an aircraft in case of unforeseen circumstances or an emergency.
• Home airfields - aircraft of one or more civil aviation units are constantly based on such sites.

Differences between an aerodrome and an airport

To find out how the two devices differ, you first need to figure out what an airfield and an airport are. Although the two terms are often used interchangeably, their meanings are somewhat different.

If you read the aviation code, thenit can be seen that an airport is "a complex of ground structures, which includes an airfield, an air terminal and other structures intended for the maintenance, operation, reception and dispatch of air vehicles." The word "aerodrome" in the code is signed as "a piece of land intended for takeoff, landing and taxiing of air vehicles."

Thus, the airfield is only a runway, which is adjacent to the place for the withdrawal of the aircraft and the hangar. The airport is a large complex of structures, which includes an airfield, an air terminal, and others.

In conclusion, we can say that now it will be quite simple to answer the question of what an airfield is. Both to those people who imagined it as an airport, and to those who have always perceived it as a runway.