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36 6.1 Key Points The purpose of this primer is to help airport governing officials, policy makers, airport man- agement and staff, and state aviation officials understand the importance of a preventive main- tenance program for airports and gain understanding of what a good program includes. Airport governing officials and policy makers need to understand the value of their airport and, thus, appreciate the need to maintain and preserve the life of the airportâs infrastructure. The value of an airport can be significant to a community because it provides access to the national airspace system and serves the needs of business, the flying public, emergency and medical personnel, aerial firefighters, agricultural concerns, search and rescue organizations, law enforcement personnel, and other users. An airport contributes direct and indirect value to a community by generating jobs, services, and tax revenue. Although airports are of considerable value to communities, they are expensive to build. A new basic general aviation airport typically costs several million dollars. Replacing failed infrastructure is also costly. Infrastructure at airports includes airfield pavement, runway/taxiway edge lighting, airfield signs, visual and navigational aids, airfield markings, hangars, terminal and administrative buildings, maintenance and storage buildings, fueling facilities, deicing facilities, airport-owned utilities, turf and safety areas, fencing and gates, drainage systems, maintenance equipment, air- port vehicles, and landside infrastructure such as automobile parking, access control, roads, and lighting. Preventive maintenance can be defined as those actions performed to detect, preclude, or miti- gate the degradation of an infrastructure system or its components. These actions involve routine scheduled activities intended to keep a system performing at its best, with goals of preventing its breakdown and extending its useful life. Preventive maintenance has several advantages over those of a reactive program. By performing preventive maintenance on a facility as envisioned when it was designed, the full design life of the facility may be realized, thereby saving money. Preventive maintenance (e.g., lubrication, filter changes, sealing pavement joints) will gen- erally help equipment run more efficiently and will ensure that infrastructure functions more safely and efficiently. This results in reduced costs, improved airport safety, reduced energy con- sumption, improved longevity of facilities, and compliance with legal/regulatory requirements, and helps the airport owner better market the community. Suggested steps for developing or improving an airport preventive maintenance program are: 1. Understand and embrace important guiding principles. 2. Establish a baseline of information about the airportâs infrastructure and condition. 3. Identify the preventive maintenance needed for each infrastructure system. C H A P T E R 6 Summary
Summary 37 4. Prioritize maintenance based on airfield safety, economics, operations, contractual require- ments, and extension of the life of each facility. 5. Obtain resources (funding, staffing, equipment/tools, and outside contracts). Ensure that staff are properly trained. 6. Implement the program, using appropriate checklists, work orders, recordkeeping, and the necessary equipment/tools. 7. Keep program up-to-date. 6.2 Where to Go for Help Preventive maintenance is not simply a program or responsibility placed on the shoulders of the airport manager to handle alone. Other entities help with direction, resources, and knowl- edge. Preventive maintenance is the joint responsibility of the airport owner (e.g., city/county), the policy-making board, airport manager, and airport maintenance staff. Other city/county agencies can help with resources and expertise. Many state aviation agencies can help with both expertise and grants. Although eligibility is limited, FAA grants can help with some maintenance and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Also, vendors, manufacturers, and airport consultants are good sources of information. The companion guidebook can help airport management and staff develop and implement a preventive maintenance program. Included on the CD-ROM that accompanies this report are detailed checklists for the preventive maintenance of airport infrastructure systems and a PowerPoint presentation that covers the key points of both the primer and guidebook. Other sources of information about preventive maintenance programs, inspection practices, and safety include other airports that have good preventive maintenance programs, insurance companies, local hospitals, schools, and large companies. These entities often have expertise in maintenance practices and can help an airport set up or improve their preventive maintenance program. Manufacturers of airport facilities or components (e.g., vehicles, HVAC systems, electrical equipment, approach aids) are excellent sources of information. Airports that do not already have manuals for their equipment should contact the manufacturer to obtain them. Appendix B provides a bibliography related to airport preventive maintenance.
