Airfield management flight keeps runway safe, aircraft flying 24/7, whatever the weather

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Tucked away between the air traffic control tower and fire department is the 100th Operations Support Squadron Airfield Management flight.

While some people may not know of their existence, there are plenty who do - all the transient aircrews that routinely stop over at RAF Mildenhall on their way downrange or home.

Once on the ground and transported over to the building to file their flight plans, transient aircrew are greeted by members of the airfield management team, whatever time of day or night they arrive.

"Every time an aircraft comes in and out of the base, we put their flight plan into the system," said Tech. Sgt. Rachel Castrovinci, 100th OSS Airfield Management NCO in charge. "If they're outbound, it goes through civil air traffic control for whichever country they fly through.

"When aircraft are inbound, we track their arrival time, just in case we need to set up search-and-rescue if they don't show up. We also arrange 'prior permission required' - this means that when any aircraft want to come here, they have to get prior permission from us," said Castrovinci.

She explained that they schedule all the transient aircraft, whether military or civilian. Transient aircrew rely on them for access to computers so flight plans can be filed; the airfield management flight coordinates all support for the visiting crew, whether it's fuel, maintenance, crew transportation or other necessary requests.

"The transient aircrew request permission to land, then the tower cross-checks with us to confirm it [and] takes over until the aircraft lands. We assign the parking spot for when they land, then arrange their transport to get them here and to billeting," Castrovinci explained.

Airfield management maintains the clear zone around the runway, ensuring aircraft can arrive and depart safely, and are in charge of airfield driving, keeping a database of more than 2,000 drivers and trainees who hold a flightline driving license.

"We're also responsible for constantly checking airfield conditions on the pavements [taxiway, runway and parking aprons], inspecting the asphalt, airfield markings, and signs and lighting," said Castrovinci. "We're the only agency that can officially determine the condition of the runway surface, which we pass on to the aircrew."

The flight uses a piece of equipment called a Mu-meter, to test braking action on the runway surface. The device is towed along by a truck, and sends data readings to a laptop, which is logged by airfield management personnel and passed on to aircrew in the form of a Notice to Airmen.

Transient aircrew are constantly in and out of the airfield management building, and their operations require a team of people there to support them.

"These guys are definitely a key office for us," said Master Sgt. Nancy Primm, 91st Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., whose aircraft recently stopped at RAF Mildenhall along its route. "Without them, we would have a much harder time trying to get our business done. It doesn't matter if we're here for just two hours, 24 or 48 hours - without these folks here, things become a lot more difficult and there would be a lot more coordination that we wouldn't have to do otherwise."

Lt. Col. James Gatch, a pilot with the 54th Air Refueling Squadron, Altus Air Force Base, Okla., who was once stationed at RAF Mildenhall, also stressed the importance of airfield management.

"With all the services they have here, such as [computer security] and mission planning, they're a one-stop shop for us," he said. "Not only do they provide the flying information, filing of flight plans, and the paperwork portion, they also take care of a lot of the other support functions that we need and could ask for."

The airfield management team says they enjoy what they do, mainly for one reason.

"This job has so much diversity," said Staff Sgt Robert Grotefend, 100th OSS Airfield Management operations supervisor. "One day is never like the next - every day brings new challenges, whether it's handling inbound special aircraft or working on airfield discrepancies or projects."

The 14-person team works 12-hour shifts, covering 24/7 operations.

"One shift you might have an in-flight emergency; the next day, you might have an airfield lighting outage, and you're coordinating to get the lights back on as soon as possible. In that instance, we'd be working with [100th] CES, sending safety notices alerting aircrew that the lights are out," said Grotefend.

"The next shift we could easily be dealing with an airfield driving violation, where a vehicle has crossed the controlled movement area on the runway, so we have to sort that out and process all the paperwork. We also often work with civilian air traffic control [in London, Brussels and Paris] to get flight plans into the system, so an aircraft can take off on time and complete its mission," he added.

Grotefend said he's seen and experienced so much with his job - dealing with aircrew, aircraft and seeing the whole mission come together.

"I really do love what I do - I have an awesome job," the staff sergeant said.

The 100th OSS commander lauded the airfield airfield management team for keeping RAF Mildenhall's runway operating safely day and night, through the range of weather that dominates the U.K.

"Our airfield is a vital 'weapons system' providing access to the rest of the world, whether it be the continent of Europe, Asia/Eurasia, or even Africa," said Lt. Col. Christopher Bennett, 100th OSS commander. "Aircraft travelling to and from North America rely upon our airfield to serve as a vital fuel stop before or after crossing the Atlantic, or benefit from the 100th ARW KC-135 Stratotankers, which can refuel them when their mission circumstances don't allow them to land in England.

"The wind, weather, and even wildlife here do present challenges, but our airfield management team, supported by our weather flight and air traffic controllers, keep the airfield open and supporting our mission virtually around the clock," Bennett added.