Airports - Unpaved Runways

Although not the focus of this Blog, from time to time I'm going to voice my opinion on subjects that I feel strong about.  The subject of pervious concrete & airports is one of them.

It seems that when this subject comes up, inevitably comments turn to loose stone and jet intakes.  Yes, large jet aircraft land on unpaved airstrips in third world countries, and yes they do have to put stone guards on the engines, and no we don't want the liability, and yes there's the jet fuel, and yes, and yes, and no, and no......

These concerns of some are valid as they apply to commercial aviation, but let me be very clear...what we are talking about is general aviation.  General aviation covers a large range of activities, both commercial and non-commercial, including private flying, flight training, air ambulance, police aircraft, aerial firefighting, air charter, bush flying, gliding, and many others.  Experimental aircraft, light-sport aircraft and very light jets have emerged in recent years as new trends in general aviation.

I still remember my first experience flying.  I was five years old and I sat in the back seat of a J-Cub behind my dad while we did touch-n-goes on a grass airstrip/cow pasture with the side windows folded down.  I was traumatized for years.  Years later, after I flew the coup, he bought a 200+ MPH Mooney and we were able to fly all over in style.  I grew up in Lakeland, FL, home of "Sun-N-Fun" the southeast's premier fly-in, so flying was a large part of my early years.  My dad no longer flies due to medical reasons and long ago my wife clipped my wings.  Perhaps one day......

Anyway, my point is, there are many general aviators out there, taking off and landing on, not only concrete and asphalt, but also on grass, dirt, sand, and gravel.

In fact here are some statistics on general aviation in the US:

Number of:
Student Pilots........................84,339 (2007)
Private Pilots.......................228,475 (2007)
Piston Engine Aircraft.............163,743 (2007)
Airports w/Paved Runways..........5,174 (2009)
Airports w/Unpaved Runways.......9,921 (2009)

Don't be quick to close your mind to this market.  As you can see, most runways in the US are unpaved.  They are grass, dirt or gravel, with the majority being gravel.  Averaging 2000' in length, these unpaved runways represent approximately 600 million square feet!  So if you come across anyone in general aviation asking about pervious concrete, please don't shut the door on the opportunity, it could be huge.

Here is an example of a project that is an ideal fit for pervious concrete:
http://www.workingwaterfront.com/articles/Improvements-planned-for-island-airstrips/13728

By the way, concerning last week's poll, the majority (75%) likes tooled joints.