Many people have repeatedly wondered what an airfield is and how it differs from an airport. To answer it, one should consider their structure, types and significance in aviation. Only after that it will be possible to get an accurate idea and draw conclusions.
What is an airfield?
An airfield is a piece of land with various structures, equipment and airspace. Each such section includes an airfield, an air traffic control complex, and one or more runways.
It is worth noting that even the smallest aerodromes are quite difficult to manage and require a large number of tasks to be performed to ensure adequate safety for take-off and landing of aircraft. In this regard, special aviation services were created, which are in constant interaction.
Kinds
All aerodromes are divided into several types depending on the purpose and nature of the service.
For operational purposes, they are:
- Special use. Created to perform special aviation work (for example, economic). They are used for aerial photography, medical care in hard-to-reach places, etc.
- Aerodromes of airports. Designed for take-off and landing of transport aircraft.
- Factory. Used during testing of new aircraft or models that have undergone repair or modernization.
- Sports. The type and arrangement of such airfields depends on the type of aircraft used and the events held by sports clubs.
- Combined. Designed on the basis of several aerodromes. For example, may include bands for special and economic purposes.
Depending on the nature of the service, airfields are divided as follows:
- Beginning and ending - the site where the aircraft begin or, accordingly, end the flight.
- Intermediate - used for temporary aircraft parking.
- Spare - designed to land the aircraft in case of unforeseen circumstances or emergency.
- Airfield - on these sites are constantly based aircraft of one or more civil aviation units.
