After the last lesson, during which we had landed at West Point (FYJ), Chuck gave me the homework of find out what was "different" about the runway there. West Point is interesting in that it's a skydiving base (watch out for human litter from that jump plane!) and it has two defunct runways, one of which is used for auto maneuver practice. I've heard that it's used by the CIA (based nearby at Camp Peary), but don't know whether that is actually true.
So, on to the homework. The runway is listed as 3700' long, with some gray area off the end. The US Terminal Procedures legend says that gray area is a stopway, and it appears to connect to the taxiway. It's not space that's available for normal takeoffs/landings, but is an option for an aborted takeoff:
"An area beyond the takeoff runway, no less wide than the runway and centered upon the extended centerline of the runway, able to support the airplane during an aborted takeoff, without causing structural damage to teh airplane, and designated by the airport authorities for use in decelerating the airplane durin an aborted takeoff." (This actually comes from instuctions for surveyors from the NGS concerning how important it is that they be accurate with atypical runways -- not sure how much credance to give it since it's not FAA or NACO.)
But why would one specific runway have this? Why not the reciprocal runway? I mean, if extra safety buffers are built in on runway 9, why wouldn't 27 need them, too? Why not the others at the airport? Why not all runways at all airports? Isn't a safety buffer a good idea all around? Of course, but the runways are generally pretty long anyway, and land limitations, and cost limitations, and ... Back to FYJ. It's obvious that this airport has gone through some changes, what with two of the three runways being decommissioned. Perhaps that pavement is there and is ok for emergency use, so they reclassified it as a stopway. Perhaps it's damaged, or may be reserved for the CIA's use... Officially, the AIM says:
4.3.6 Use of Runways/Declared Distances: Section c says "At some airports, the airport proprietor may declare that sections of a runway at one or both ends are not available for landing or takeoff. For these airports, the declared distance of runway length available for a particular operation is published in the Airport/Facility Directory. Declared distances (TORA, TODA, ASDA, and LDA) are defined in the Pilot/Controller Glossary. These distances are calculated by adding to the full length of paved runway any applicable clearway or stopway and subtracting from that sum the sections of the runway unsuitable for satisfying the required takeoff run, takeoff, accelerate/stop, or landing distance."
The bottom line: the pavement for RW9 beyond 3700' is physically there but it is not available for normal operational use.
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