Airfield Characteristics

Characteristics: A 2 .. 2.5 km long taxiway is heading away from the airfield, often cross-wise to the main runway. The taxiway often leaves the airfield limits and is located on public grounds. At the end, there is a dispersal area, sometimes with aircraft shelters. The taxiway can be used as auxiliary runway in many cases.

Airfields: This layout is used in some eastern block countries:
Albania: Gjadër, Kuçova
Germany (former East Germany): Brand, Templin, Welzow
Estonia: Ämari
Slovenia: Cerklje
Czech Republic: Bechyně, Líně, Žatec
Hungary: Kecskemét, Taszár

Variants: 1) Regular formed dispersal areas as circle or oval in Hungary; 2) Underground aircraft storage in mountains (Gjadër, Kuçova). 3) Auxiliary runway nearly parallel to the main runway (Gjadër)

Characteristics: Runway with a length of 2350 m, made of three parts: 1) paved threshold on the first 400 m in main landing direction 2) 1850 m grass strip 3) 100 m paved ending. Additional parallel grass runways; paved circular taxiway on one side of the runway; small flight line.

Airfields: This layout was used for these airfields in former East Germany: Gnoien-Warbelow, Groß Mohrdorf, Kleinköris, Müncheberg. Possibly, the Alteno airfield had this form as well, before it received a full paved runway.

Variants: 1) Dispersal areas 2) Circular taxiway not parallel to the runway (Groß Mohrdorf, Müncheberg); 3) Flightline at the taxiway which leads to the runway (Müncheberg).

Characteristics: Runway with parallel taxiway; loops at each end, with an angle of 45°; small ramps at both loop taxiways; taxiway to the center of the runway.

Airfields: Used for airfields build for German Air Force during the 1950s/1960s: Eggebek, Hohn, Hopsten, Husum, Leck, Neuburg, Varrelbusch (planned only), Wittmundhafen

Variants: 1) additional shelter loops, 2) additional ramps, 3) additional parallel taxiway with large ramps for transport aircrafts (Hohn), 4) Size of small ramps can differ 5) small ramps at each side of the loop taxiways, 6) only one loop to the opposite side of the parallel taxiway (Neuburg),

Similar: Broye-lés-Pesme in France (loops at each end, but different dimensions and proportions; some airbases in Turkey.

Characteristics: Runway, mostly 2000 m long; circular taxiway, which is connected to each end of the runway; QRA areas (Framom).

Airfields: Åmsele, Björkvik, Byholma, Fällfors, Färila, Gimo, Gunnarn, Hagshult, Hasslösa, Heden, Hultsfred, Jokkmokk, Knislinge, Kosta, Kubbe, Lidköping, Piteå, Råda, Sättna, Sjöbo, Strängnäs, Uråsa, Vidsel

Variants: 1) Circular taxiway forms an extended loop (Åmsele, Björkvik, Byholma, Gimo, Piteå, Sättna, Vidsel). The loops have unregular shapes. See a.
2) In some case, one of the loops is located on the opposite side of the runway.
3) Circular taxiway forms a semi-circle towards the end of the runway (Fällfors, Gunnarn, Hagshult, Hasslösa, Heden, Jokkmokk, Kubbe, Råda, Sjöbo, Uråsa). See b.
4) Parallel part of the circular taxiway is longer than the runway (Knislinge, Kosta, Strängnäs). See c.
5) Circular taxiway is not exactly parallel.
6) Combinations of the above

Characteristics: Runway with circular taxiway at both sides; knee at the taxiway short before runway; parking pads directly adjacent to the taxiway, alternating left and right.

Airfields: It looks like this layout was used by the US Forces during the 1940s for airfields in Germany: Frankfurt Rhein/Main, Fürstenfeldbruck (see aerial pictures from 1947), Giebelstadt, Wiesbaden. Giebelstadt seems to be the last airfield where this layout survived until today. Wiesbaden has some remaining parking pads of that kind.

Characteristics: Trapezoid starting platforms, displaced against each other.

Airfields: Germany: Altenburg (relics exist), Ansbach AHP (no relics), Crailsheim (no), Giebelstadt AAF (no), Göppingen AAF (relics, connected by the runway), Landsberg (no), Merseburg (relics), Schwäbisch Hall (relics existed until ca. 2004), Straubing (barely visible on satellite pictures)
Austria: Linz-Hörsching (relics)

Characteristics: 12 QRA lanes at each end of the runway; very close to the runway and end with an angle of ca. 60°.

Airfields: Tapa (Estonia), Templin (Germany), Gromovo (Громово, Russia), Perm (Перм Бол. Савино, Russia), Dalian Dengshahe (China)

Variants: 1) Both areas are on the same side of the runway (Tapa) or on the opposite sides (Templin) or on both sides (Dalian Dengshahe)
2) The areas are not located at the end, but one taxiway before, probably after elongating the runway (Tapa).

Characteristics: Straight taxiway with a S-shaped taxiway; aircraft roof on the rear area of the straight taxiway and on the forward area of the S-shaped taxiway.

Airfields: This kind can be found on nearly all Swedish airfields.

Variants: One or both ends of the S-shaped taxiway do not come back to the straight taxiway; instead they run parallel to the runway or to the taxiway.

Characteristics: Two parallel lanes leading to the runway; length between 140 and 180 m, the distance between each other approximately 20 m; the lanes are connected with each other; in front or behind the connection point, there is a parking spot.
Often, there are two of these double-lanes arranged together.

Airfields: Eskilstuna, Göteborg-Säve, Heden, Kalmar, Linköping/Malmen, Linköping/Saab, Norrköping-Bråvalla, Nyköping, Stockholm-Tullinge, Uppsala

Variants: In some cases, the lanes are closing against each other before the runway, to reach the runway at nearly the same point.

Characteristics: At the beginning of a runway, there is a 200 m long paved surface. Usually, it begins at the first taxiway and ends with a slant of about 45° to the runway.

Airfields: RAF Bentwaters, Binbrook, Church Fenton, Coltishall, Coningsby, Cranwell, Honington, Leconfield, Leeming, Linton-on-Ouse, Middleton St.George, North Luffenham, North Weald, Wattisham, West Raynham, Wethersfield

Remarks: OPR = Operational Readiness Platform

Characteristics: 2 or 4 lanes at the beginning of a runway, which intersect the runway at an angle of approx. 45°. Only in main take-off direction, so most of them are located at the eastern end.

Airfields: RAF Ballykelly, Brawdy, Elvington, Finningley, Gaydon, Llanbedr, Lossimouth, Machrihanish, Manston, Marham, Pershore, Prestwick, St. Mawgan, Scampton, Valley, Waddington, Wittering, Wyton, Yeovilton

Variants: 1) With 2 lanes (Brawdy, Elvington, Llandbedr, Machrihanish, Manston, Prestwick, St. Mawgan, Valley, Yeovilton)
2) With 4 lanes (Ballykelly, Finningley, Gaydon, Marham, Scampton, Waddington, Wittering, Wyton)
3) Without square platforms (Manston)

Remarks: OPR = Operational Readiness Platform for the V-Forces,
An extensive discussion can be found here: www.airfieldinformationexchange.org: ORP's & ASP's
Two pictures of Vulcans, sitting on the QRA lanes at Finningley:
Four Avro Vulcan B2s of No 83 Squadron on the ORP at RAF Finningley in 1961
83 Squadron at RAF Finningley in 1961

Characteristics: Left and right along taxiways; taxiway and parking pad are forming a ring; probably build for large bombers.

Airfields: Airfields:Mošnov (Czech Republic), Powidz (Poland), Templin (Germany)