Erickson Air Crane Visits New River Valley Airport

The Erickson Air Crane (also known as the S-64 Skycrane) made a fuel stop in the New River Valley on Wednesday. The Air Crane is one of the most unique helicopters in the world. Manufactured in Oregon, the Air Crane is a multi-platform heavy lift helicopter. The aircraft is used worldwide in fire fighting, logging, and construction. The helicopter can lift over 20,000 pounds. The Air Crane that stopped by the New River Valley is known as Goliath, and recently performed at the 2010 Oshkosh Air Show where is lifted a brand new 2011 Ford Explorer vehicle in a display of its lifting capabilities. More information on the Air Crane can be found on Erickson's website at: http://www.ericksonaircrane.com/

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


Runway Improvements Complete at New River Valley Airport


Dublin, Virginia – September 28, 2010 – The New River Valley Airport Commission celebrated the completion of the $5 million runway rehabilitation project at the New River Valley Airport today. “The newly renovated runway will ensure that the airport is able to serve the businesses in the New River Valley well into the future” said Chairman of the Airport Commission, Nick Glenn.

The project, which was funded primarily with grants from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Commonwealth of Virginia, provided for the complete repaving of the airport’s aging runway. The previous runway was over 25-years old and showing signs of cracking and fatigue. New runway signs, improvements to the shoulder and runway ends, as well as re-designing a taxiway were also part of the project. “The new runway and other improvements make the airport more accommodating for business jet traffic” said Keith Holt, manager of the New River Valley Airport.

The New River Valley Airport is owned and operated by the New River Valley Airport Commission, which is comprised of representatives from the counties of Pulaski, Montgomery, and Giles, the City of Radford, and the towns of Dublin, Christiansburg, and Pulaski. The airports runway is 6201 feet long, seventh longest in the Commonwealth. The airport is home to 41 based aircraft and averages 28 flight operations a day, including several business jets. The airport is home to Department of Homeland Security’s US Customs Office, making it an international airport of entry.

Nighttime Work Complete

Work is now complete and no further nighttime closures are needed for Runway 6-24. The previously issued NOTAM has been cancelled.

The PAPI for Runway 6 and Runway 24 will remain INOP until the FAA conducts a flight check of the PAPI system.

Before and After Pictures

Nighttime Closure Sept. 7 - 17th

Runway 6-24 will be closed for nighttime work beginning on the evening of Tuesday, September 7th. The Runway will be closed from 9pm until 7am daily. The nighttime closures should last for no more than 10 consecutive nights in order to do the runway grooving and final runway markings.

Taxiway Alpha Now Open

Taxiways Alpha and A1 are now open at the New River Valley Airport.

The NOTAM that would close Runway 6-24 for the evening of Friday, August 13th has been cancelled as work inside the Runway Safety Area has now been completed.

The PAPI system for Runway 24 and the new PAPI for Runway 6 will remain out of service until the FAA conducts a flight check.

Runway 6-24 Now Open

Runway 6-24 at the New River Valley Airport (KPSK) is now open. The newly paved surface is now available for use. Taxiway Alpha (leading to runway 24) remains closed. For departures on Runway 24, please back taxi from the mid-field taxiway (Taxiway Bravo.)



Some night time work will continue over the next few weeks to finish work on taxiway Alpha and to apply the final markings on the runway. Please check NOTAMs for all up to date runway information.

Runway Re-Opening Delayed Until Sunday Aug. 8th

A mid-afternoon thunderstorm yesterday in the Dublin area has delayed completion of the work on Runway 6-24 at the New River Valley Airport (KPSK). The new planned re-opening of Runway 6-24 is now scheduled for noon on Sunday, August 8th.

We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to a successful completion of the runway rehabilitation project.

Runway Planned to Re-open on Saturday, August 7th.

We received word today that Runway 6-24 should re-open on the afternoon of Saturday, August 7th.

It appears that while the runway will re-open on Saturday, taxiway Alpha will remain closed for a little longer. This means that aircraft will have to back-taxi from the mid-field taxiway to access the end of Runway 24. We expect that during the week of August 9th, we will have a few nighttime closures in order to finish up work on that taxiway.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

The rain over the weekend has slowed down progress on the runway rehabilitation project. Initially, it was looking like we could re-open early, now it is going to be a struggle to re-open on time. We'll keep you updated on the progress and our planned re-open. In the meantime, enjoy a few new pictures of the project coming together.

Work At NRV Airport Kicks Into High Gear

Work on the runway rehabilitation has kicked into high gear. The local quarry has delivered a mountain of stone that now sits near the back hangar. In addition, the electrical contractor - Barnes & Powell has done a lot of work running the wires for the new PAPI for Runway 6 and the distance remaining signs. Much of the prep work is underway on the runway, including the final crack sealing, bringing the sod back from the sides of the runway, and some of the milling of the surface itself. As you can see from the picture below, Runway 6-24 remains closed.

NOTAM 07/006

NOTAM number 07/006 has been issued for the New River Valley Airport (KPSK) in Dublin, Virginia. The NOTAM will close runway 6-24 effective Wednesday, July 21st beginning at 7:00am local time.

The runway will remain closed for approximately 15 days for resurfacing.

7/16/2010 - Runway Closure Update

The contractor tells me they are still on schedule with the plan to begin repaving the runway on Wednesday, July 21st. The airport currently remains closed at night (9pm) and reopens in the morning (7am). The plan is to close runway 6-24 the morning of Wednesday, July 21st and not re-open until the paving is complete. However, there is rain in the forecast this weekend, which may impact the contractors ability to finish up their nighttime closure work.

It looks like either Monday or Tuesday, we will close Taxiway A (the taxiway leading to runway 24) in order to accommodate some work being done there. Please check NOTAMs for the current taxiway closure information.

If you are planning on relocating your aircraft for the shutdown, please keep the runway closure and other NOTAMs in mind. The last opportunity to relocate your aircraft will likely be Tuesday, July 20th prior to 9:00PM. (We will close for nighttime work on Tuesday night and if the contractor remains on schedule, we will move right into the full time closure on Wednesday, July 21st.)

Asphalt Plant Comes Together

The pieces of the asphalt plant are starting to come together and the contractor has been doing work on the runway in the evenings to prepare for paving mid-next week.

Nighttime Closure NOTAM Issued

NOTAM number 07/002 has been issued for the New River Valley Airport that will close runway 6-24 for nighttime work from 9:00 PM until 7:00 AM local time beginning Sunday, July 11 and lasting until Wednesday, July 21. The airport will only be closed nighttime during these dates and will resume normal operations daily at 7:00 AM.

Beginning Wednesday, July 21 we will begin re-paving the runway that will constitute a complete shutdown of the runway to operations at that time that is scheduled to extend through August 5th depending on weather. We will keep the blog up to date when that NOTAM is issued.

Should you have any questions, please check NOTAMS or feel free to give us a call at (540) 674-4141.

Congressman Boucher Visits the NRV Airport

Congressman Rick Boucher visited the New River Valley Airport on Wednesday to help us kick off the runway rehabilitation project with a press conference. Congressman Boucher spoke of the importance of the airport for attracting business to the area and moving air cargo. The Congressman spoke about how federal funding that he helped to secure was aiding in the project.

On Thursday, the Roanoke Times ran an article about the project. A link to the article is available here.

Project kick-off Sunday, July 11th @ 9:00pm

We met with the FAA and the contractors for the Runway 6-24 rehabilitation project at the New River Valley Airport (KPSK), and we expect to get our notice to proceed work on Sunday, July 11th.

The contractor is beginning to set up equipment and we are excited to get the project started.

From our discussions with the contractor, based on a best case scenario, no bad weather or mechanical delays, the runway and taxiway closure would look something like this:

Sunday, July 11th - Tuesday, July 20th.

• Runway 6-24 will be closed from 9:00pm until 7:00am daily for nighttime work. The runway will re-open at 7:00am. portions of Taxiway Alpha will be closed for part of this time.

Wednesday, July 21st - Thursday, August 5th

• Runway 6-24 will be closed to all traffic for repaving. Taxiway Alpha and Bravo will be closed. Helicopter traffic will be permitted on the ramp.

This schedule is the best case scenario of no bad weather or other project delays. The date of the full-time runway closure could shift back by a few days depending on how the nighttime closures work progresses.

Sometime in late August or early September, we will have a few additional nighttime closures for the final runway markings and pavement grooving. Additional work by be done on a nighttime closures basis to wrap up a few loose ends in August.

We will keep the blog updated with information as it becomes available, so feel free to either subscribe to updates or follow the status on the blog. As a reminder, please check NOTAM's prior to flying.

Why Can't We Use the Taxiway as a Runway?

Many pilots recall that the last time the runway was closed for construction that day VFR takeoff and landing operations were permitted on the taxiway. A common question has been can we use the taxiway to takeoff and land while the runway is closed this time? The short answer is...NO.

There are multiple reasons for this, all of which are safety related. First off, this project is much different and more complex than the previous time the runway was closed. Portions of taxiway "A" will be closed as grading will be taking place on the western end of that taxiway, as well as portions of taxiway "B" will be closed. This essentially limits us to taxiway "C" (the taxiway leading to runway 6). Due to the trees and hillside adjacent to that taxiway, and the construction equipment and temporary asphalt plant that will be located on-site, that taxiway is not a good option for use as a runway either. While helicopter traffic will still probably be able to use taxiway "C" and the ramp, it just is not safe for airplane operations.

While I understand the desire to want to be able to keep operating through the construction, it is important to also consider the safety aspect for pilots and the construction team. We have worked closed with the FAA, the contractor and our airport engineers to explore many construction options and have agreed upon an option that limits the runway closure time as much as possible.

So long answer short...no, the taxiway cannot be used as a temporary runway.

Contract Documents Approved – Tentative Schedule Discussed

The FAA has approved the contract documents for the runway rehabilitation project, putting us one step closer to beginning the project. We have submitted our construction phasing plan to the FAA and expect to receive comment from them very soon.

Tentatively, our construction plan is to begin work around July 12th. The construction plan will incorporate 15 nighttime runway closures; followed by 15 consecutive days of runway closures.

IF we were to begin work on July 7th, the schedule would look something like this...

July 12 - July 26: Runway 6-24 will be closed during nighttime hours only. These closures will likely be between 9:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. Normal daytime operations will be permitted at the runways full length and width.

July 27 - August 10: Runway 6-24 will be closed for paving.

August 10th or 11th: Runway 6-24 will re-open at its full length and width.

Sometime in late August or early September, we will have a few additional nighttime closures for final runway markings and pavement grooving. These closures will not impact day operations.

This is a VERY TENTATIVE schedule. We are still working with the FAA and the contractor for the phasing approval and the final decision on a start date. However, this information could impact many of you so getting this tentative schedule should help as you plan your summer flights. This is especially important for those of you planning to attend AirVenture in Oshkosh this year!

I will keep you up to date as a more definitive schedule is established.

Sign Up To Receive E-Mail Updates

A sign up sheet has been posted inside the terminal building if you are interested in receiving e-mail updates on the runway rehabilitation project. Feel free to either sign up on the sheet or send an e-mail to kpskmanager@gmail.com to get signed up for updates.

Contract Documents Finalized!

The contract documents with Rifenburg have been approved by the Airport Commission and sent on to the FAA for final approval. Once the FAA approves the documents they will advise us that work can begin.

If you were at the airport recently, you may have noticed that survey stakes are going up around the runway. This is being done to mark critical areas where work is being done and to give reference points.

Soon, the cracks like this...



...will be a distant memory.

Contractor Chosen!

We are pleased to report that Rifenburg Construction Inc. was the low bidder for the Runway Rehabilitation Project. Their bid was within about $300,000 of our engineers cost estimates and overall their bid package reflected the ability to accomplish the project on time and on budget. Rifenburg has a lot of experience in doing work at the Raleigh -Durham International Airport so they are not new to aviation projects. In fact, you may have seen some of their work as they recently did the runway project at Chesterfield County Airport in Virginia. Check out the data sheets of their airport work on their website.

We look forward to working with Rifenburg Construction Inc. on a successful project. We are currently working on the siting plan for their temporary asphalt plant as well as final contract document.

We will keep everyone posted with a construction timeline and schedules as they become available.

Project Total Estimate $4.9 Million - Local IDA's to Help With Funding

Following the recent bid opening, the project budget estimate is now expected to be $4,988,298 to rehabiliate runway 6/24.

The estimate project funding is as followed:

• Federal Aviation Administration (95%) $4,738,883.10
• Virginia Division of Aviation (3%) $149,648.94
• Local Funding (2%) $99,765.96

Originally, the airport has planned and expected the project to be around $4.2 million; as such we had collected $82,840 of the local match. The Industrial Development Authorities (IDA's) in Pulaski County, Montgomery Gounty, Giles County and the City of Radford have agreed to help us in funding a large portion of the required local funding we were short. This will allow the project to continue as planned, with construction estimated for this summer.

A big THANK YOU to all the IDA's for their support of this vital project.

Runway 6-24 Rehabilitation Bid Schedule

We have begun the process towards rehabilitation of the full length and width of runway 6-24. The project is currently out for bid.

Specific project information and the official bid information can be found at Delta Airport Consultants website or click here.

Below is a schedule for the bid process:

Advertise for Bids - February 7, 2010
Pre-Bid Meeting - February 16, 2010
Bid Opening - March 2, 2010
Forward Applications to FAA and DOAV - March 8, 2010

We will keep the blog updated as the process goes forward.