Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky International Airport (Elizovo) (managed by Airports of Regions MC) has added special equipment for measuring the traction of aircraft wheels with the runway surface to its fleet of specialised machinery. This parameter is taken into account during aircraft landing and take-off operations, as it directly impacts the flight safety.
The unit (airfield brake trolley ATT-2M-01) consists of two differently sized wheels connected together on one axis. One of these is a measuring wheel. A special sensor records the level of braking force in the measuring wheel, converting the data into an adhesion factor. The results are transmitted to relevant airport services and aircraft crews.
The traction coefficient is measured whenever climatic conditions change: precipitation, fog, temperature drops, icing or ice melting. The speed of the brake trolley in a measurement mode is 60 - 65 km/h and its dimensions do not exceed 2.5 m by 1.5 m. This equipment allows only one operator to be involved in the measurement.
