1-16 Hangars There is a total of approximately 152,980 square feet of common hangar space available to General Aviation Aircraft

at the airport. This does not include FBO offices, or Mesa Airlines Hangar. There are also 26 T-hangar stalls located in three structures, one a 10-unit edifice near the North Apron and two 8-units structures on the South Apron. These T-hangars are depicted on Figure 1-4. Aircraft Parking and Tiedown Apron There is approximately 91,000 square yards of apron available for parking and tieing down general aviation aircraft. These aprons can accommodate 100 to 130 aircraft. The number of aircraft parking positions is dependent on the types of aircraft being parked, which can range from the Cessna 172 to the Gulfstream G-IV. 1.1.8 Other Facilities And Services Other facilities located on the airport include aviation support facilities, commercial facilities and government facilities. Aviation Support Facilities Aviation support facilities include the air traffic control tower, the airport rescue and fire fighting facility, airport surveillance radar, and airfield maintenance facilities. The air traffic control tower is located on the South Apron near the passenger terminal building. The air traffic control tower includes the tower cab, offices, a break room and space for equipment storage and maintenance. The FAA plans to construct a new office building at the base of the air traffic control tower in 2001. The ARFF facility, is a two bay structure located between the air traffic control tower and the passenger terminal building and houses the airport ARFF vehicles listed in Table 1-3. The airport surveillance radar, owned and operated by the FAA, is located east of Runway 18-36, aids air traffic controllers to provide traffic separation. The airports FBOs and other tenants own and operate various above and underground fuel storage facilities. According to RRAA records, there are a total of 46,000 gallons of Jet-A and 27,000 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel storage available on the airport. A 8,100 sq. ft. airport maintenance facility is located adjacent to Airport Road on the far-east side of the airport. This facility houses the airport maintenance and snow removal vehicles and equipment listed in Table 1-3.

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Fuel Storage at Airport

FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO)

Table 1-6
FUEL STORAGE EQUIPMENT Avgas = One (1) 12,000 gallon UST Jet A = One (1) 12,000 gallon UST Auto Gas = One (1) 500 gallon AST

Aerodynamics

Three (3) Mobile Fuelers: Jet A = 3,000 gallon Volvo Jet A = 3,000 gallon Dodge G Avgas = 1,200 gallon Avgas = One (1) 5,000 gallon AST Jet A = Two (2) 12,000 gallon ASTs Auto Gas = 500 gallon AST
G G

Four (4) Mobile Fuelers: Aviation Maintenance and Avionics, Inc. (Avitat-Reading) Jet A = 5,000 gallon International # 6 Jet A = 2,200 gallon Ford # 1 G Jet A = 2,500 gallon Ford # 3 G Avgas = 750 gallon Ford # 4 G Avgas = 750 gallon Ford # 5 Avgas = Two (2) 10,000 gallon ASTs Jet A = One (1) 10,000 gallon AST Two (2) Mobile Fuelers
G G

Reading Flight Academy

Note:

UST = Underground Storage Tank AST = Aboveground Storage Tank Avgas = 100 low-lead aviation fuel

Source: Airport Management Records, 2000

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Airport Emergency and Snow Removal Equipment

Emergency Vehicle 1. 1984 Walters, model MZ100, 2 axle
G G G

Table 1-7
Description And/Or On-Board Equipment

2.

1998 Emergency One, Ford Cab Pick Up, 300 Model Ford Pick Up, 250 Model Greenfields Volunteer Fire Company

G G G G G G

3. 4.

1000 gallons water 45 lbs. PKP (Purple K Power) 120 gallons AFF foam 300 gallons water 450 lbs PKP (Purple K Power) 40 gallons AFF foam 20 KW Emergency Generator with Lights Have direct access to airfield: Five (5) trucks total in squad, with two (2) pump trucks and one (1) brush truck

Snow Removal Equipment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Plow # 5, 1975 Walters Snow Blower, Idaho Norland Plow # 15, 1993 Oshkosh Combination Tow Broom, Reconditioned 1999 Sweepster 1999 Oshkosh P-Series 1999 Oshkosh H-Series Plow # 6, 1986 Walter Plow # 12, 198 GMC Two (2) John Deere Mowing Tractors 28 Plow Blows 200 ton/hr. 22 Broom/Blower Sicard frame with Sweepster Broom 12 Rollover Plow 22 Standard Plow Dumptruck Dumptruck with plow and spreader,30 GVW 1 tractor four wheel drive with mowing boom Standard Bucket and Ramp Plow with snow basket

10. John Deere 6400 Loader 11. Variety of Pick Up Trucks and Dump Trucks Source: Airport Management Records, 2000

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1-19 Commercial Facilities Non-aeronautical land uses comprise approximately 30 percent of the total airport. Airport Industrial Park Section 1 comprises much of the southwestern portion of the airport along Rte.183. Major tenants include Philip Van Heusen Distribution Center, Barco Manufacturing and Federal Express. Federal Express operates as a ground delivery facility, with no direct air cargo operations at the airport. Section 2 of the Airport Industrial Park is located on the northwestern portion of the airport between Arnold Road and Leizes Bridge Road. Premium Beverage and ICI-Paints North America occupy large warehouses in Section 2, also known as the Northfield Business Center. Section 3, located on the northeast portion of the airport, is the largest of the Airport Industrial Parks. Industrial Metal Plating is the principal tenant. There is a small mobile home park in this section near the airport surveillance radar. There are a variety of other commercial and light industrial businesses scattered about the airport. These commercial facilities generate approximately 30 percent of the airports operating revenues and contribute substantially to the capital expenses of the airport. Government Facilities The Pennsylvania State Police has an aviation facility located on the West Apron. The City of Reading has a pistol range in Section 3 and canine facility in Section 2 on the airportowned property.

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1.2

AIRPORT ACTIVITY DATA

1.2.1 Passenger Activity Historical data on passenger activity at the Reading Regional Airport is presented in Table 18. A compilation of data by the RRAA indicates that annual passenger enplanements fluctuated between 45,000 and 64,000 during the period 1988 through 1999.

Historical Enplaned Passengers

Year 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Enplaned Passengers 55,996 63,530 61,566 59,334 51,737 53,170 60,004 52,296 45,598 57,730 58,638 48,896 Change -+13% -3% -4% -13% +3% +13% -13% -13% +27% +2% -17%

Table 1-8

Source: Airport Manager Records, 2000

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1.2.2 Aircraft Operations According to Air Traffic Control Tower data submitted to the RRAA, total annual aircraft operations (take-offs and landings) at the airport fluctuated between 92,300 and 151,500 during the period 1988 through 1999. General Aviation accounted for the greatest portion of all activity, (88% in 1999). Scheduled and on-demand air charter activity, accounted for about 10% of 1999 activity. Local activity consists of practice take-offs, landings and maintenance flights. These operations typically operate within the airport traffic pattern and practice areas less than 25 nautical miles from the airport.

Historical Aircraft Operations

Year Air Carrier Commuter Air Taxi General Aviation Military 1,854 1,836 1,162 1,276 1,001 1,579 1,349 1,908 1,610 1,507 1,422 1,114 LocalGA and Military 49,081 46,967 38,533 43,178 34,582 47,407 50,306 49,065 48,685 62,890 61,326 59,435 Total 117,609 114,909 93,904 105,268 92,326 115,248 121,691 124,775 129,101 151,597 146,996 135,694

Table 1-9
Change --2% -18% +12% -12% +25% +6% +3% +3% +25% -3% -8%

1988 10,762 55,912 1989 14,615 51,491 1990 14,049 40,160 1991 11,487 49,327 1992 11,639 45,104 1993 12,213 54,049 1994 10,559 59,477 1995 14,564 59,238 1996 15,035 63,771 1997 15,632 71,568 1998 15,221 69,027 1999 12,959 62,186 Source: Airport Manager Records, 2000

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1.2.3 Air Cargo Although there are no scheduled air cargo carriers currently operating at the airport, unrecorded amounts of air cargo are moved through the airport by the commuter airlines and charter air taxi and freight operators. 1.2.4 General Aviation Based Aircraft The RRAA does not routinely receive based aircraft data from FBOs and other aviation tenants. However, the FAA records based aircraft counts in their Terminal Area Forecast and their 5010 Airport Master Record totals. According to these records, the total based aircraft in 1999 was 153 and 102 respectively. A field count of based aircraft at the Reading Regional Airport, conducted in October 2000, determined that the airport is home to 126 aircraft. Of these aircraft, 56% are single engine, 21% are multi-engine piston, 11% are turboprop, 6% are jet and 6% are helicopter/other. Table 1-10 lists the current mix and total number of based aircraft for 1985 (actual data from the last Master Plan Study) and 2000. General Aviation Base Aircraft
Aircraft Type Year

Table 1-10
Change

2000 1985 Single Engine 96 71 -26% Multi-Engine 26 26 0% Turboprop 8 14 +75% Jet 7 8 +14% Helicopter/Other 1 7 +600% Total 138 126 -10% Sources: 1985 Based Aircraft, Airport Master Plan Update Report, prepared by G. Edwin Pidcock Company, 1987; 2000 Based Aircraft, Field Count, Buchart-Horn, Inc., 2000

The nearly 10% decrease in the number of based aircraft over the last 15 years is consistent with the overall nationwide downturn in general aviation that occurred during this period. Local conditions that contributed to the decline include the relocation of several small aircraft due to the lack of T-hangars. Several business aircraft moved to other airports for a variety of reasons. General aviation, nationwide and at the airport, stabilized in the late 1990s, and shows signs of growth. The number of business aircraft at the airport has grown in recent months and a new flight school has contributed to the growth of General Aviation at Reading Regional Airport.

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1-23 1.3 CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA

1.3.1 General Climatic Overview According to the State Climatologists Office, the Reading regions climate is mild with variations due mainly to the differences in elevation and terrain. Weather records show that July is the hottest month, with a mean daily maximum temperature of 85.1 degrees F. The coldest month is January with a mean daily maximum temperature of 36.1 degrees. Precipitation amounts greater than 0.1 inches occur 79 days a year. This greatest amount of precipitation falls during the months of April through September during which time average precipitation exceed four inches per month. Total snowfall during the winter months, November through March, averages 20.1 inches per year.

1.3.2 Wind Data Wind is the major determinant for runway usage. Runways are typically aligned with the dominant wind direction for the airports environs. This allows aircraft to take off and land with favorable wind conditions a vast majority of the time. Runways that are not aligned with the dominant wind direction complicate landing and take off operations, unnecessarily and reduce the operational utility of the airport. According to the Advisory Circular 150/5300-13, Appendix 1. Wind Analysis, the desirable wind coverage for an airport is 95%. When a runway orientation provides less than 95% wind coverage for any aircraft forecasted to use the airport on a regular basis, a crosswind runway is recommended. Wind coverage describes the amount of time (in terms of a percentage) during which an aircraft can operate with less than a three-knot tailwind and/or a specified crosswind (16 knots for high performance business jets, 13 knots for multi-engine propeller aircraft with wingspans greater than 49 feet, and 10.5 knots for the remaining multi-engine and single engine aircraft). Tailwinds and crosswinds are not favorable conditions for take-off and landing. Table 1-11 indicates the percentage of runway usability for all weather, VFR and IFR conditions using the 16, 13 and 10.5 knot crosswind components.

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