Dave Robinson, airport manager, performs a foreign object debris check on the new taxiway parallel to the runway — called Taxiway C — which was recently completed at Fort Leonard Wood’s Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport at Forney Army Airfield. The new taxiway improves aircraft ground movement. Photo by Brian Hill
A new parallel taxiway was recently completed at the Fort Leonard Wood’s Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport at Forney Army Airfield, allowing air traffic controllers improved aircraft ground movement.
The new taxiway — Taxiway C — was built between March and November 2019.
The addition of a taxiway parallel to the runway allows arriving and departing aircraft a quicker option for departing the runway, allowing another aircraft to land while the first one is taxiing to the apron — improving the overall safety of the runway.
“This will be indispensable in an emergency situation when an aircraft needs to land immediately,” said Dave Robinson, airport manager. “The runway can be cleared more quickly to allow the emergency aircraft to land.”
The new taxiway can handle aircraft with up to a 79-foot wingspan and a tail height of 39 feet.
“This generally means the taxiway can be utilized for the majority of aircraft we see here, military and civilian,” Robinson said.
The parallel taxiway also comes in handy for drone training.
“It can be used to land drones and allow other aircraft the ability to use the runway,” Robinson said. “So, the new taxiway further enhances our training capabilities here.”
(Editor’s note: Information was provided by FLW’s Aviation Division.)
