Steve J. White asks (some time ago);
:I just read your recent post to TML regarding the facts & figures file(s)
:you have on starports and such. I'd also be interested in anything you
:might have. I'm looking for GREAT detail for some worlds I'll soon be
:working on so starport detail is essential. Thanks...
I'm working on it. I haven't forgotten, I just can't seem to find where
I put it. (James and Mark know this litany from me...) :=)
Most of the stuff I have relates starport construction and classification
to examples of airports in the U.S. now. Considering what has recently
been said about starport classification, I'd like to add a TL8 checkpoint.
Most of this sounds awfully familiar to us Trav/MT buffs -- only this is
"real world" now...
The ICAO (the international governing body for aircraft and airspace) has
divided up airspace into six lettered classifications, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
(Okay, I can't count.)
A is for all airspace over 18000 ft (yes altitdues are in feet, not meters)
sounds to me like orbital starports fall into this area...
B is for the few HUGE airports that have massive commercial traffic,
automated landing systems, multiple parallel runways, responsibility
for area RADAR coverage, and stuff like that. Examples are JFK, TOK,
and HTW (Kennedy, Tokyo, and Heathrow).
Sounds like a "good quality installation" to me. :=)
C is for most other airports. It includes all airports that have control
towers. Generally, in order to have a control tower, an airport will
also have fuel.
D is for non-controlled fields. You *generally* will only find these in
the U.S. and in underdeveloped areas of the world. (Makes sense to me.)
After that the classifications have to do with controlling aircraft that
are in the air. Now Marc Miller might have been privy to this information
when he classified starports, but what the heck. :=)
Another thing to do for ideas about starports is to go down to your local
airport and hang out. After you know these people, ask for old airport
maps that they're throwing out for updates -- the obsolete ones. Air maps
get updated every six months. These things have listings of services,
length and position of runways, etc.
Or you could go down to the boat supply shop and get a chart of your
favorite harbor...
- --
Richard Johnson [email removed]
I'm sorry. Last time that happened, it was an accident.