Small-Airport Winter Staffing and Spares: A Planning Worksheet

Scenario: a small airport has a handful of operators, two or three machines and no cover for a sick call. Direct answer: list the roles, the machines and the gaps, then plan backup for each. The worksheet below turns that into a one-page plan. I cite no airport’s practice here; adapt it to your own situation and regulator.

Worksheet

Part 1: people

Part 2: machines

• List each machine, its operator pool and its wear parts that touch the pavement.
• Note which machine has no backup if it fails.

Part 3: spares

• Edges and bolts for each machine, with quantity on hand and the date of the last count.
• Parts with a single source or long lead time, marked clearly.
• Where the spares are stored and who has the key.

Part 4: gaps and actions

• List each gap in one line, assign an owner and set a date.
• Review the sheet before the season and after the first major event.

Common gaps at small airports

A single operator trained on one machine, spares stored in a different building and no agreement with a neighbouring site for help are three typical gaps. Each is cheap to fix before the season and expensive during it.

Keeping the sheet alive

Put the worksheet on the wall of the equipment bay and update it whenever a person or a machine changes. A sheet that is two years old gives false comfort, so give someone the job of checking it each autumn.

Questions to ask before the season

Contingency planning is a set of questions somebody has to answer in writing before the first storm.

1. If our only plow operator is ill, who can drive, and are they current on procedures? A name on a list is not a qualified operator.
2. If a machine fails mid-event, which machine takes its task, and how long does the switch take? Time, not just a substitute, decides the outcome.
3. Which spare parts would stop us if we ran out? The list is usually much shorter than the catalogue.
4. Does any agreement exist with a contractor, a neighbouring airport or the county? An agreement nobody has tested is an assumption.

Write the answers into the worksheet, and where the answer is a name or a number, check it rather than assuming it. A short phone call in October often turns an assumption into a plan.

Boundary: No airport’s staffing or equipment practice is described, and requirements from your regulator and operator come first.