Floating airport

A Floating airport is an airport that would be built and situated on a very large floating structure (VLFS) located many miles out at sea utilizing a floatation type of device or devices such as Pneumatic Stabilized Platform (PSP) technology.

As the population increases and land becomes more expensive and scarce, very large floating structures (VLFS) such as floating airports will help solve land use, pollution and aircraft noise issues.

Wave of the Future: Airport issues tackled

Many issues and problems of land-based airports could be minimized by locating airports several miles off of the coasts. Takeoffs and landings would be over water, not over populated areas, thereby eliminating noise pollution and substantially reducing risks of aircraft crashes to the land-locked population.

As little of the ocean's surface is currently being used for human activity, growth and alterations in configuration would be relatively easy to achieve with minimal impact to the environment and/or to local residents who would utilize the airport. Water taxis or other high speed surface vessels could be a part of an offshore mass transit system that could connect the floating airport to coastal communities and minimize traffic issues.

A floating structure, such as a floating airport, would have less impact on the land than its land-based alternative. It would not require much, if any, dredging or moving of mountains or clearing of green space and the floating structure provides a reef-like environment conducive to marine life. Wave energy could also be harnessed using the structure to convert waves into energy to help sustain the energy needs of the airport.

The ocean and seas are much easier to patrol and secure than land-based airports and a floating airport could conceivably reduce the risk of terrorist attack by shoulder-fired missiles.

Floating airport projects

In 2000, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport sponsored the construction of [http://www.mlit.go.jp/english/maritime/mega_float.html Mega-Float] , a 1000 metre floating runway in Tokyo Bay. After conducting several real aircraft landings, the Ministry concluded that floating runways' hydro-elastic response would not affect aircraft operations, including precision instrument approaches in a protected waterway such as a large bay.

The U.S. military and Japanese government [http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1064340&C=navwar are considering] the construction of a floating runway in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The Pneumatic Stabilized Platform (PSP) was originally designed as a means for constructing a new floating airport for San Diego in the Pacific Ocean, at least three miles off the tip of Point Loma. However, this proposed design was rejected in October, 2003 due to the difficulty in accessing such an airport, the difficulty in transporting jet fuel, electricity, water, and gas to the structure, failure to address security concerns such as a bomb blast, inadequate room for high-speed exits and taxiways, and environmental concerns. [http://www.san.org/Airport_Authority/Airport_Site_Selection/faq.asp]

External links

* [http://www.floatinc.com/ Float Incorporated ]
* [http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/2005/Apr/hillyardApr05.asp Center for Contemporary Conflict - "The Atlantis Garrison: A Comprehensive, Cost Effective Cargo and Port Security Strategy" by Dr. Michael J. Hillyard] (PSP / Floating Airport technology could be used for Cost Effective Cargo & Port Security)
* [http://www.pulseplanet.com/archive/Sep96/1302.html September 1996 -"FLOATING AIRPORTS: Wave of the Future"]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/11/18/MN37546.DTL November 18, 1999 by Michael McCabe, SF Chronicle Staff Writer "Planes would land on floating runways built on S.F. Bay"]
* [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3494214 Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique] "FLOATPORT: a floating solution to the San Diego airport's environmental problems" Auteur(s)/Author(s)BLOOD H.; INNIS D., Float Inc., San Diego CA, ETATS-UNIS
* [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20070114-9999-2m14float.html San Diego Union Tribune - SignOnSanDiego.com] "Floating airport proposal resurfaces"
* [http://www.jimbell.com/issues.html Jim Bell - Ecological Designer] "Airport: Thinking Outside the Box"
* [http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/today/2005-09-26-sky-archivesept23_x.htm 9/26/2005 USAToday.com "Today in the Sky: Will San Diego build an airport in the ocean?" by Ben Mutzabaugh]
* [http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=4847 San Diego CityBEAT] , "The sinking of the San Diego floating airport proposal" by D.A. KOLODENKO