interstate runnways?

[zaphod]

OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
about?

c

[Dave Butler]

zaphod wrote:
> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?

http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp

[John Galban]

zaphod wrote:
> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?
>
This question used to be batted around on a fairly regular basis in
the newgroups. The upshot was that just about everybody has heard
about this bit of trivia, but no one could come up with any official
source for it. It appears to be an urban legend (at least for the
U.S. Interstate systems).

In some european countries, major highways were designed to
accomodate military aircraft for use in war time.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[Matt Whiting]

zaphod wrote:

> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?
>
> c

I don't think most of the interstates in PA meet this, or could meet
this, requirement even if it were true! :-)


Matt

[zaphod]

this group never ceases to amaze me. THANKS GUYS!

[Chris]

"John Galban" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
>
> zaphod wrote:
>> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
>> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
>> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
>> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
>> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
>> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were
>> talking
>> about?
>>
> This question used to be batted around on a fairly regular basis in
> the newgroups. The upshot was that just about everybody has heard
> about this bit of trivia, but no one could come up with any official
> source for it. It appears to be an urban legend (at least for the
> U.S. Interstate systems).
>
> In some european countries, major highways were designed to
> accomodate military aircraft for use in war time.

Switzerland is one country in particular.

[Ronald Gardner]

In the cold war days and the start of the interstate system, the plan was to
use these areas as a remote deployment site for the military aircraft in the
event of an attack.

zaphod wrote:

> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?
>
> c

[Ronald Gardner]

Don't need most to meet it, just a few remote sites.

Matt Whiting wrote:

> zaphod wrote:
>
> > OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> > co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> > construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> > interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> > enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> > heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> > about?
> >
> > c
>
> I don't think most of the interstates in PA meet this, or could meet
> this, requirement even if it were true! :-)
>
> Matt

[John Gaquin]

"Matt Whiting" > wrote in message news:nImre.812
>
> I don't think most of the interstates in PA meet this, or could meet this,
> requirement even if it were true! :-)

Doesn't matter. Nebraska and a couple of other plains states can make up
for all the rest! :-)

[Matt Whiting]

John Gaquin wrote:

> "Matt Whiting" > wrote in message news:nImre.812
>
>>I don't think most of the interstates in PA meet this, or could meet this,
>>requirement even if it were true! :-)
>
>
> Doesn't matter. Nebraska and a couple of other plains states can make up
> for all the rest! :-)
>
>

That's a fact. Driving across states like Nebraska, Kansas and others
puts me to sleep ... on a motorcycle no less in the case of Kansas! :-)
I'm not making this up, just ask my wife who was riding with me.


Matt

[Cub Driver]

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 20:51:34 GMT, zaphod > wrote:

>OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
>co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
>construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
>interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
>enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
>heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
>about?

I have heard something similar. Recall that the interstates were sold
to Congress in the 1950s as the National Defense Highway system. I
believe it was argued that they could be used to disperse the SAC
fleet in time of war. I have no reference to this; it's just something
I recall.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

[Markus Voget]

"Chris" > wrote:

> "John Galban" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>>
>> In some european countries, major highways were designed to
>> accomodate military aircraft for use in war time.
>
> Switzerland is one country in particular.

The same is true for Germany. European highways tend to have the lanes for
both directions very close to each other, unlike the US ones with a wide
grass area in the middle. In Germany, you often have small bushes (to block
oncoming lights) between two guard rails. But on some straight stretches of
Autobahn, the middle ground between both directions has been filled in with
concrete, and the guard rails there can be disassembled. If you know what
you are looking for, it is quite easy to pick out these "ad-hoc runways" as
you drive along. Another giveaway: there is never a brigde or cables
running across the highway, for obvious reasons.

Greetings,
Markus

[James]

zaphod wrote:

> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?
>
> c
Go to Australia and drive from Adelaide to Perth, and you will find 3
emergency runnways marked on highway 1 for the Royal Flying Doctor to
use. They are a few hundred miles apart between Ceduna and Norseman.

[John Gaquin]

"Ash Wyllie" > wrote in message
>
> Ike sold the Interstate Highways as a national defence thing.

As was right. One thing learned VERY quickly during the mobilization for
WWII was the inefficiency of the logistical/distribution system in the US on
a national scale. Railroads alone, while they did a marvelous job, just
couldn't keep up. The country up to then was a huge group of local/regional
units. The Interstate system was conceived and built for
commercial/military trucking and transport. Any other benefit, like
personal travel, was ancillary.

[[email protected]]

In article >, zaphod > writes:
> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?
>
>
This gets debated fairly often, concensus is that it is an urban legend,
atleast in the States.

A repeating vector for this UL is provided by a guy from Harvard named
John Stilgoe, a "professor of ordinary things around us". He has several
times stated that not only are they designed for landings, but that SAC
often practices B-52 landings on Interstates - a notion richly poo-pooed
by folks who are in the know regarding all things SAC and B-52
.. He has stated this in an article in the "Smithsonian" a few years back,
and also on an interview done by National Publice Radio.

The date of the NPR show was July 2 1998. It was available in Real Audio format
at www.npr.org, the segment titled "Outside Magic", don't know if it's
still there.

[Ash Wyllie]

Ronald Gardner opined

>In the cold war days and the start of the interstate system, the plan was to
>use these areas as a remote deployment site for the military aircraft in the
>event of an attack.

And built into every under/overpass was to be a fallout shelter. As far as I
know, only a demo shelter was evre built.

Ike sold the Interstate Highways as a national defence thing.

>zaphod wrote:

>> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
>> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
>> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
>> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
>> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
>> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
>> about?
>>
>> c



-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?

[john smith]

wrote:
> A repeating vector for this UL is provided by a guy from Harvard named
> John Stilgoe, a "professor of ordinary things around us". He has several
> times stated that not only are they designed for landings, but that SAC
> often practices B-52 landings on Interstates - a notion richly poo-pooed
> by folks who are in the know regarding all things SAC and B-52

I have yet to see a segment of an interstate highway that is wide enough
for the outriggers of a B-52.

[George Patterson]

zaphod wrote:
> OK, This sounded a little strange to me, but during lunch today with some
> co-workers, someone asked if I knew of some rules regarding interstate
> construction. They had heard a bit of trivia that claimed that an
> interstate highway must have sections that are straight, level, and long
> enough for a plane to land(at least 1 mile they thought.) I had never
> heard of such and was wondering if anyone here knows what they were talking
> about?

It's an urban legend, probably started because Eisenhower liked the idea. It can
be easily disproved simply by looking at a large scale map of I-40 or I-81 in
mountainous terrain. Check Snopes at
http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

[Montblack]

("George Patterson" wrote)
> It's an urban legend, probably started because Eisenhower liked the idea.
> It can be easily disproved simply by looking at a large scale map of I-40
> or I-81 in mountainous terrain. Check Snopes at
> http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp


http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21093
(Scroll down for some interesting pics :-)

http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2E06234B
(One pic from the link)

http://makeashorterlink.com/?T5012334B
(Oops, there's a tank in our way...)


Montblack

[Gig 601XL Builder]

"Montblack" > wrote in message
...
> ("George Patterson" wrote)
>> It's an urban legend, probably started because Eisenhower liked the idea.
>> It can be easily disproved simply by looking at a large scale map of I-40
>> or I-81 in mountainous terrain. Check Snopes at
>> http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp
>
>
> http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21093
> (Scroll down for some interesting pics :-)
>
> http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2E06234B
> (One pic from the link)
>
> http://makeashorterlink.com/?T5012334B
> (Oops, there's a tank in our way...)
>
>
> Montblack
>

If you are trying to counter what George wrote I have to ask. What do planes
in Kosovo have to do with the US interstate highway system?

[ShawnD2112]

They're known as ALARS - Alternate Launch and Recovery Strips, and were a
specific design in several countries which had a concern about being able to
operate from areas other than their main bases after a major invasion/air
attack. They were considered a strategic imperative to be able to defend
the country after the Soviets had taken out all the main base runways.
Germany and Switzerland have already been mentioned; Korea is another one.
They were often located near main bases to reduce the travel from the main
base support facilities to the ALARS. You could tell you were driving on an
ALARS because there were very wide shoulders at either end for servicing and
arming the aircraft as well as parking after missions. If you knew what to
look for you could also identify the barrier installation locations across
the road. Ones I specifically have seen were outside the main gate at
Ramstein and on Highway 1 in Korea, all of which were decommissioned in the
mid-90s.

In ReFORGER (Return of Forces to Germany, a major NATO exercise held every
couple of years during the Cold War) the USAF and Luftwaffe used to exercise
from them routinely during the 70s and 80s (I believe, though I have nothing
other than memories of old photos to back that up).

Shawn

"Markus Voget" > wrote in message
...
> "Chris" > wrote:
>
>> "John Galban" > wrote in message
>> ups.com...
>>>
>>> In some european countries, major highways were designed to
>>> accomodate military aircraft for use in war time.
>>
>> Switzerland is one country in particular.
>
> The same is true for Germany. European highways tend to have the lanes for
> both directions very close to each other, unlike the US ones with a wide
> grass area in the middle. In Germany, you often have small bushes (to
> block
> oncoming lights) between two guard rails. But on some straight stretches
> of
> Autobahn, the middle ground between both directions has been filled in
> with
> concrete, and the guard rails there can be disassembled. If you know what
> you are looking for, it is quite easy to pick out these "ad-hoc runways"
> as
> you drive along. Another giveaway: there is never a brigde or cables
> running across the highway, for obvious reasons.
>
> Greetings,
> Markus

[Montblack]

"Gig 601XL Builder"
> If you are trying to counter what George wrote I have to ask. What do
> planes in Kosovo have to do with the US interstate highway system?


Mountains. Bunkers. Planes. Highways.

It's been done :-)


Montblack

[Morgans]

"john smith" > wrote

> I have yet to see a segment of an interstate highway that is wide enough
> for the outriggers of a B-52.

You must have been asleep in class, on that day.

The outriggers ride on the highway, themselves. They have to put turf tires
on the mains, for use in the medians.

<g>
--
Jim in NC

[Blueskies]

"John Gaquin" > wrote in message ...
>
> "Ash Wyllie" > wrote in message
>>
>> Ike sold the Interstate Highways as a national defence thing.
>
> As was right. One thing learned VERY quickly during the mobilization for WWII was the inefficiency of the
> logistical/distribution system in the US on a national scale. Railroads alone, while they did a marvelous job, just
> couldn't keep up. The country up to then was a huge group of local/regional units. The Interstate system was
> conceived and built for commercial/military trucking and transport. Any other benefit, like personal travel, was
> ancillary.
>


And the legends live on....