Arlington Municipal Airport Development Plan Arlington Airport Development Plan | Page 107

atively small jet trainer and fighter aircraft such as the T-38, T-45, F-15, F-16, and F-18. According to
the TFMSC, these aircraft types never recorded more than two operations annually at the Airport.
CURRENT DESIGN AIRCRAFT
The current critical design air-
craft for Arlington Municipal
Airport falls in design category
C-II.
Over the past several years, approach category C has served
as the most demanding AAC to exceed 500 annual opera-
tions. In fact, since 2009, AAC C aircraft have averaged ap-
proximately 800 operations per year. Design group II has
constituted the most demanding ADG to exceed the 500 annual operations threshold. Based upon
these historical figures, jet aircraft in AAC C and ADG II combined to exceed the critical aircraft thresh-
old of 500 operations per year to be designated as the current critical design aircraft. Thus, the current
critical design aircraft for Arlington Municipal Airport falls in design category C-II.
FUTURE DESIGN AIRCRAFT
The aviation demand forecasts indicate the potential for growth in business jet aircraft at the Airport.
This includes a forecast of 12 based business jets by the long term planning period. The type and size
of business jets using an airport regularly can impact the design standards to be applied to the airport
system. Therefore, it is important to have an understanding of what type of aircraft may use the air-
port in the future. Factors such as population and employment growth in the airport service area, the
proximity and level of service at other regional airports, and development at the airport can influence
future activity.
A trend has emerged where medium and large business jets (approach categories C and D) activity has
also increased over time. This is not unexpected as medium and large business jets are representing a
greater percentage of business jet deliveries for the past several years; thus, the trend in business jet
manufacturing is toward larger aircraft. This trend provides an indication that the Airport should plan
for large business jets up to design category C-III through
the long term planning period.
The future critical design air-
craft for Runway 16-34 at Ar-
lington Municipal Airport is
projected in RDC C-III.
The Gulfstream V and Global Express represent the larg-
est commonly used business jets in the fleet today. Ac-
cording to records, these aircraft have operated at Arling-
ton Municipal Airport in the past, but on an infrequent
basis. Operations by these aircraft do not currently meet the threshold for critical aircraft design. If at
any point in time one of these larger business jets were to be based at the Airport and/or the number
of operations by these aircraft increase significantly, the Airport’s ARC could transition to C-III.
Furthermore, the previous chapter detailed the increase in air cargo operations at the Airport during
the past two years, mainly associated with the DC-9, which is categorized as a C-III aircraft. While op-
erations by these large air cargo aircraft are forecast to remain below 500 annual operations through
Chapter Three - 15