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Pay Attention to Sloped Parking

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Sloped airport parking areas, unlike runways or taxiways, can cause significant problems due to the risk of unsecured aircraft rolling.
  • A single chock or parking brake may not be enough to prevent a heavy aircraft from rolling uncontrollably down a severe slope.
  • The safest procedure for parking on a slope is to have one person hold the brakes in the cockpit while another thoroughly secures the aircraft with chocks and additional restraints like chains or ropes.
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While paved areas at airports are generally flat, there are times when runways, taxiways and parking areas are sloped. While sloped runways and taxiways in some cases require extra attention, sloped parking areas can cause major problems.

I recently visited a beautiful airport in the southern part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains called Kern Valley Airport (L09) near Kernville, California. There is a terrific cafe and a beautiful campground at the airport, so, while the airport itself is small, the parking areas can get quite busy. The parking area near the cafe fits several rows of airplanes and it slopes severely toward the base of the valley.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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