UFC 3-260-02
30 June 2001
CHAPTER 3
AIR FORCE AIRFIELD AND AGGREGATE SURFACED
HELICOPTER SLIDE AREAS AND HELIPORT REQUIREMENTS
1. AIR FORCE AIRFIELD TYPES. Airfield mission and operational procedures have resulted in the
development of six types of Air Force airfields: light, medium, heavy, modified heavy, auxiliary, and
assault landing zone. The decision on which airfield type to design for will be made by the appropriate
Major Command (MAJCOM). Designs should generally be based upon medium load criteria with the
following exceptions.
a. Air Training Command bases should be designed as light load. Auxiliary airfields at Air Training
Command bases will be designed for the load and pass level selected by the Major Command.
b. For bases where B-52's are the critical missions, use heavy load criteria.
c. For bases where the B-1 and/or KC-10's are the critical mission, use modified heavy load
criteria.
d. Assault landing zone criteria should be used to design runways for C-130 or C-17 training.
e. MAJCOMs should plan for future missions. For example, if the current mission uses KC-135
tankers but will use KC-10 aircraft in the future, the KC-10 should be the design aircraft.
f. In lieu of the above criteria, MAJCOMs have the option to design for specific aircraft and
projected pass levels.
2. TRAFFIC AREAS FOR AIR FORCE AIRFIELDS. On normal operational airfields, the pavements
can be grouped into four traffic areas designated as Types A, B, C, and D which are defined below and
shown in Figures 3-1, 3-2, or 3-3 for each type airfield. A layout of the assault landing zone is not shown
since all areas are Type A traffic areas. Modified heavy-load airfields will have the same traffic areas as
medium-load airfields. Auxiliary airfields will have the same traffic areas as light-load airfields.
a. Type A Traffic Areas. Type A traffic areas are those pavement facilities that receive the
channelized traffic and full design weight of aircraft. Aircraft with steerable gear, including fighter-type
aircraft, operate within a relatively narrow taxilane producing sufficient coverages or stress repetition
within the narrow lane to require special design treatment. Type A traffic areas for pavements are
dictated by the operational patterns of aircraft. These traffic areas require a greater pavement thickness
than those areas where the traffic is more evenly distributed. Pavement features considered to be
Type A traffic areas on each airfield type are as follows:
(1) Heavy-load airfield.
(a) Portions of long straight sections of primary taxiways will be Type A traffic areas.
Traffic channelization is limited to the center of the taxiway for aircraft with a bicycle-gear configuration.
Therefore, the center 7.6-meter (25-foot) (minimum) of long straight sections will be designed as a
Type A traffic area. The outside lanes will be designed as Type B traffic areas. An alternative design is
to provide uniform thickness for the full width of the taxiway.
3-1
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