06/14/2013: The first aircraft to use Travis’ reconstructed runway touched down and took off in April 2013 before an appreciative audience of Travis and community leaders.
Credit:60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs:4/8/13
The original runway was built in 1946 and has been periodically widened and lengthened over the years. The runway’s redesign narrowed its paved surface, which was better for the environment and lowered the amount of storm water runoff.
The new runway is now 10,995 feet long and 150 feet wide.
Its lighting was also replaced and upgraded with 1,055 new LED lights, which are more visible to the aircraft, and 227 miles of wiring was replaced.
The 3,500-foot-long, 90-foot-wide landing zone will be a money-saver for Travis and the Air Force.
C-17 and C-131 aircrews from Travis and other California bases currently practice and get certified on how to land on short airstrips in austere, isolated locations.
They fly to an airfield at Moses Lake in central Washington.
It is estimated that the new landing zone will save the Air Force approximately $7.8 million a year in fuel and other costs.
http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/military/travis-opens-reconstructed-runway-and-new-landing-zone/
Another source added: “It allows for triple-runway operations on base, as opposed to single operations.”
http://www.thereporter.com/ci_22900355/travis-air-force-base-introduces-new-runway-landing