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Ground Operations Information Running Smoothly From the Ground Up
Except for directing aircraft on and off the runways (that's the FAA's job), Airport Operations oversees virtually all the action on the ground. That means they're responsible for airport safety, runway and taxiway inspections, overseeing fire and rescue operations, keeping the runway lights on and the snow off. The airport employs five operations supervisors. They are on duty 24 hours a day.
Bad weather at other airports can make a difference, too. Dane County Regional Airport is an important "diversion" airport. When a large airport like Chicago's O'Hare, Milwaukee, or Minneapolis shut down due to weather, aircraft headed there often are directed to MSN, which becomes a holding pen of sorts.
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Did you ever wonder who is responsible for the well being of the entire airfield? Who
checks the bulbs in those little lights along the runway? Who decides the method to keep
those runways clear when Mother Nature just won't let up?
When snow or ice complicates matters, keeping runways open is a top priority. A
sophisticated computer system indicates the exact temperatures and conditions of various
airfield surfaces.