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Ramp Advisory Facility keeps aircraft safe on the ground during RIMPAC

  • Published
  • By Maj. Joseph Blubaugh
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  Honolulu International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the U.S., servicing nearly 18 million passengers each year. While air traffic coming into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam makes up just a small percentage of that, it is significant enough that Hickam is home to the only ramp advisory facility in the Air Force.

The personnel that work in the facility are quick to point out that they are not a control facility - the Honolulu International Tower takes responsibility for controlling the aircraft taking off and landing on the runway. Rather, their job is to advise the military aircraft once they have been handed off from the control tower upon entering the Hickam ramp.

"The Honolulu tower doesn't have the expertise of working with military aircraft and the unique layout of our ramp," said Mr. Neil Melvin, an Aerodrome Surveillance Specialist. "They also don't have the time to do it."

Working in the tower where the ramp facility is located can be busy on a normal day with the heavy military traffic that transits through Hickam, but it grows exponentially during Rim of the Pacific 2014. Melvin estimates the amount of traffic goes up four fold during the 29-day exercise, which is enough to warrant a second surveillance specialist.

In addition to fixed wing aircraft, the facility also advises helicopters entering the ramp area that normally land on the runway and taxi to the ramp. However, during RIMPAC, the advisory facility personnel start advising the helicopter pilots while still in the air and direct them to the landing pad, which can be unique for pilots who aren't familiar Hickam operations.

"They fly in here so infrequently they don't understand normal operating procedures here at Hickam, so we take special care of them," said Melvin.

The extra work load has its benefits for the staff of the facility. Wayne Gantt, 15th Wing Airspace Manager and Supervisory Aerodrome Surveillance Specialist, believes the exercise helps his staff improve their proficiency, which would be very beneficial in the event of a contingency operation in the Pacific theater.

"The exercise helps us identify training gaps and discrepancies in training, allowing us to focus on something we missed," said Gantt. "RIMPAC helps us enhance our skills so we are better able to serve all the aircraft on the ramp."

The ramp facility is located in the Korean War era tower constructed in 1952. Gantt says his staff is slated to move next year to a new tower that is currently being constructed. The tower is located more centrally on the ramp and allows for an increased view of the complex ramp and taxiways.