Holloman Air Force Base

Holloman Air Force Base has an unusual mix of drones and fighter aircraft, which presents challenges to airfield operations. The base's plan to further expand training operations exacerbated these challenges. The drones, labeled “slow movers,” by base personnel, taxi at much slower speeds than the fighter jets, which can create airfield inefficiencies on the busy runways and taxiways. Flight time and training efficiency was limited due to number of arm/disarm pads. After landing, aircraft must back taxi to access taxiways that lead to the flight line and maintenance areas.

Base officials looked to improve the airfield’s efficiency and tasked Stanley Consultants to update its flight line area development plan. Stanley Consultants mobilized a planning charrette team to Holloman to listen to their concerns and worked closely with the 54th Fighter Group to provide impactful solutions. The resulting planning report proposed adding two taxiways to improve airfield efficiency and the number of sorties completed, adding up to four additional arm/disarming pads and reconfiguring the aircraft parking apron to accommodate the new F-16 squadrons. These measures would allow for more takeoffs and landings, thereby improving airfield operations.