Commercial STOL - The Airplane, the Airport

On the assumption that further building of large airports will be denied the paper examines the scope for upgrading the efficiency of existing terminals by the addition of short runways within their boundaries. It is found that runways of about 2000 feet in length can frequently be placed so as to avoid interference with existing flight paths, particularly when account is taken of the compact maneuvering capability of typical short-field aircraft. This blend of land availability and existing airplane types is proposed as an economically viable near term relief to terminal congestion.