Using the Freeway for Its Intended Purpose?

BrooklynDodger posted this first to illustrate the idea that interstate highways were also intended as landing strips for emergencies in time of war. Then, the Dodger checked the internet and found it not to be true. WaPo's post on this said the Air Force was interested in this at the time, but was disappointed.

Geography Is one mile out of every five on Interstate highways straight for emergency airplane landing strips? Absolutely not! According to Richard F. Weingroff, who works in the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Infrastructure, says "No law, regulation, policy, or sliver of red tape requires that one out of five miles of the Interstate Highway System must be straight." He says that it's a complete hoax and urban legend that the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System requires that one mile in every five must be straight to be usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies. Besides, there are more overpasses and interchanges than there are miles in the system so even if there were straight miles, planes attempting to land would quickly encounter a overpass on their runway.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Plane lands on I-75, snarls traffic

Pilot blames engine trouble; FAA is investigating

Dorothy Bourdet and Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News

Elizabeth Conley / The Detroit News

Sullivan said he was at 2,500 feet when he radioed air traffic controllers at Metro Airport that he was having problems and began looking for a place to land.

ALLEN PARK-- Air and land traffic merged on one of Metro Detroit's busiest thoroughfares on Monday without anyone getting hurt.

But the afternoon emergency landing of a small single-engine airplane stopped freeway traffic for about two hours and caused a six-mile backup.

"I figured if I couldn't find the field I would try to make the freeway," he said. "I looked down and saw cars and trucks below me and I used my air speed to synchronize to a spot where I wouldn't land on someone."