Airfield Management Block 3 Complete Practice Test 2026

Runway friction testing is about understanding braking action to ensure safe stopping performance for aircraft during landing and takeoff, especially when the surface is wet, contaminated, or icy. To get real, actionable data, you use devices that measure the pavement’s friction rather than just its appearance or other properties. A mu-meter is a friction-measuring tool that assesses how much resistance a standardized wheel or slider encounters as it is drawn across the runway, producing a friction value that correlates with braking effectiveness. A continuous friction measurement device takes measurements as it travels along the surface, giving a friction profile over the length of the runway so you can spot any low-friction patches quickly. This information feeds braking action reports and affects decisions about operations, NOTAMs, and whether to deploy braking action advisories.

Other options don’t fit because air temperature along the runway doesn’t reveal braking capability, visual texture checks are subjective and don’t quantify friction, and measuring runway length has no bearing on how well an aircraft will stop.