Agreed. My question really dealt with tarmac vs. ramp vs. apron. The media started calling the gate areas as tarmac years ago. They used the terms what I waould call interchangeably. Al ----- Original Message ----- From: "Herman R. Silbiger" <hsilbiger@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 11:23 AM Subject: Re: Tarmac > Tarmac is used in the UK for what generically is called asphalt > pavement. John McAdam invented road paving using crushed broken stone > tamped down, originally bound with water. Tar was used later as a > binder, giving rise to the term tar macadam shortened to tarmac. Asphalt > is a mixture of aggregate, usually crushed stone) and bituminous > material. Runways are generally made of reinforced concrete, which does > not deform under heavy impact loads. Taxiways are still often paved with > asphalt, which is less expensive but easier to repair. > > Herman > > >>I think it comes from tar and MacAdam, a sort of paving > >>material. > >> > >>Chris > >> > >> > >>---- Original message ---- > >> > >> > >>>Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 23:17:14 -0500 > >>>From: Allan9 <exatc@xxxxxxxxxx> > >>>Subject: Re: AIRLINE Digest - 28 Nov 2003 to 29 Nov 2003 > >>> > >>> > >>(#2003-196) > >> > >> > >>>To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >>> > >>>ANd what's the definition of tarmac? > >>> > >>> > > > > > > >