This article appeared on the San Diego Business Journal website yesterday. It’s a good piece that describes the FOD Finder system from Trex. It describes the current installs, the costs of the system and the amount of FOD found when the system was used at the Yuma Marine base (map). It also highlights the fact that the system can be leased on a monthly basis (this is an advantage over fixed systems where the cost of installation would make any short term leasing impractical), which is a great idea for those airports that are reluctant to purchase new technology.
The machine costs $400,000, he said, adding that airports can lease it for $12,000 to $15,000 per month. Bishop said airports often see a return on their investment in less than 60 days.