The FOD Control Corporation

The FOD Control Corporation Military-tested. Race-approved. Airport-ready. If it moves, we keep it clear.

🧹 Gear built to sweep and last. Learn more about it.

Since its inception in 1983, The FOD Control Corporation has emerged as a leading technology enterprise offering specialized and advanced FOD prevention services and products for military and civilian aviation organizations, manufacturing environments, and industrial facilities. Gary Chaplain, our founder, initiated the business venture in response to US Air Force’s growing demand to devise an imp

roved system addressing the removal of debris from their air station travel surfaces. Research and experimentation led to first major breakthrough in countering FOD risks: Power Bar Magnetic Sweeper. The vehicle-mounted towable magnets, backed up with a lifetime warranty on magnetic field strength, guarantee highly effective ferrous and metallic waste removal from runways and taxiways. Continuing the active engagement with military and civilian clients, The FOD Control Corporation’s team of engineers has earned a reputation for coming up with solutions and products specifically tailored to ensure safety of industrial operations. As a result, a whole line of industrial-strength power sweepers (FODBUSTER Rocksweepers), which greatly reduce FOD related risks and accidents, have been developed. The main goal behind this development was to effectively clean metallic and nonmetallic debris from recessed areas, tight spaces, cracks, and pavement joints; leading to a significant reduction in high costs, the aviation industry incurred; according to some reports, FOD causes up $13 billion in direct and indirect costs each year. With an initiative to create a safe environment for all the passengers and to develop efficient FOD prevention plans, the company conducts training and closely works with the aerospace industry in designing efficient FOD prevention programs. In 2004, “MAKE IT FOD FREE, The Ultimate FOD Prevention Program Manual” was published. The publication marked a new era in the company’s commitment to promote and create awareness regarding better safety measures and FOD prevention. In 2014, under the new General Manager, Garth Hughes, the company launched an innovative web based platform (http://fodprogram.com) that allow for cost effective development and management of FOD Prevention Programs to facilities of all types, sizes, and locations around the world.

05/29/2026

Proud to see Mammoth Sports Construction put the SportSweeper™ into their field-maintenance program. When a builder at this level picks how to care for the fields they build, that says everything.
Builders & facilities — you can offer it under your own brand, too.
See it: https://sportsweeper.com/
Private label: https://sportsweeper.com/private-label/

What if the most dangerous piece of FOD on your operating surface isn't debris from outside — it's the equipment your ow...
05/26/2026

What if the most dangerous piece of FOD on your operating surface isn't debris from outside — it's the equipment your own crew staged there? 🔍

Across aviation, military maintenance, and motorsport, incident data points to the same pattern: containment failures cluster not during active operations, but during the transition between equipment-at-rest and equipment-in-use. The staging window.

At Dover this month, a pit box rolled free during pre-race setup. At Orlando International on May 7, an airport tug struck a jet bridge at the gate and a ground worker was killed. At Singapore 2008, Ferrari sent Felipe Massa out with the fuel rig still attached.

We analyzed four cross-domain case studies to identify the six principles that close the staging window. Whether your operating surface is a runway, a flightline, or a pit lane, the gaps — and the fixes — are the same.

https://www.fodcontrol.com/equipment-as-fod-case-studies-staging-zone/

At most large US airports, three different departments share responsibility for the same fence line. Security manages ac...
05/19/2026

At most large US airports, three different departments share responsibility for the same fence line. Security manages access control. Wildlife management runs exclusion fencing. Airfield operations handles movement-area FOD sweeps.

Each team has a clear mandate. The question is what happens in the spaces between them.

Our new analysis looks at how leading airports are building integrated perimeter operations — and what five practical first steps any airport can take, without a capital project, to start closing those gaps.

Read the full piece: {{BLOG_URL}}

Did you know that 33 degrees of banking does more than create 200 mph speeds — it also funnels every piece of loose debr...
05/13/2026

Did you know that 33 degrees of banking does more than create 200 mph speeds — it also funnels every piece of loose debris to the exact same spot on every lap? 🏁

Oval tracks and road courses look like they share the same FOD challenge. They don't. The geometry of banked corners means debris accumulates in predictable high-side zones, turn after turn, until those outer walls become a hazard zone before every restart.

NASCAR ovals averaged over 2 debris cautions per race for more than a decade. The physics of the track is a big reason why.

We broke down exactly how banking angles create structural FOD problems — and what oval track managers need to do differently than road course facilities.

Read more: https://www.fodcontrol.com/oval-vs-road-course-banked-tracks-fod-problem/

Every FOD prevention manual assumes you've got a paved runway and a permanent flight line. Forward operating bases don't...
05/05/2026

Every FOD prevention manual assumes you've got a paved runway and a permanent flight line. Forward operating bases don't work that way. 🚁

FOBs run on Pierced Steel Planking, AM-2 matting, or bare dirt — and almost everything flying off them is rotary-wing. A single UH-60 landing creates a 160-foot debris hazard radius in every direction. Standard doctrine wasn't built for that.

So what actually works in the field? Our latest article breaks down why the permanent-base playbook falls short, what really generates FOD at a FOB, and the field-expedient practices units can use today — plus when equipment-based sweeping finally becomes the right answer.

Read the full breakdown: https://www.fodcontrol.com/fod-prevention-without-infrastructure-forward-operating-bases/

Is your FOD program covering pavement repair windows — or just the gaps between them? 🔍Runway milling, joint sealing, an...
04/28/2026

Is your FOD program covering pavement repair windows — or just the gaps between them? 🔍

Runway milling, joint sealing, and overlay work leave behind loose aggregate, sealant chunks, and milling fines that standard FOD walks consistently miss. And the highest-risk moment isn't during construction — it's right after the crew leaves.

FAA guidance requires FOD prevention plans for construction near aircraft movement areas. But the transition from construction closeout to return-to-service is where most airports have a protocol gap.

Our latest article breaks down what pavement repairs leave behind, why standard programs fall short, and what a smarter post-repair response looks like.

Read more: https://www.fodcontrol.com/__trashed/

At the 2026 Australian GP, a cooling fan fell off Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes onto the circuit. Red flag. Here in America,...
04/21/2026

At the 2026 Australian GP, a cooling fan fell off Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes onto the circuit. Red flag. Here in America, a loose lug nut rolled down NASCAR pit road and struck another car mid-service — nearly hitting a crew member. 🏁

Same problem, two different series. Pit lane FOD doesn't arrive from outside the venue — it originates inside the operation, whether the stop takes 2.5 seconds or 12.

NASCAR debris cautions spike 50% right after green-flag pit windows. F1 teams manage 20+ crew in sub-2.5 seconds. The debris is different — lug nuts vs. cooling fans — but the risk is identical.

We break down the cross-series problem and how layered prevention actually works.

Read the full article: https://www.fodcontrol.com/pit-lane-fod-how-2-5-seconds-of-chaos-leaves-hardware-on-the-racing-surface/

The explosion in drone warfare and missile use is changing what FOD looks like on military airfields — and the challenge...
04/14/2026

The explosion in drone warfare and missile use is changing what FOD looks like on military airfields — and the challenge is growing with every engagement. 🔍

As intercepts become more frequent and closer to operational areas, the volume and variety of debris compounds. Interceptor fragments, spent countermeasure material, and blast-scattered objects create a FOD environment that demands faster, more adaptive response.

Our latest article looks at how this evolving threat landscape is reshaping debris management for forward-deployed airfields — and why the tempo is only going to increase.

Read more: https://www.fodcontrol.com/military-airfield-fod-management-combat-debris/

A single ¼-inch bolt dropped during routine maintenance can cause $50,000 in turbine engine repairs.That's not a freak a...
04/09/2026

A single ¼-inch bolt dropped during routine maintenance can cause $50,000 in turbine engine repairs.

That's not a freak accident. It's the predictable result of overlooking your maintenance hangar as a FOD source.

Every GA facility has the same blind spot: debris migrates from hangar floor to aircraft to runway — and most operations never see it coming.

Your hangar floor connects to every runway your planes use.

— FOD Control Corporation

Are your FOD prevention efforts focused in the wrong place? 🤔Most GA maintenance operations concentrate on runways and t...
04/06/2026

Are your FOD prevention efforts focused in the wrong place? 🤔

Most GA maintenance operations concentrate on runways and taxiways — while their biggest debris source goes unmanaged: the maintenance hangar itself.

Every repair, inspection, and service generates FOD. Metal shavings, safety wire clippings, hardware fragments — all following a direct path from hangar floor to aircraft engine. The transition zone between hangar and apron is where debris migrates most, yet it's the area least likely to get attention.

A single unaccounted bolt can trigger $50,000 in engine repairs.

The good news: systematic FOD prevention doesn't require an airline budget. Even small GA operations can implement effective programs with simple daily habits and targeted transition zone management.

Read the full guide: https://www.fodcontrol.com/the-hidden-fod-risk-in-ga-maintenance-hangars-why-your-aircraft-service-area-needs-a-prevention-plan/

"Track crews only get 3-5 laps during safety car periods to remove debris — but comprehensive FOD cleanup requires much ...
04/04/2026

"Track crews only get 3-5 laps during safety car periods to remove debris — but comprehensive FOD cleanup requires much more time than emergency protocols permit."

This time pressure forces incomplete cleaning during race weekends, allowing residual debris to accumulate and compound throughout multi-day events.

The result? Track surfaces that started clean on Friday become increasingly hazardous by Sunday's main event.

— FOD Control Corporation
fodcontrol.com

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Dallas, TX
75252

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