Shift in Earth's magnetic north pole forces Tampa airport to repaint its runways

[thewinchester]

I wonder how many & how often other airports need to change their runway designations due to this.

Shift in Earth's magnetic north pole forces Tampa airport to repaint its runways
by Scott Carmichael, Gadling on Jan 6th 2011 at 2:30PM

Stories about a shift in the Earth's magnetic north pole are usually topics for the Science Channel, or a great way to score bonus points in an otherwise boring conversation - but now the phenomenon has actually forced an airport to close one of its runways so they can repaint its designation.

Tampa airport Runway 18R/36L will be called 19R/1L after it reopens on January 13. Later this month, the other runways at Tampa airport will undergo the same transformation.

The magnetic north pole has been shifting towards Russia at 40 miles a year for the past decade due to changes in the core of our planet. In 2009, National Geographic posted a study on the effects of these changes which is really worth reading if you'd like to learn more about what goes on inside Earth.

 

[Groundfeeder]

Just after they fasten down the tectonic plates, the poles are moved.:mrgreen:

 

[straitman]

Runway direction is always + or - 5 degrees so it only effects those who are already at a limit. For simplicity they sometimes they even let it go the extra degree before they make the change.

 

[Cocitus23]

This reminds me of the time I visited the boardroom of a copper mine in outback Iran. Taped to the wall was an old sheet with a compass-like drawing on it, pointing out the direction to Mecca, so that people knew which way to face for prayer. However, the original compass needle had been scribbled out, and a new direction, about 5 degrees different, had been added in red. I asked my hosts what had happened. It seems that the religious police had recently visited to audit religious compliance, and discovered that the direction which had been in place for many years was incorrect. I didn't say anything, but I did wonder whether it meant that all the prayers up to the time of the correction had missed their target.

 

[jb747]

In LA, all four runways have the same track, but two are 25L/R and the two are 24L/R. The actual track is 249°M.

 

[serfty]

In LA, all four runways have the same track, but two are 25L/R and the two are 24L/R. The actual track is 249°M.

And of course there's also 6L/R and 7L/R heading East.

Presumably a bit of licence has been taken to avoid confusing flight crew ...

 

[jb747]

And of course we have 6L/R and 7L/R to the East.

Presumably a bit of licence has been taken to avoid confusing flight crew ...

Quite true, but in that case I wonder why they bother redesignating runways at all. It makes no difference whatsoever in the coughpit, and must cost a fair bit of money. All charts and documents need to be amended too.