Runway Designations

[Shano]

After reading the recent posts both here and on FT about the latest A380 flights to LAX/JFK and best viewing locations, it has renewed my intrigue surrounding the labelling of runways.

Is there any science to this? Are there guidelines that airport authorities must follow or can they come up with any combination?

Can someone please enlighten me? :?:

 

[serfty]

It's the clockwise degrees off magnetic north the aircraft would be pointing for takeoff and landing divided by 10 and rounded.

E.g. MEL "Southern Runway" is 34 and it's 16 from the "North". East is "27" and "West" is 09.

 

[Shano]

Thanks Serfty, a surprisingly commonsense approach!!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

direction heading to - so each runway has 2 designations, one for each direction

where there are parallel runways C, L or R are used to identify which one

I know of airports with 3 in parallel (eg SIN) - not sure if there are any with 4 (LAX doesn't count since runway designations 1 degree apart + R & L, makes 4).

 

[NM]

Also note that the number is the compass heading divided by 10, so a range from 01 to 36.

In cases like LAX where they have 4 parallel runways, they have used two consecutive numbers and then L/R designations for them. So for LAX they have 4 runways heading basically east/west designated as 24R, 24L, 25R and 25L from north to south across the field (and in the other direction these are 6L, 6R, 7L, 7R respectively).

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Also note that the number is the compass heading divided by 10, so a range from 01 to 36.

In cases like LAX where they have 4 parallel runways, they have used two consecutive numbers and then L/R designations for them. So for LAX they have 4 runways heading basically east/west designated as 24R, 24L, 25R and 25L from north to south across the field (and in the other direction these are 7L, 7R, 6L, 6R respectively).

Hmm - so the LAX runway designations are not set to have 180 degree difference between directions on the same runway. That is surprising.

 

[Shano]

That's why the A380 skidded on landing - the pilot was trying to negotiate the dogleg in the runway

 

[NM]

Hmm - so the LAX runway designations are not set to have 180 degree difference between directions on the same runway. That is surprising.

let me clarify, from North to South the runways are:

6L/24R, 6R/24L, 7L/25R, 7R/25L

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

That makes more sense.

 

[markis10]

Essendon airport is treated as being part of Tullamarine when it comes to runway numbering, so it has a RWY 35 rather than RWY 34, both have the same magnetic headings - a little bit of trivia! Its also possible to have left center and right runways as well with the same heading, as is the case at bankstown, where the one outside runway is used for arrivals and departures, the other outside is used for circuit traffic and the centre used for overflow traffic. The zero is only dropped in the US as per the above examples at LAX, in Sydney for instance 07 is a runway.

 

[alect]

That's why the A380 skidded on landing - the pilot was trying to negotiate the dogleg in the runway

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