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How do you choose a runway? (Read 1658 times)
Sep 12th, 2009 at 9:36am

M_Harleman   Offline
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I'm A FSX, FS2004 Novice.
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When approaching an airport, I wondered which runway I should choose.  You're usually given a couple of runways to choose from, but I have no way of knowing which one I want.   There must be a system that helps a person choose the right runway.  I don't have diagrams for all the airports, nor do I expect to look up each airport before I land at one.  So what gives?  What's the best way to know which runway to land at?  I'm a novice to flight simulation, but so far I absolutely love it.  I just have a few things I'm trying to work out.

M_Harleman
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It's perfectly fine to hit the grass near the runway.
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Reply #1 - Sep 12th, 2009 at 10:48am

Brett_Henderson   Offline
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EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
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If you run real weather, you can check the surface winds at your destination.. that will give you a good idea of what runway to plan for. (try to land as much into the wind as possible..  i.e..  avoid any tailwind component).

All towered airports and many non-towered airports broadcast applicable landing info (wind direction/speed, barometric pressure, visibility, cloud- ceilings). You can tune these in from several miles out. At towered airports its called "ATIS"(automated terminal information system), and at other airports it's either "AWOS"(automated weather observation system), or "ASOS"(automated surface observation system)
 
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Reply #2 - Sep 12th, 2009 at 11:52am

-Crossfire-   Offline
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Always try and land into the wind, if possible.  Wink

Make sure you choose one thats long enough for your airplane to take off from.  Never land anywhere you depart from (takeoff distance is always longer than landing distance).
 
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Reply #3 - Sep 12th, 2009 at 8:50pm

jlab58   Offline
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i personnaly resolve that problem of choise by calling the tower and asking where i can land. you could be surprise by the callenge it represent when you crank up the air trafic , sometimes you have to wait your turn , i love that little impression of realism.when i land on non controlled airport i take a few seconds to check the map and generally go for the longer runway, i'm still a novice. and yes the weather conditions are a must if your game is settle in a more realistic mode.
 
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Reply #4 - Sep 12th, 2009 at 10:24pm

flaminghotsauce   Offline
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Alt/W/M will bring up the map so you can look at the airport you're approaching. When you have the wind info from the ATIS, you can pick the runway most closely aligned into the wind.

 
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Reply #5 - Sep 13th, 2009 at 6:10pm

M_Harleman   Offline
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I'm A FSX, FS2004 Novice.
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Thank you for your responses.  I understand that weather is an important factor.  I appreciated the ALT/W/M keystroke combination and I will look at that to see if that answers my question.  My question really pertained to the number of the runway and its location at the airport.  For example, if there are four runway numbers, where is runway 12 located.  Or where is runway 1 located.  How do I know which runway I'm approaching.  I will check and see if ALT/W/M will tell me what I want to know.

Thanks again.

Mike  Smiley
 
It's perfectly fine to hit the grass near the runway.
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Reply #6 - Sep 13th, 2009 at 6:35pm

Brett_Henderson   Offline
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I wanna meet the instructor who turned you loose in an airplane, before teaching you what a runway number is  Cheesy

(just kidding  (sorta))  Wink

Seriously though.. A runway number is it's aproximate heading, divided by 10

Obviously, each strip of pavement will be two runways (one in each direction).

A runway aligned perfectly east-and-west would have you flying a heading of either 090, 0r 270 while taking off or landing. Those would be runways 09 and 27.
 
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Reply #7 - Sep 13th, 2009 at 10:23pm

flaminghotsauce   Offline
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AND when you get the ATIS and know what the winds are, and what runways are available, you can look at your heading indicator and visualize what runway is what and how it will work with the wind.

Runway example: You're flying south, on a heading of say 170 degrees. Your runway 12 comes up as a potential landing option. If you look at your heading indicator, you can see the angle that runway 12 is from your current heading. 170 - 120 = 50 degrees offset from your current heading.

Wind example: You get the winds for this same airport and they are 270 degrees at 12 knots. Looking at your Heading indicator, you'll see that the wind would be at your back if you tried landing on runway 12 (120 degree heading).

The heading indicator lays it all out for you. Hope this helps.
 
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Reply #8 - Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:19am

olderndirt   Offline
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Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 13th, 2009 at 6:35pm:
09 and 27.
No 'zero's' at civil airports - runways 9 and 27  Smiley.
 
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Reply #9 - Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:34am

Brett_Henderson   Offline
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olderndirt wrote on Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:19am:
Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 13th, 2009 at 6:35pm:
09 and 27.
No 'zero's' at civil airports - runways 9 and 27  Smiley.

 

Good point..  Smiley

How  'bout  " niner  and  two-seven "  ?
 
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Reply #10 - Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:58am

olderndirt   Offline
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Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:34am:
olderndirt wrote on Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:19am:
Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 13th, 2009 at 6:35pm:
09 and 27.
No 'zero's' at civil airports - runways 9 and 27  Smiley.

 

Good point..  Smiley

How  'bout  " niner  and  two-seven "  ?
"niner"? - you've been into that ATC phonetics book again  Smiley.
 
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Reply #11 - Sep 15th, 2009 at 10:19am

M_Harleman   Offline
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Hey Thanks a bunch.  That really helps.  By the way, the map also helped.  I can zoom in on the airport and the runways are marked.  But knowing that the heading * 10 will give me the runway number helps even more.  Now I don't even have to look at the map to know where the runway is.  This is great!  Thanks a million.  You're right.  A real pilot would be in serious trouble if he didn't know that.  I was in serious trouble.  That's why I asked.  Thanks for your answers.

Mike
Grin
 
It's perfectly fine to hit the grass near the runway.
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Reply #12 - Sep 15th, 2009 at 4:30pm

Capt.Propwash   Offline
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trying not to confuse you with what the other person told you of how to figure out what the runway number is,  if I might be able to offer my suggestion in the way that I learned it...

Look at only the first 2 numbers in the HEADING.   runways are alligned using these 2 numbers.


010 = rwy 1*
090 = rwy 9
100 = rwy 10*
180 = rwy 18
270 = rwy 27
360 = rwy 36

* = do not confuse these 2, it is easy, but if you follow the following rule, then you will be safe:

If your heading ends with any number OTHER THAN ZERO.... only look at the first 2 numbers in the heading.   example = Heading 218 = rwy 22.  (it is closer to heading 220 than 210)

If the heading STARTS with a zero (05) you will only read the 2nd number.  5.






either way that you learn your runways IS correct, but this is the way that I learned it.  To just look at the first 2 numbers in the heading, and that is what you need to line up on, about 5-10 miles away from your airport of choice.
 
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Reply #13 - Sep 15th, 2009 at 7:09pm

M_Harleman   Offline
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I'm A FSX, FS2004 Novice.
Logansport, IN, USA

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Thanks for the additional help.  I'll take all the help I can get.  I appreciate your comment. 

Mike
  Smiley
 
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Reply #14 - Oct 8th, 2009 at 7:29pm

SilverbugXO   Offline
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Actually, it's not that hard to land with a Tailwind. I play on utter complete realism, and have landed a 747 at Honolulu Intl with a 10 knot tailwind. You just have to wrangle with the flaps, a little.
 
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