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How do you choose a runway? (Read 1661 times)

Sep 12^th, 2009 at 9:36am

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

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Posts: 4

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

Cheesy

It's perfectly fine to hit the grass near the runway.

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Reply #1 - Sep 12^th, 2009 at 10:48am

Brett_Henderson Offline
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EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
BE AN NDB

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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 12^th, 2009 at 11:52am

-Crossfire- Offline
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Northern Canada

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

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 12^th, 2009 at 8:50pm

jlab58 Offline
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safe landing!
montreal,can.

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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 12^th, 2009 at 10:24pm

flaminghotsauce Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

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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 13^th, 2009 at 6:10pm

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

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Posts: 4

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

It's perfectly fine to hit the grass near the runway.

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Reply #6 - Sep 13^th, 2009 at 6:35pm

Brett_Henderson Offline
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EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
BE AN NDB

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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

Cheesy

(just kidding (sorta)) Wink

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 13^th, 2009 at 10:23pm

flaminghotsauce Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

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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 14^th, 2009 at 10:19am

olderndirt Offline
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Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 13^th, 2009 at 6:35pm:

09 and 27.

No 'zero's' at civil airports - runways 9 and 27

.

THIS IS NOT A PANAM CLIPPER

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Reply #9 - Sep 14^th, 2009 at 10:34am

Brett_Henderson Offline
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EVERY OUTER MARKER SHOULD
BE AN NDB

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olderndirt wrote on Sep 14^th, 2009 at 10:19am:

Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 13^th, 2009 at 6:35pm:

09 and 27.

No 'zero's' at civil airports - runways 9 and 27

.

Good point..

How 'bout " niner and two-seven " ?

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Reply #10 - Sep 14^th, 2009 at 10:58am

olderndirt Offline
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Rochester, WA

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Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 14^th, 2009 at 10:34am:

olderndirt wrote on Sep 14^th, 2009 at 10:19am:

Brett_Henderson wrote on Sep 13^th, 2009 at 6:35pm:

09 and 27.

No 'zero's' at civil airports - runways 9 and 27

.

Good point..

How 'bout " niner and two-seven " ?

"niner"? - you've been into that ATC phonetics book again

.

THIS IS NOT A PANAM CLIPPER

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Reply #11 - Sep 15^th, 2009 at 10:19am

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

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Posts: 4

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 15^th, 2009 at 4:30pm

Capt.Propwash Offline
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Let's get a little mud
on the tires!
KCHS, Charleston, SC, USA

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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.

The thoughts and expressions contained in the post above are solely my own, and not necessarily those of Simviation.com, its Moderators, its Staff, its Members, or other guests. They can not, are not, and will not be held liable for any thoughts, or expressions, or posts that I have made, or will make in the future.

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Reply #13 - Sep 15^th, 2009 at 7:09pm

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

Gender:
Posts: 4

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

Mike

It's perfectly fine to hit the grass near the runway.

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

SilverbugXO Offline
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Props beat all. (Except
for vintage props)

Posts: 13

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.

XO-8492
Callsign

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Reply #15 - Oct 8^th, 2009 at 9:24pm

olderndirt Offline
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Flying is PFM
Rochester, WA

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Trying to picture "wrangling with the flaps" in the B747 Pilots Operating Manual

.

THIS IS NOT A PANAM CLIPPER

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Reply #16 - Oct 9^th, 2009 at 9:35am

flaminghotsauce Offline
Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 181

Airports will assign runways with slight tailwinds if there are factors favoring that particular runway, like length. But it's always better to land toward the wind....

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Reply #17 - Oct 10^th, 2009 at 12:35pm

C Offline
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Earth

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flaminghotsauce wrote on Oct 9^th, 2009 at 9:35am:

Airports will assign runways with slight tailwinds if there are factors favoring that particular runway, like length. But it's always better to land toward the wind....

Indeed. Other factors also include other airports in the vicinity. For example if you have a large international airport landing on runway X, and you arrive by their arrivals frequency, often the other airport, providing the wind is within tailwind limits, will use the runway most easily corresponding.

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Reply #18 - Oct 10^th, 2009 at 9:32pm

-Crossfire- Offline
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Northern Canada

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olderndirt wrote on Oct 8^th, 2009 at 9:24pm:

Trying to picture "wrangling with the flaps" in the B747 Pilots Operating Manual

.

Get the FO and Flight attendants out on the wing and have them wrestle with the flaps... Grin

Grin

Grin

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