Runway Numbers

[a1]

I hear stuff about the runway numbers and how a pilot knows exactly where to land by just hearing the number. How is that done? And what is with the left and right runways. Are the left and right the side at witch the  aircraft approaches? :-?

Thanks

[Dan Morera]

The number of a runway is equal to the heading of that runway, but taking the last digit off. Look at the picture below, you'll see that there can be 2 runways with the same heading one next to the other, so for that reason you'll have xxright and xxleft



runway 35 right and left's heading is 350, runway 17 right and left are heading 170

[a1]

WoW thanks. I had a feeling it was the heading.


a1... No more getting lost at airports for me.

[RitterKreuz]

keep in mind that the runway heading is rounded up... so your actual compass reading on runway 35 might really be more like 343 degrees or something similar.

also if there are more than 3 parallel runways such as 35L 35C 35R the next parallel runway in the sequence will be rounded up to 36 even though it is really a 35  ;D

[elite marksman]

Ritter, wouldnt RWY 35R fall between heading 345 and 354? A runway with a heading of 343 should be RWY 34, should it not?

[Brett_Henderson]

There is not hard and fast rule for the rounding.. I've seen a runway with a heading of 268 that was numbered 26.. and a runway with a heading of 264 that was numbered 27. And all the combinations imaginable.

And what complicates it further; is that a runway's magnetic heading can change by more than a degree in any given year. I've seen many runways that have changed their number due to magnetic drift.

One funny side note.. unless a runway is  within a degree of 13/31, it will get either the number 14/32, or 12/30, to avoid the , "thirteen, thiry-one" dislexia  :-?  ...  and even THAT's not absolute  ::)