At airports, there can be only 2 runways yet loads of planes go at the same time. How does it work?!?!?

Question

So one is for take off and one is for landing?

Say there are 5 planes taking off at 10.30 - one goes at 10.32, one at 10.34, 10.36, 10.38,10.40??

How do you know whether you're flying one one runway (say northern) or the other?

Answer 1

Its called an air traffic controller. He talks to all the planes and plans the take offs and landings...

Answer 2

basically, like everyone said, there are controlling bodies. at major airports there is always Air Traffic Control, and then also Ground Control. Ground controls all the aircraft taxiing towards terminals, and the aircraft taxiing towards runways, once ground is finished the aircraft then switch over to ATC who then control landing and takeoff spacing. usually a minimum of 2 minutes due to wingtip vortices (turbulence caused while generating lift)

Answer 3

If you have an airport with just 2 runways the amount of operations is related with the distance between these runways. For example, if the distance between these two runways are equal or higher than 1100 meters you can have two airplanes landing simultaneously. But, the distance varies with the national an local air traffic control rules. By the other hand, while these two aircrafts are approaching for landing, at an appropriate time other two aircrafts can take off simultaneously.

Answer 4

They don't go at the same time or land at the same time.

Answer 5

One for landing one for taking off Every ten minutes.

Answer 6

Typically at an airport used primarily by air carriers, the majority of the aircraft are either landing during an arrival phase or departing during the departure phase of the operations.  This would allow both runways to be used for departures during a departure push with the occasional arrival being slipped in.  When the majority of the aircraft are arriving, the opposite would be true.

Many of the larger airports can use simultaneous departures from parallel runways, and depending on the type of separation the tower controller is using, separation between successive departures from the same runway can be close as well allowing for a large number of aircraft to depart in a short period of time.  That said, they still don't all go "at the same time."  

You mention there can be only two runways, but keep in mind at many major airports there are more than two runways.  There may be four or more available which greatly increases the volume of traffic that can be accommodated.

Perhaps one of the terminal types on the board can provide some numbers as to how many aircraft per hour can depart widely spaced parallels under ideal conditions.

Answer 7

they don't all take off at the same time.  Air Traffic Controllers watch the planes and spaces them out accordingly for take-off and landing.  There are also many different "roadways" around the airport that plans travel around throughout the airport for the planes to get to/from the gates.

Answer 8

The takeoffs and landings are all down to those wonderful people called Air Traffic Controllers without which the airfield could no operate.  Aircraft takeoff one at a time at regular intervals.

Now back in 1942 to see six Spitfires taking off at a time, line abreast, was really something.

Answer 9

Each airport has at least two runways .....  Others may have have more runways either next to or crossing in most cases. Each landing strip has two runways - each in the opposite direction of the other. Runways are numbered by their compass degree up to the first two digits. The opposite runway is numbered 180 degrees of the degree scale.  A runway pointed at 90 degrees is numbered 09.  The opposite is numbered (90 + 180 = 270 = Number) 27.

All traffic directing are orchestrated by at least one ground-traffic controller, and/or one air-traffic controller or more, depending on the size of the airport.

Usually, a "run-up" area is marked before the "threshhold" of the runway where planes wait in line for take-off.  There is no specific amount of time between take-offs.  A safe distance is the factor between these operations. Planes landing have priority, and those who have to wait to land in turn are directed to follow the airports specific traffic pattern and "go around".  

It's hard to believe, but directions from an air-traffic controller are technically not mandatory, though wise to follow. The final responsibility is on the pilot.  Directions from a controller are suggestive, though a pilot will be reported for not following directions from a controller if a negative situation does occurs.

Answer 10

A combination of ATC work , LAHSO land and hold short operations. And In a high density airport a plane will generally takeoff/land every 2 minuets

Answer 11

You can have more than two runways at an airport. It's only the available land space that dictates it.

At the world's busyest airport - Heathrow - there is an aircraft landing every 2 minutes on average. On the parallel runway it is possible to get aircaft off at an average of 2 minute intervals. This means that there is typically one "movement" per minute at peak times.

The arriving aircraft at busy airports like this MUST follow a radio guidence system called the Instrument Landing System (ILS).

Generally the pilot in control will fly the aeroplane by watching his instruments so that he follows the ILS beam.

Suitably equipped aeroplanes are able to follow the ILS on autopilot all the way to the ground. This is a fully automatic landing - very usefull in fog but not all airlines will pay for the aircraft fit-out.

By making aircraft use the ILS, either manually or automatically, (In conjuction with a device called the "Distance From Touchdown Indicator" [a form of radar]) it is possible for the Air Traffic Control to have confidence that the incoming flights are all where they should be.

When you have that confidence you can safely keep them as close as possible and have a high movement rate.

The limiting factors are the wake that large aeroplanes leave behind them (can't allow following flights to close or it would be too bouncy) and the speed at which something on the ground can clear the runway.