How do airplane runways get thier numbers?

Question

the local airport, (greeneville-greene county mun.) has only 1 runway. and the numbers on both ends are 5 and 26. why not just 1 and 2?

Answer 1

Take the number and add a zero and that's the magnetic heading. (Unless your in the high Arctic then it's True)

Answer 2

Runways get their numbers from the magnetic direction they face.

360 degrees is north

045 degrees is northeast

090 degrees is east

135 degrees is southeast

180 degrees is south

225 degrees is southwest

270 degrees is west

315 degrees is northwest

An aircraft landing at Greeneville approaching from the southwest and facing northeast, is about to land on runway 5. This runway would be in use if a strong wind was blowing from the northeast (approx. 050 degrees).

The opposite direction of runway 5 is 23 or 180 degrees difference.

As of the last measurement, runway 5's magnetic alignment was 051 degrees. U.S. civilian airports round off the the three numbers (e.g. 087 is rounded to 090), then the last zero is dropped. If the first number is zero, that zero is also dropped. Military and International airports retain the first zero. U.S. Civilian radio calls would announce landing on runway five. At a Military or International airport they would announce landing on runway zero five (for example). The opposite runway would be called runway two three.

Sometimes two airports close together have the same runway headings but one of the two airports uses a different number. For example, Tucson's Davis-Monthan Military Base's runway heading is 125 degrees and they use runway 12, while Tucson International's runway heading 123 and they use runway 11L and 11R. This can also happen when there are more than 2 parallel runways at the same airport. Phoenix-Sky Harbor is an example. Their runways are 26, 25R and 25L. All three runways have a 258 degree heading.

Answer 3

It's the magnetic heading direction. If you were to go onto runways 26 and lay a compass down on it, it would read 260. Also, the other end of runway 26 isn't 5, it's 8. Whenver you subtract runway numbers it will ALWAYS add up to 18.

MY MISTAKE: You are right on the 5 part, but the other end is 23. My bad. http://www.airnav.com/airport/KGCY

EX: Runways 27-9

                        24-6

                        35-17

                        20-2

Answer 4

Runway 5 is pointed 50 degrees from North. 26 is 260 degrees. Makes it easy to calculate approach and departure vectors. No latitude or longitude is involved. Compass direction only.

Answer 5

the system works of a compass rose - 360 degrees being due north and 180 degrees being due south, 90 degrees due east and 270 degrees dues west. if the runway says 26, when you're sitting on the 26, then youre at a heading of 260 which is slightly south of due west

Answer 6

It's determined by magnetic azimuth of the runway's "approach direction" divided by ten.

Runway 5's approach direction is about 51º; Runway 23's approach direction is about 231º.

It is not always rounded to within 5 degrees.  E.g. an airport's parallel runways do not always have the same (number) designator.

Answer 7

I would say something funny here, but it would not be appreciated in good humor.

Answer 8

By federal law, runways are numbered for the magnetic heading of the runway centerline to the nearest five (5) degrees.

Answer 9

The number is based upon the compass direction you are facing when at the end of it.  Runway # 26 is actually heading 260 degrees and Runway # 5 is actually heading 50 degrees.  They leave a zero off to make it simpler for pilots when telling them on the radio which one to land or take off.  Usually one end of the runway is exactly 180 degrees different from the other.  Yours seems a little off when I add 50 + 180 = 230.  Therefore the other side of runway 5 should be runway 23, not the 26 you said it is.  The direction is important because planes have to face into the wind to take off and face into the wind to land.  So if the wind is blowing into your face at the end of runway 5, then all traffic landing and taking off will be using runway 5.  When the wind shifts into your face at the end of runway 26, then all traffic landing and taking off will use runway 26.  That is why there is a distinction in numbers and directions of runways.

Answer 10

it has to do with the angle of the runway and the latitude and longitude

Answer 11

First off, there is no runway numbered 5-26, unless it has a curve.  The reciprocal of 5 is 23.

Runways are numbered within plus or minus 5 degrees of the runway heading, leaving off the zero. Runway 5 is pointing roughly 50 degrees magnetic, 26 would be 260 degrees, not on the opposite end of 5.

Answer 12

The previous answers are missing the key point that the runway numbering system is based off the magnetic compass and because it is based off the magnetic compass, runway numbers can change overtime, because the location of magnetic north changes overtime. If you have a runway number of 27, then the corresponding magnetic compass heading would be 270 +/- 5 degrees. Each airstrip, acts as two runways to land on depending on which direction the wind is coming from. Generally, the runway ends are 180 degrees from each other, for example, if you had a runway heading of 020 degrees, the opposite end of the runway would be 200 degrees. runway numbers leave the last zero off of it, so a runway facing 020 (always add the preceding zero's) degrees would become runway 02 and a runway facing 200 degrees would become runway 20 (just as an example).

one more thing... parallel runways will have a further designator or L or R on them which simply designates which side the runway is on, the left or right side or in the centre if there is three parallel runways.