How do pilots know what runway is which?

Question

How do pilots know what runway is which?

Answer 1

Pilots know runways because they are not distracted by the fatique of being overworked and don't have huge financial bills to worry them.

That is why now there are more runway errors than ever before.  Since the beginning of 2007, there have been nine "close calls" on Los Angeles International (LAX) runways (and that's just one airport and not even the largest).

http://laist.com/tags/runway

At LAX, a US Airways jet landed on a Skywest Turbo Prop killing 34:

http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/91020...

Most Major Airline Pilots are bearing the stress of 50% pay cuts, the loss of their pension, and working second jobs to make ends meet.  Many are in bankruptcy and losing their homes.

Pilots can barely concentrate on keeping the flight safe, because Airline Management, while giving each executive millions in bonus $$ each year, are skimping on pilot salaries, fuel, maintenance, and ground safety personnel.  All to keep ticket prices and pilot salaries as they were in 1980.

Hope you liked that cheap ticket.  Stop Low Cost Airlines.

How much is your life worth?

Ticket prices go down, Airplanes go down.  With a Crash.  Stop Greedy Airline Management.  Keep flying safe.  Support Your Major Air Line PIlots Association.  Vote Union.

Answer 2

It depends on the circumstances.

First of all, you can always determine the runway heading (plus or minus 5 degrees) from the runway number. Runway '36' will be roughly 360 degrees (North). Runway 9 will be roughly 90 degrees.

Second, you would typically have an airport diagram which shows you were the runways and taxiways are. Airport signage tells you which taxiway you are on, which runways it leads to, and which turnoff is which.

Third, each runway has giant numbers painted on the end. These are primarily used for positively identifying the runway for landing.

Fourth, if you're at an airport with an operational control tower and are on the ground, you can say that you are "unfamiliar" with the airport and request "progressive taxi" which is a fancy way to say you don't know where you are or where you are going, and they will lead you step-by-step.

Lastly, there are some modern GPS-based avionics that will show you exactly where you are and where the runways are, even on the ground at an airport.

And, by the way, at my local airport, fire-fighting aircraft always land on runway 35 regardless of the wind. The runway is long enough and the wind is light enough (even 15 knots!), that they can safely land either way. This plan allows them to take off immediately from their air base without taxi time and allows them to land right at their air base. This reduces the time it takes them to reload significantly. They do use lots of reverse prop to slow down. I suppose if the wind were ever really, really strong they might have no choice but to land on the inconvenient runway.

Answer 3

Grumpy gets a thumbs up too.

Looking out the window, what a concept.

Answer 4

there are numbers at the end of each.

One strip of area meant for airplanes to takeoff and land are actually, in the business, two runways. Each direction counts as one runway.

They are numbered according to their heading. If one is facing east, which is 90 degrees, the number on the end will be 09. The opposite end will be facing west, which is 270 degrees, or runway 27.

If its like 288 degrees, the runway will be runway 29.

at certain airports, there are runways which are parallel to each other. When this occurs, They add a L for left and a R for right on the applicable runways to avoid confusion.  

(atc: land on 09

pilot: which 09, the one on the left or the one on the right?

obviously, this doesn't work so ATC actually says: land on 09L)

atc will notify the pilots via radio which runway to land on. Preferably, airplanes takeoff and land into the wind as much as possible. So, if the wind comes from the east, airplanes should takeoff and land on runway 09.

the numbers are relatively huge. they are situated just above the bunch of parallel vertical strips (white usually) near the start of the runway also called the piano keys.

crazyhorse is wrong. regardless of which direction you came from, you WILL land into the wind if there is any. You WILL make a U turn if it means landing on a runway that lets you land into the wind. ATC will also NOT give you latitudes and longitudes for the location of the runway. It is up to the pilot to carry approach charts and "maps" on paper and on the flight management computer. The ATC will give vectors or headings to the pilot so he can align his aircraft straight at the runway. From there, the pilot will either use ILS and fly manually or couple the autopilot to the ILS or the pilot will visually fly the approach and land the aircraft.

Air Traffic Control does not really determine the runway used. Wind, techinically difficulties, congestion, noise abatement procedures, and a number of other factors decides the runway in use.

Answer 5

The BIG numbers on the end. the ATC tells them which one to land on.

Answer 6

Signs at the runway that say A 27R-9L.....This means your on taxi way alpha at runway 27R and runway 9L. Red part is always the runway http://www.airport-technology.com/contra...

Airport diagrams, ATIS systems, ad yes atc does tell you what runway you need to taxi to, for takeoff and what runnway to expect for landing.

This is a airport diagram

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...

Answer 7

Good answer, but forgot one point.  The tower keeps a heads up on who is coming and who is leaving.  The runway is also determined by which way you are heading and how hard you have to bank to get there.  (ie, if you are flying from Dallas to Chicago, they won't make you come to Milwaukee and "u-turn" to make a north to south landing.)

There are many runways in any given airport.  It's the professionals in the tower who tells the pilots which runway to land on and gives them lattitude and longitude of the clear runways that are free.

Answer 8

With a total of 13,817 airports in the US and only 693 control towers (including about 150 or so military control towers) ATC will definitely NOT be telling you which runway that you’ll be using on about 95% of the airports out there. You’ll get the airport and runway layout from the airport directory before you leave town. If you’re one of the 11% of the airplanes out there without an electrical system, or if the airport where you’re heading doesn’t have anybody with a radio and a view of the windsock, you’ll have to fly over the airport and have a look at the windsock and traffic pattern indicators to determine which runway is in use.

As it has been pointed out, the runway numbers are based upon the magnetic direction of the pavement that you’re using (eg: RWYs 18 and 36 are two runways using the same strip of pavement, one south the other north.)

Dave, Mongoose, and Comair all get thumbs up on this one.

Answer 9

Actually David often heavier aircraft will be permitted to land with some downwind provided the mean wind direction is head.

Answer 10

John E -

That's an excellent question and please excuse gary...I have no idea what his 'information' - and I use that loosly - has to do with answering your question but let me give you my take on it. You're familiar with a normal compass right?

According to Wikipedia:

Runways are generally numbered according to their magnetic heading (the takeoff direction it is "pointing towards"). The runway number is the whole number nearest one-tenth the magnetic azimuth of the centerline of the runway, measured clockwise from the magnetic north. Each digit is pronounced separately for clarity in radio communications. For example, Runway Three Six would be aligned in roughly a 360 degrees direction (magnetic north), Runway Nine would be used for a runway with a 94 degree-alignment (close to magnetic east), and Runway One Seven for 168 degrees. Each runway can be used in either direction, and hence has two numbers, each 180° apart. Thus, Runway One Zero (100°) becomes Runway Two Eight (280°) when used in the opposite direction and Runway One Eight (180°) becomes Runway Three Six (360°). Runways in North America that lie within the Northern Domestic Airspace are, because of the magnetic north pole, usually numbered according to true north.

So, let's say we're at an airport with one runway. That runway has 18 and 36 on either end meaning at one end you're facing magnetic north (360 degrees) and the other you're facing magnetic south (180 degrees). The aforementioned information is correct where you want to takeoff and land into the wind, and tower may also inform you which runway is being used due to weather, or a bunch of other factors.

When you're cleared to takeoff, or land for that matter, you will either be told or announce what runway you're using.

Good luck!

Mongoose