How do simultaneous operations on parallel runways work?

Question

When planes are landing on the outer runway, at what points do planes on the inner runway take off, etc.

I mean, how much time is given so that planse are not exactly next to each other when performing simultaneous operations?

Answer 1

1)Works fine.
2)Depends on the controller.

Yours: grumpy

Answer 2

That is a very good question.

When they design an airfield with two (or more) parallel runways they have a minimum spacing that has to be between them. We fly approaches to these runways in the same way that we do to a single runway. As pilots, we don't pay attention to other airplanes flying approaches to other runways that parallel the one that we are landing on.

However, if the runways aren't a certain distance apart from one another then they have to stagger the takeoffs and landings. Frankfurt Germany, the busiest airport in Europe, is plagued with this problem. They have to stagger their takeoffs and landings from parallel runways because they are too close together.

Now here in the United States, as of a few years ago, several airfields that used to have parallel runways that were too close together for simultaneous takeoffs and landings, got a new system called Precision Runway Monitoring (PRM). PRM is a very high update rate, accurate radar that alerts tower controllers if two airplanes flying simultaneous approaches to two parallel runways, are getting too close to one another. Adding PRM to an airfield allowed several airfields, such as Minneapolis St. Paul, to open up simultaneous operations to parallel runways instead of having to stagger approaches because their parallel runways used to be too close together. This greatly increased the number of airplanes that can land there per hour. PRM is only used here in the United States as of yet, however, I wouldn't be surprised if it catches on elsewhere in the world very soon. Pilots, when flying an instrument approach to a runway that has PRM, are required to do a few extra things that they don't normally have to do.

Answer 3

Actually, the point of simultaneous operations is that planes CAN be right next to each other on approach. Takeoffs and landings work just as they would with one runway.

Answer 4

At KIWA we have three parallel runways the two outer runways are used for touch and goes and full stop landings one doing left traffic and the other right traffic while the center is used for pilots making instrument approaches it gets a little crazy sometimes but not too crazy

Answer 5

You treat landings on parallel runways just as you treat landing on single runways. You are vectored onto the runway, let's say 32L then you fly a standard left hand pattern if you are vectored onto 32R then the same is true but in a right hand pattern.

When it get's fun is when youre on base and heading right at another plane that is also on base... and then you both turn final for your respective runway at the same time... I never really got used to that.!