When ever you are landing or taking off the controller says the name of the runway, but who came up with the name and why that name?
2007-07-19 19:29:21 · 5 answers · asked by planefreak10 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Most generally the runway takes its number from the magnetic heading of the runway, rounded off. For example runway 3 at San Antonio International Airport is aligned 33 degrees magnetic and is rounded to 30, or 3 on an aircraft compass.
When an L or R appears that means it is the left or right runway when there are two parallel runways of the same alignment.
Thus 12R at San Antonio International is roughly aligned with 120 degrees and is the right hand runway of two of that alignment.
Some airports with four or more roughly parallel runways may use somewhat different numbers, such as 36C at Dallas Fort Worth, which is really nearer 350 degrees.
There are also runways with the 35 number.
2007-07-19 19:41:00 · answer #1 · answered by Warren D 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
In the case you mentioned, the 25 means that the taking off aircraft uses the runway which points to the compass point 250°, and the L means that there are parallel runways, and this one is on the left as you enter the beginning of the runways.
Who started it? Who knows? Systems for controlling air traffic were developed even before radio, so as not to lose too many planes bumping into each other. Air Traffic Control was necessary very early in the development of commercial flight.
2007-07-20 02:43:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
What everyone says is right on.
As was alluded to, aircraft carriers have numbers. The poster guessed (and correctly) that the number is the hull number of the ship. This helps aircrew identify the correct ship to land on when there are multiple aircraft carriers operating alongside each other.
2007-07-20 13:28:24 · answer #3 · answered by ENS Bubba 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the digits are first two of the three digit heading of runway, the letter is either L-eft R-ight or C-enter
notice aircraft carriers have numbers too, but these state the number of the ship I guesss, since the carrier can turn into the wind to increase airspeed of arriving and departing aircraft.
2007-07-20 03:11:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
the heading the runway is at and for the letter they refer to left right and center this will give the pilots info on which runway to land on if they should be parallel to another runway
2007-07-20 11:39:42 · answer #5 · answered by Concorde 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋