why is it allowed that there is parallel using of the 2 parallel runway at san francisco airport?

Question

i thought if you wanna make parallel runway use they have to be separated by at least 1280 m to each other? but in frisco, they are surely not..

Answer 1

I guess grumpy geezer isn't a pilot....

We absolutely DO fly simultaneous ILS approaches quite frequently to the parallel runways at SFO during IMC conditions.

Check out the link...

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=6547

http://www.faa.gov/exit/?pagename=Simultaneous%20Offset%20Instrument%20Approaches%20at%20San%20Francisco%20International%20Airport%20(Video)&pagelink=http://www.flysfo.com/soia/Information_Video.wmv

Answer 2

If they were building it now they would have to have more separation, but it has been there a long time. Same thing in Oakland with 27L and 27R. In both cases they only operate both runways when there is good visibility. But OAK, 10 miles north, gets much better visibility most of the time and the heavies are on 29/11 with 27L/09R mostly restricted to smaller aircraft by local noise rules.

SFO is considered one of the less safe airports in the country. Close parallel runway pairs used together and crossing another pair of active runways. Not a good combination with a place that gets fog at any time of year. But we call it The Marine Layer and it doesn't sound so bad.

Part of the reason it is allowed to continue is that SFO can claim that they have been trying to do something about building more runways with the required 4300' separation, but they are being prevented by the Army Core of Engineers and various SF Bay groups. See the 2001 article below. Basically folks are dragging their collective feet while the FAA holds of enforcement because it would cause them political difficulties.

See the current plans at the second link.

PS. Nobody here calls it frisco or san fran, SFO is used for the airport and The City... which is what locals call San Francisco... like there aren't half a dozen others within sight.

Answer 3

When conducting the approach to SFO, one of two conditions must exist: The airport must be VFR with adequate visibility for aircraft to see and seperate themselves from each other, OR a Simultaneous Offset ILS Approach (SOIA) will be conducted using the ILS 28L and a LDA PRM 28R where fast-updating RADAR monitors aircraft approach courses that are not actually parallel and a Non-Transgression Zone is established between the runways. If any aircraft breaches the NTZ, breakout instructions are issued to other aircraft to move them away from the deviation aircraft.

You can google "SFO LDA PRM 28R" and read all about it

Answer 4

The controllers will tell you to "maintain visual separation" from the traffic and you can approach side by side... The reason they can do this is because thats the way the airport was built and if you have ever been to SFO, you will see that there is no room for expansion, unless they build out into the water... Basically, airports built before the new separation guidelines were "grandfathered in" so to speak... however, ILS approaches will be staggered...

Answer 5

They were conducting parallel approaches to SFO prior to the establishment of lateral separation standards anyway. Of course, they'll have to be visual. You're not gonna see parallel simultaneous ILS ops happening there.

The SOIF is a new development. Prior to 2004, before it existed you might have seen parallel ILS (staggered) to 28R and L, but you still wouldn't have gotten 'em side by side.

Answer 6

A very good photo illustrating how close those runways are...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0652327/M/