Airport Runways

[route17fan]

I worked for Delta Air Lines for 18 years and left in 2015. In my many flights I have taken, I noted runway signage and markings.

My question is regarding a true north-south runway. Would the signs and markings state 0-18 or 18-36? I do not recall a runway 0 - nor have I seen a runway 36 either. Both would "seem" to me to be correct. Anyone know?

[hotdogPi]

Hopedale, MA

EDIT: https → http so that the image shows again

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

Runway headings are numbered between 01-36. I would recommend researching further into the FAA. I read a Wikipedia page regarding headings, but don't take That information to heart, but rather use the sources cited to draw a conclusion. I'll assume you are familiar with ICAO, and the phonetic alphabet. The signage you see on the sides of runways refer to taxiways, so taxiway B is heard over the air as taxi via Bravo to Terminal.


iPhone

[PHLBOS]

My question is regarding a true north-south runway. Would the signs and markings state 0-18 or 18-36? I do not recall a runway 0 - nor have I seen a runway 36 either. Both would "seem" to me to be correct. Anyone know?

18-36.

[Eth]

Out of what I've seen: 0/18 (R/L). Some could say 17/35 or 1/19 if there are more than 3.

All five of ATL's runways run due east-west. They've opted to number them (from north to south) 8L/28R, 8R/28L, 9L/27R, 9R/27L, and 10/28.

[route17fan]

My question is regarding a true north-south runway. Would the signs and markings state 0-18 or 18-36? I do not recall a runway 0 - nor have I seen a runway 36 either. Both would "seem" to me to be correct. Anyone know?

18-36.

18-36 seems the most logical. Thank you.

[jeffandnicole]

Philly has 9-27L, 9-27R, 8-26 and 17-35.

8-26 as it appears, only allows landings from the east, as from the west one would fly directly over the airport terminals.

[CapeCodder]

For local airports:

KACK (Nantucket) 6/24-15/33
KHYA (Hyannis) 6/24-15/33
KMVY (Martha's Vineyard) 6/24-15/33

[PHLBOS]

Philly has 9-27L, 9-27R, 8-26 and 17-35.

8-26 as it appears, only allows landings from the east, as from the west one would fly directly over the airport terminals.

Boston's Logan Airport (BOS) has a similar unidirectional runway with Runway 14-32.  Like PHL's 8-26; its intended use is for smaller aircraft.

[Scott5114]

It looks like all of the apparently due-north/south runways in central Oklahoma use 17/35 for some reason. (Most of them also have a 13/31.)

[hotdogPi]

It looks like all of the apparently due-north/south runways in central Oklahoma use 17/35 for some reason. (Most of them also have a 13/31.)

Runway numbers use magnetic north.

[Scott5114]

It looks like all of the apparently due-north/south runways in central Oklahoma use 17/35 for some reason. (Most of them also have a 13/31.)

Runway numbers use magnetic north.

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

[roadman65]

Runways are by compass headings.  Like Runways 4 and 22 in Newark, NJ is like this, coming in from the north its Runway Zero Four and from the south its Two Two.  No four and twenty two.

In Orlando it gets trickier as its Runway Zero One and One Eight for the original west runway and the added east runways I believe are Zero Three and Two Oh, even though they are parallel to the west ones.  I guess that is to avoid confusion as you can only have one left and one right.  Orlando is made where two planes can take off and two more can land all simultaneously. 

[US 89]

Runways are by compass headings.  Like Runways 4 and 22 in Newark, NJ is like this, coming in from the north its Runway Zero Four and from the south its Two Two.  No four and twenty two.

In Orlando it gets trickier as its Runway Zero One and One Eight for the original west runway and the added east runways I believe are Zero Three and Two Oh, even though they are parallel to the west ones.  I guess that is to avoid confusion as you can only have one left and one right.  Orlando is made where two planes can take off and two more can land all simultaneously.

FWIW, you can’t have a runway 1/18 or 3/20, because the two numbers have to have a difference of 18 (since the two ends are 180 degrees apart from each other). Wikipedia says the Orlando runways are 17L/35R, 17R/35L, 18L/36R, and 18R/36L. “C” runways (for “center”) do exist, like in Seattle where there are 16L/34R, 16C/34C, and 16R/34L.

Salt Lake City has 16R/34L, 16L/34R, 17/35 (which is not parallel to the 16/34 runways) and 14/32. Most commercial traffic uses the two 16/34 runways (especially 16L/34R), while private and military traffic mostly stays on the eastern side of the airport. Out of all of the flights I’ve been on to and from SLC, I can only remember using 17/35 once.

The South Valley Regional Airport several miles to the south also has a runway 16-34, and once a commercial flight accidentally landed there due to the runway number.

[formulanone]

It looks like all of the apparently due-north/south runways in central Oklahoma use 17/35 for some reason. (Most of them also have a 13/31.)

Runway numbers use magnetic north.

The numbers can also change every few years due to polar drift.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood's runway 9L-27R became 10L-28R in 2013.

Shreveport Regional's 5/23 runway also changed to 06/24, and they kept the old signage in the airport:

[kalvado]

It looks like all of the apparently due-north/south runways in central Oklahoma use 17/35 for some reason. (Most of them also have a 13/31.)

Runway numbers use magnetic north.

The numbers can also change every few years due to polar drift.

Sometimes in a pretty dramatic way..

[roadman65]

Runways are by compass headings.  Like Runways 4 and 22 in Newark, NJ is like this, coming in from the north its Runway Zero Four and from the south its Two Two.  No four and twenty two.

In Orlando it gets trickier as its Runway Zero One and One Eight for the original west runway and the added east runways I believe are Zero Three and Two Oh, even though they are parallel to the west ones.  I guess that is to avoid confusion as you can only have one left and one right.  Orlando is made where two planes can take off and two more can land all simultaneously.

FWIW, you can’t have a runway 1/18 or 3/20, because the two numbers have to have a difference of 18 (since the two ends are 180 degrees apart from each other). Wikipedia says the Orlando runways are 17L/35R, 17R/35L, 18L/36R, and 18R/36L. “C” runways (for “center”) do exist, like in Seattle where there are 16L/34R, 16C/34C, and 16R/34L.

Salt Lake City has 16R/34L, 16L/34R, 17/35 (which is not parallel to the 16/34 runways) and 14/32. Most commercial traffic uses the two 16/34 runways (especially 16L/34R), while private and military traffic mostly stays on the eastern side of the airport. Out of all of the flights I’ve been on to and from SLC, I can only remember using 17/35 once.

The South Valley Regional Airport several miles to the south also has a runway 16-34, and once a commercial flight accidentally landed there due to the runway number.

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west. 
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong, not to say that it is not that way as google satellite image shows an 36 on the south approach and wiki confirms it.   That is heading true north as all of Orlando's runways run north and south.  The parallel eastern runways are off by one degree so coming in from the south its three- five left and three-five right and one-seven left and one-seven right coming in from the north.

Wiki lists the four cardinal directions clockwise from the north being 0 (zero).   I was off on my math a little, but somewhere I did see a one or zero-one.  I might of misread it or dreamed it, but I knew the western (old McCoy AFB runways and the eastern (later added runways) were off by one full degree from each other though.
https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4101225,-81.2975279,686m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!7m1!2e1
https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4150039,-81.3275504,686m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!7m1!2e1

In Newark, the south approach is 4L/22R and 4R/22L so the degrees are correct.  The two main runways are slightly off from north to the east which puts it to the right (clockwise) at its north end of 0.  Then 22 degrees is to the SW of 18 and the opposite 4 degrees from 18 true south. https://www.google.com/search?q=newark+airport+runway+map&client=firefox-b-1&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=MErNK0N--Y9GkM%253A%252CHzfIpYcRGdtIWM%252C_&usg=__y_N7tqo3Uu6wEllL6Rvs3ivXsjU%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim6JzFgJ3aAhUB61MKHd8nDpsQ9QEIMzAF#imgrc=MErNK0N--Y9GkM:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Newark+International+Airport+St,+Newark,+NJ+07114/@40.679993,-74.1770814,592m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c252f029bc95a9:0x38c8286d67b708fc!8m2!3d40.6937772!4d-74.181532

Edit:  I got it now, 36 replaces 0.  So heading true north on the west runways are true north-south with 36 subbing for 0 as it would be the full 360.  I guess the FAA won't allow zero to be used rather the farthest number, so 35 for the newer runways are being implied its 1 full degree off the the left so that is why.

Okay, I got it.  It was I remembered the one off but in the wrong direction of the rotation. 

[kalvado]

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west. 
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong, not to say that it is not that way as google satellite image shows an 36 on the south approach and wiki confirms it.   That is heading true north as all of Orlando's runways run north and south.  The parallel eastern runways are off by one degree so coming in from the south its three- five left and three-five right and one-seven left and one-seven right coming in from the north.

Wiki lists the four cardinal directions clockwise from the north being 0 (zero).   I was off on my math a little, but somewhere I did see a one or zero-one.  I might of misread it or dreamed it, but I knew the western (old McCoy AFB runways and the eastern (later added runways) were off by one full degree from each other though.
https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4101225,-81.2975279,686m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!7m1!2e1
https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4150039,-81.3275504,686m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!7m1!2e1

Technically midnight is 0, but we still get 12.59AM before hitting 1.00AM.
And all four Orlando runways are shown as 5.6 magnetic / 359 true, parallel down to 0.1 degree. 

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

I have actually never flown, but I do find many of the seemingly small and unnoticed about airports and aviation interesting.

I would like to fly...


iPhone

[busman_49]

I have actually never flown, but I do find many of the seemingly small and unnoticed about airports and aviation interesting.

I flew a handful of times.  Well, I rode on a jet that someone else was flying.

But anyway, I find them interesting myself.  Being able to look out a window and watch all of the goings-on outside was a great way to pass the time during my layovers.

[froggie]

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west.
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong,

Not true.  Those of us who have worked in official navigation roles (of which runways and airline flight would be included) would point out quite clearly that 360 is north.  This is, amongst other things, to reduce confusion when relaying meteorological information.  For example, a wind value of 00000kt (direction 000) is, by definition, calm.

[GenExpwy]

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west.
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong,

Not true.  Those of us who have worked in official navigation roles (of which runways and airline flight would be included) would point out quite clearly that 360 is north.  This is, amongst other things, to reduce confusion when relaying meteorological information.  For example, a wind value of 00000kt (direction 000) is, by definition, calm.

Wait, are you saying that they reserve five digits for the wind speed in knots? 

[US 89]

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west.
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong,

Not true.  Those of us who have worked in official navigation roles (of which runways and airline flight would be included) would point out quite clearly that 360 is north.  This is, amongst other things, to reduce confusion when relaying meteorological information.  For example, a wind value of 00000kt (direction 000) is, by definition, calm.

Wait, are you saying that they reserve five digits for the wind speed in knots? 

The first three digits give the direction in degrees, and the last two give the speed in knots. So if the wind was reported as 22013kt, it is blowing from 220° (SW) at a speed of 13 knots.

[kalvado]

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west.
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong,

Not true.  Those of us who have worked in official navigation roles (of which runways and airline flight would be included) would point out quite clearly that 360 is north.  This is, amongst other things, to reduce confusion when relaying meteorological information.  For example, a wind value of 00000kt (direction 000) is, by definition, calm.

Wait, are you saying that they reserve five digits for the wind speed in knots? 

The first three digits give the direction in degrees, and the last two give the speed in knots. So if the wind was reported as 22013kt, it is blowing from 220° (SW) at a speed of 13 knots.

And that may be too low for a hurricane. Of course there is little use for METAR in the hurricane area, but still..

[roadman65]

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west.
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong,

Not true.  Those of us who have worked in official navigation roles (of which runways and airline flight would be included) would point out quite clearly that 360 is north.  This is, amongst other things, to reduce confusion when relaying meteorological information.  For example, a wind value of 00000kt (direction 000) is, by definition, calm.

Technically 0 is north.  90 is east. 180 is south and 270 is west.
So in reality Runways 36L and 36R are wrong,

Not true.  Those of us who have worked in official navigation roles (of which runways and airline flight would be included) would point out quite clearly that 360 is north.  This is, amongst other things, to reduce confusion when relaying meteorological information.  For example, a wind value of 00000kt (direction 000) is, by definition, calm.

0 Hundred hours is the same as 24 Hundred hours in military time.  So the same could be said about the situation in Orlando with 36L and 36R being the same as 0L and 0R. 

I got the info on 0 being North from Wikipedia!  I researched this and that is what is written there as well as other google pull ups.  Not saying your wrong, but what wiki said!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runway It states that they would rather use 360 than zero, but in true compass headings north is 0.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_(navigation)  Then navigation states north is 0.