PrcDevelopment: Runway Selection

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Most recent edit on 2005-12-19 20:05:58 by AaronFlodin

Additions:
This is especially important for IFR pilots when the weather is bad. For more information on published obstacle departure procedures please read IFRDepartureandArrivals. For the scope of this lesson; suffice it to say you want to make sure there is nothing your going to hit after you takeoff. A review of local charts and taking a nice hard look at the departure end of the runway should tell you all you need to know.

Deletions:
This is especially important for IFR pilots when the weather is bad. For more information on published obstacle departure procedures please read IFRDeparture andArrivals. For the scope of this lesson; suffice it to say you want to make sure there is nothing your going to hit after you takeoff. A review of local charts and taking a nice hard look at the departure end of the runway should tell you all you need to know.

Edited on 2005-12-19 20:03:23 by AaronFlodin

Additions:
When chosing a runway for departure, oftentimes the most important factor is wind direction. Taking off in to the wind reduces takeoff roll distance and provides a greater margin for error should things go wrong.
This is especially important for IFR pilots when the weather is bad. For more information on published obstacle departure procedures please read IFRDeparture andArrivals. For the scope of this lesson; suffice it to say you want to make sure there is nothing your going to hit after you takeoff. A review of local charts and taking a nice hard look at the departure end of the runway should tell you all you need to know.

Deletions:
~-Noise abatement
Another very important factor to consider when choosing a runway is wind direction. When we depart an airport, we want to use the runway with the greatest possible headwind. This headwind allows us to have a shorter takeoff role, getting us in the air faster.
This is especially important for IFR pilots when the weather is bad. For more information on published obstacle departure procedures please read IFRDeparture andArrivals. For the scope of this lesson suffice it to say you want to make sure there is nothing your going to hit after you takeoff. A review of local charts and taking a nice hard look at the departure end of the runway should tell you all you need to know.
Noise Abatement
Noise abatement procedures are handled differently on VATSIM depending on the region, country, and sometimes even by which part of the country you are flying in. Some ATC?s take noise abatement very seriously and try and make it as real as it gets. Others don?t know the procedures and don?t care to know them either.

Edited on 2005-11-29 20:05:04 by AaronFlodin

Additions:

Unpaved Runways

That's right! Not all runways have that nice hard blacktop that most of us are used to. Below I have listed some of these runway types. Many of these runways require special takeoff/landing techniques. If you are unfamiliar with Short/Soft field landing methods, please read <PerformanceTakeoffsandLandings>

Grass
Gravel
Dirt
Water

This tutorial has covered very basic runway selection menthods, for information about any of the strips above, please <UnpavedRunways>

Edited on 2005-11-29 19:49:36 by AaronFlodin

Additions:
All runways are given their numbers based on their magnetic heading. So for instance, when you line up on runway 22, your heading indicator should read 220 degrees. Likewise if you line up on runway 34, your heading indicator should read approximately 340 degrees, pretty simple huh? Using magnetic headings as runway numbers is the same throughout the world.

Deletions:
All runways are given their numbers based on their magnetic heading. So for instance, when you line up on runway 22, your heading indicator should read 220 degrees. Likewise if you line up on runway 34, your heading indicator should read 340 degrees, pretty simple huh? Using magnetic headings as runway numbers is the same throughout the world.

Edited on 2005-11-22 18:44:02 by MikeBevington

Additions:
Important terms

Uncontrolled field - An airport without an operating control tower
Controlled field - An airport that has an operating control tower
CTAF - Common Traffic Advisory Frequency

Aircraft Performance
Wind Direction
Traffic Flow
Obstruction Clearance
Noise Abatement
Categories

Deletions:

Important terms

Uncontrolled field-An airport without an operating control tower
Controlled field- An airport that has an operating control tower
CTAF- Common Traffic Advisory Frequency

Aircraft Performance

Wind Direction

Traffic Flow

Obstruction Clearance

Noise Abatement

Important terms

Uncontrolled field-An airport without an operating control tower
Controlled field- An airport that has an operating control tower
CTAF- Common Traffic Advisory Frequency
Introduction
Welcome to the VATSIM PRC runway selection tutorial. In this section we will cover many aspects of choosing a runway for use.
Because this section is strictly about runway selection we will not cover any of the weather interpretation that usually goes along
with selecting a runway. If you are having trouble finding the weather for a certain airport, please read MetarsandTafs .
All runways are given their numbers based on their magnetic heading. So for instance, when you line up on runway 22, your heading indicator should read 220 degrees. Likewise if you line up on runway 34, your heading indicator should read 340 degrees, pretty simple huh? Using magnetic headings as runway numbers is the same throughout the world.
There are several factors that we must consider when deciding which runway to use.

Aircraft Performance
Wind Direction
Traffic flow
Obstruction Clearance
Noise abatement

Aircraft Performance

The first and most obvious criterion for runway selection is aircraft performance. We will not cover the many aspects of aircraft takeoff/landing performance in this section, If you are interested in reading more about the calculations necessary to determine aircraft performance as it relates to takeoff and landing, please see [insert lesson link here]. For right now what we need to remember is that after all of our careful planning and calculations are complete, the runway must be long enough to handle our aircraft. It is VERY important to note that takeoff and landing distances ARE NOT THE SAME. Just because you can get an aircraft off the ground in a certain length does not mean that the same aircraft will stop in that distance.

Wind Direction

Another very important factor to consider when choosing a runway is wind direction. When we depart an airport, we want to use the runway with the greatest possible headwind. This headwind allows us to have a shorter takeoff role, getting us in the air faster.

Traffic Flow

Traffic flow is also a very important consideration when choosing your runway. At controlled fields this is not so much of a problem because the controllers will take responsibility for flow control, but at uncontrolled fields, departing the runway in the correct direction is very important to the safety of your airplane and to the aircraft around you. When departing an uncontrolled field, the best practice is to listen to the CTAF (122.80 on VATSIM) and ask other pilots at the airport what runway is in use. All pilots should be monitoring this frequency.

Obstruction Clearance

This is especially important for IFR pilots when the weather is bad. For more information on published obstacle departure procedures please read IFRDeparture andArrivals. For the scope of this lesson suffice it to say you want to make sure there is nothing your going to hit after you takeoff. A review of local charts and taking a nice hard look at the departure end of the runway should tell you all you need to know.

Noise Abatement

Noise abatement procedures are handled differently on VATSIM depending on the region, country, and sometimes even by which part of the country you are flying in. Some ATC?s take noise abatement very seriously and try and make it as real as it gets. Others don?t know the procedures and don?t care to know them either.

Deletions:
Coming Soon

Edited on 2005-11-12 19:33:34 by MikeBevington

Additions:
Categories
CategoryLessons

Edited on 2005-11-12 19:12:18 by AaronFlodin

Additions:

Runway Selection

Coming Soon

Deletions:

Departures and Arrivals

Coming Soon

Edited on 2005-11-12 19:11:53 by AaronFlodin

Additions:

Departures and Arrivals

By Aaron Flodin

Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2005-11-12 19:10:36 by AaronFlodin []

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