Modesto2 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 2628 posts, RR: 6 Posted (12 years 9 months 1 week 21 hours ago) and read 735 times:
I was near SFO the other day and I noticed the aircraft were approaching from the opposite end of the runway. I know 28L/R are usually used for landings but are 10L/R ever used? And for OAK...is runway 11 ever used (I think I've seen it in operation)? Thanks.
OPNLguy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (12 years 9 months 1 week 19 hours ago) and read 657 times:
SFO normally uses 28L/R for arrivals and 01R/L for departures, and this is their optimum configuration. If the winds and/or rain (wet runways) force SFO off the above, things start slowing down. 19L/R are rarely used for takeoffs, since rising terrain limits takeoff weights. 01L/R are sometimes used for arrivals if the winds absolutely require it, but that same terrain doesn't allow approaches in very low weather like 28L/R does.
OAK usually stays on 29 and 27L/R, and SJC 30L/R. Both will generally go to 11, 09L/R, and 12R/L, respectively, whenever SFO changes from their optimum.
Flygga From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (12 years 9 months 1 week 18 hours ago) and read 645 times:
Yes the do land on the 10's when the winds dictate it (which is not very often). Here are some shots that I took of planes landing on the 10's at SFO. The shots were taken from the United gate 77 area.
Flygga From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (12 years 9 months 1 week 5 hours ago) and read 607 times:
DLX, no you are thinking of the cirling "KaiTak" style approach to 1L/R. That is the rarest approach at SFO. That one happens only once or twice a year and only for a few hours at a time.
Landing on the 10's is a little bit more common. It is a straight in approach through the "gap" over Daly City and San Bruno" There is even a published instrument VOR approach to the 10's. There is no instrument approach for the 1's and it can only be done is clear weather.
D L X From United States of America, joined May 1999, 10554 posts, RR: 53 Reply 6, posted (12 years 9 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 597 times:
Okay. Well, somebody PLEASE let us know if they ever do that approach at SFO.
That sort of circling approach is quite common at IAD (although there are no mountains) and it is quite awesome a sight to be able to see both TOP surfaces of a 744's wings on the big turns.
ILUV767 From United States of America, joined May 2000, 3141 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (12 years 9 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 596 times:
It was raining at SFO one moring in Feb, and my flight took koff from 10R. That was a first for me!!! From my window, I saw planes landing on 19L/R. On another rainy day, my flight took off from 19L We were in a brasilia so we did not need much runway to take off, but once we got airborn, we made a very sharp turn to the left, and flew over some hotels, and then sort of over 101, and back out over the bay. Then we flew south, and Turned east and started to head to SMF
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6465 posts, RR: 8 Reply 8, posted (12 years 9 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 579 times:
They wanted to build more floors into that hotel SE of the S end of runways 19, but I guess ALPA or somebody was able to prevent it.
My guess is that in any given year odds are 50-50 there will be no jet arrivals on the 1's. Arrivals on the 10's are next rarest. Departures from the 10's are the norm in rainy weather; I guess if the wind is 190 at 20 kt and the runways are wet that's when they depart from the 19's. On one (and only one) occasion I saw Japan Air depart from 19L, presumably to Tokyo. Also, saw a Tower Air 747 off 19R to JFK.
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From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 2628 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From my window, I saw planes landing on 19L/R. On another rainy day, my flight took off from 19L 
We were in a brasilia so we did not need much runway to take off, but once we got airborn, we made a very sharp turn to the left, and flew over some hotels, and then sort of over 101, and back out over the bay. Then we flew south, and Turned east and started to head to SMF
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