Norwegian737 From Norway, joined Mar 2011, 41 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 13 hours ago) and read 2178 times:
On my way to work, I drive by the aiport, and I have noticed that on some mornings (when the weather is calm/nice) the planes land and takeoff in different directions...
For instance, I saw a plane land on rw 18, and right after, a plane took off from rw 36 (heading for a destination north), and right after another plane landed on rw 18, all this during a 5-10 min time period.
Why does the direction of landing and takeoff change like this?
Is it, since the weather was calm, they planes can takeoff/land in a direction that is beneficial to their origin/destination?
vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8316 posts, RR: 28 Reply 1, posted (1 year 13 hours ago) and read 2172 times:
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Quoting Norwegian737 (Thread starter): Is it, since the weather was calm, they planes can takeoff/land in a direction that is beneficial to their origin/destination?
I suppose that could be (although for a plane heading north, taking off on runway 18 is in the opposite direction). But my first guess would be for noise abatement purposes, assuming traffic is light enough that you can accomplish it. Maybe the area south of the runway has less stringent noise abatement rules than the area north of the runway. I believe LAX does this overnight - airplanes will both takeoff and land over the ocean.
Another possibility is obstacle clearance; maybe runway 36 was in use generally, but one airplane requested runway 18 for takeoff due to less obstacles; this might enable them to have a higher MTOW.
Just a couple possibilities that came to mind.
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IAHFLYR From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 4738 posts, RR: 25 Reply 3, posted (1 year 9 hours ago) and read 2086 times:
The reason I see most often for opposite direction departures in light traffic conditions is due to where the airplane was parked on the airport. No need to have someone taxi for 2+ miles in some cases when they could depart a runway closer to their ramp weather/traffic permitting.
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timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6477 posts, RR: 8 Reply 5, posted (12 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
Flights from the north into OAK often fly a 10-15 mile downwind to runway 29, and pilots used to ask if any chance for runway 11. Maybe 20 years ago I saw a USAir 146 depart runway 29 while a WN was maybe 8-10 miles NW of the field, waiting to see if they'd get to land runway 11, and they got it. (They must have been something lower than the usual 5000 ft on the downwind to 29.)
BA777 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 2140 posts, RR: 8 Reply 6, posted (12 months 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 1606 times:
Really depends on performance etc, for example yesterday BLQ-MAD, runway is 12/30. Wind was 300/6, we landed on 12 and departed 30. Usually traffic permitting also, its no problem at the places we fly to and the terminal is near the 30 threshold so minimises taxi time for us.
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