You might be surprised to learn that the magnetic north doesn’t stay constant. If you are familiar with a given airport, you may notice that occasionally (and by “occasionally” we mean normally in terms of several years), the runway numbers change. This naming convention of the runway numbers reflects this. When an airplane is flying north, it is always said to be flying a heading of “three-six-zero”, and never “zero zero zero” degrees. This will also correspond with the headings read out by both ATC and the pilot. Any runway which points to magnetic north will normally be given the designator “36” (as in 360 degrees). You shouldn’t find any runway numbered either “0” or “00”. Pilots always reference magnetic heading, and their instruments, such as a heading indicator, will always point in this direction. The difference between a true heading and a magnetic heading is caused by local variation, as compasses don’t point to the geographic north pole but instead to a point in northern Canada. Are Runway Numbers in Degrees True or Magnetic?Īirport numbers always reference the nearest heading in degrees magnetic, not true. The number has been amended to prevent confusion with the other runways. It is important to note that, in the case of runway 29, it still points to 280°. The runway numbers might be designated something like this: – So let’s say there were 4 runways, all pointing to 280°. This is the case even though the ‘extra’ runway may point in exactly the same direction. The next series of runways will have their final digit changed by 1 to avoid any confusion. If there are more than 3 parallel runways, then a simple rule is followed. Well, there is a naming convention for that too! There may be more than three runways pointing in the same direction in very big airports. What Happens if There Are More Than 3 Parallel Runways? The runways should be numbered “35L” and “35R”. Subsequently, and according to the above. So, for example, let’s say two runways are both pointing to a 350° magnetic heading.
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