Dublin airport runway choice

jon1981

Hi,

Is it possible to find out what runway is in use in Dublin airport? How does the weather impact the decision?

I'm Curious because I notice some mornings I can hear the aircraft and other mornings I can't. I'm assuming this is down to choice off runway driven by the weather?

Jon

P_1

I think* pilots prefer to take off and land into the wind. So if the wind is blowing from the west Runway 28 is used, from the east runway 10, from the north 34 and the south 16.

*disclaimer I am no expert

urajoke

P_1 wrote: »

I think* pilots prefer to take off and land into the wind. So if the wind is blowing from the west Runway 28 is used, from the east runway 10, from the north 34 and the south 16.

*disclaimer I am no expert

Quite simply yes correct.

But

Ourselves and pilots will take into account many other factors like runway availability, nav aid status and type, other weather, runway surface condition wet/dry, aircraft type, runway width, noise, runway capacity, final approach spacing, airfield configuration, ramp congestion these are a few of the considerations there are many.

Currently 16 is active

lovelyhurler

P_1 wrote: »

I think* pilots prefer to take off and land into the wind. So if the wind is blowing from the west Runway 28 is used, from the east runway 10, from the north 34 and the south 16.

*disclaimer I am no expert

P_1 is almost correct. It is Weather and wind dependent. Plans have to ideally land and take off into the wind.
Sometimes pilots just don't have the choice.

jon1981

urajoke wrote: »

.

Currently 16 is active

thanks, how can the layman determine this? Is this information available somewhere?

urajoke

http://www.flightradar24.com

Or

www.liveatc.net Dublin feed

urajoke

http://www.flightradar24.com/how-it-works

The answer to your next question

lolosaur

runways are named after the degree they are at i think. so runway 29er is at 29 degrees. I think.

I might have made this up. I dont know.

urajoke

lolosaur wrote: »

runways are named after the degree they are at i think. so runway 29er is at 29 degrees. I think.

I might have made this up. I dont know.

Close 28 is 279degs 10is therefore 099, 34 is 341 and therefore 16 is 161

urajoke

jon1981 wrote: »

Hi,

Is it possible to find out what runway is in use in Dublin airport? How does the weather impact the decision?

I'm Curious because I notice some mornings I can hear the aircraft and other mornings I can't. I'm assuming this is down to choice off runway driven by the weather?

Jon

The weather impacts it's mainly through wind direction, as others have said aircraft/pilots prefer to land into the wind as it reduces there speed which reduces runway length needed to slow down etc.

Aircraft can land with a certain amount of crosswind so wind blowing from either side but as the direction increases, so instead of 100 it moves to 140 and then 180 the crosswind component changes so less wind over the nose to more from the side then the less wind speed the aircraft can take.

If the runway is wet friction decreases for the tyres as they land and go from flying to driving. as the aircraft up to just before touchdown is crabbing or pointing towards the wind it needs to be straightened out it needs the tyres to grip the runway and not slide to the side.

So if this is too much then the runway can be changed to a more wind preferable direction.

Sometimes the wind is in awkward direction usually 220degs and strong then no aircraft can land or takeoff as it's too dangerous.

jon1981

urajoke wrote: »

http://www.flightradar24.com/how-it-works

The answer to your next question

great link, real time as well, I could literally hear the sound overhead as the plane was passing my location on the map.

FWVT

It's also better, given a choice, to land on a runway on which the crosswind is from your left, as gusts usually come from a veered direction relative to the mean wind. This means that they will be more aligned with the runway.

Urajoke, I've a question. You say 28 is 279 °, and that's the heading shown on the ILS approach plate, however the airport diagram shows it as 281 °, recently changed from the older 282 °. I know the ILS bearing is magnetic, and the airport chart doesn't state which, but given that variation is currently 4 °W (-11'per year) and both charts are very recent, the two bearings don't tally. If the airport diagram is °T then it should say 283 °, or vice versa.

Airport diagram http://www.iaa.ie/safe_reg/iaip/Published%20Files/AIP%20Files/AD/Chart%20Files/EIDW/EI_AD_2_EIDW_24-1_en.pdf
R28 ILS http://www.iaa.ie/safe_reg/iaip/Published%20Files/AIP%20Files/AD/Chart%20Files/EIDW/EI_AD_2_EIDW_24-23_en.pdf

urajoke

It wouldn't be the first time the procedures designer has missed something.

I'll hazard a guess that they should all be magnetic and they should be 279/099 etc.

ProfessorPlum

I would hazard a guess that the ground chart pictorial was a copy and paste job and (the bearing) hasn't been updated since the bearing was 281. The true bearing is 275, magnetic is 279, nothing is 281. Simple typo. Of course your first mistake was to dust off the AIP at all ðŸ˜

phonypony

jon1981 wrote: »

Hi,

Is it possible to find out what runway is in use in Dublin airport? How does the weather impact the decision?

I'm Curious because I notice some mornings I can hear the aircraft and other mornings I can't. I'm assuming this is down to choice off runway driven by the weather?

Jon

Also, some busy mornings (0600-0800) in prevailing wind conditions, both 28 and 34 have been used simultaneously for departures to help traffic flow.

FWVT

Actually the airport diagram does clearly state that bearings are magnetic. No idea how I missed that earlier!

Up to last year the bearing was 282 °, and changed to 281 ° in the recent revision. If it started off as 286 ° when the runway was built some 24? years ago then it would now be 281 ° at the rate of -11' per year.

So it still begs the question...which is right: the ILS or runway?

Autorotation

The current Jeppy's state 099 and 279 too, as do the FMS databases, which match the AIP plates as you have indicated, so I'd go by them. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter. For a visual t/o or landing you're not looking at the heading much except in initial guidance. For an inst appr/dep it's either coupled to the AP which is as per plate, or hand-flown on the hdg, but flying the appr +\- 1 degree doesn't matter so long as the localizer is centered.