Most Common Runway Direction

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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Got asked an interesting question over Thanksgiving dinner.

"What's the most common runway direction?"

I started thinking and all I could come up with is maybe 18/36 or 4/22. Which is by far the most common in my local area.

So what say y'all ?
 
Got into the habit of writing my departing runways down in my logs, seems like I'm normally going with west facing runways, except when the weather is going ape chit, in which case it seems to be eastward runways, this has held true for most of my ops across the country.
 
It's typically some crosswind prone direction. Anything less just wouldn't be right.
 
Somewhat depends on what part of the country maybe. Down South I'd say mostly E-W runways, up North maybe N-S or NW-SE. Nothing to back it up with. Just going from my experience flying around the country.
 
In the northeast it seems to often be in the 30s for a north facing runway that gets the most use and then the southerly facing runways are the "bad weather runway" that is used less but typically has the best approach equipment (e.g. The only runway with ILS or the ILS that's Cat II or better).

Not hard data, just what I've noticed as the common theme.
 
I was told it is regional. In Texas they seem to be mostly N-S. So Cal does indeed seem to be very E-W.
 
WV, eastern KY and south OH were mostly Westerly (26-28); here in Lower Alabama there are an awful lot of 13/31s
 
Interesting replies. It makes sense that it's a regional thing. I just was as curious as the family member who asked me
 
Hank S said:
WV, eastern KY and south OH were mostly Westerly (26-28); here in Lower Alabama there are an awful lot of 13/31s
Click to expand...


Never seen a 26-28 runway.....o_O
 
Anyone seen those point location wind analysis charts?
Concentric circles to indicate the frequency, the direction is on a compass rose, I think there is a speed variable too.
They ostensibly use them to design airports.
Not sure if they did when some of the really old airports were built.
They used it at one airport I was involved with peripherally, to decide on a new xwind runway.
In many cases, their use is not an option due to surrounding terrain or built-up areas.
 
It seems to be 18 or 17 in the DFW area, but my airport is built along a train track and people most commonly use 14, but it ALWAYS has a cross wind.
 
9/27 or 18/36 are the most common. Seems like I remember reading it somewhere.
 
I'd think that runways aligned to the true cardinal points of the compass would be common, so as to conform to city grids. But magnetic variation will make the numbers different in various parts of the country. Whereas a true N/S runway in the east would be 18/36, it might be 16/34 in the northwest.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Anyone seen those point location wind analysis charts?
Concentric circles to indicate the frequency, the direction is on a compass rose, I think there is a speed variable too.
They ostensibly use them to design airports.
Not sure if they did when some of the really old airports were built.
They used it at one airport I was involved with peripherally, to decide on a new xwind runway.
In many cases, their use is not an option due to surrounding terrain or built-up areas.
Click to expand...

When our airport (KRUE) was built, lore has it that wind data was given priority over terrain. We have 7/25. 9/27 would have avoided a hill that recently got in the way of a Bonanza and resulted in 4 funerals. The hill has also resulted in a considerable threshold displacement on 25 as the airport has grown and runway length along with it.
 
Due to the terrain in my area, all of our runways at various surrounding airports are NE/SW headings. 5/23, 3/21, 2/20, 4/22 etc.
 
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