Runway direction?

[JTConner]

Okay, I might be overlooking this, but is there a way I can set what in which direction the airplanes will take-off and land?

I built a second runway and all of a sudden the planes start to taxi all the way to the other end of the runway and turn around before taking off. This takes too long and is causing a traffic jam on my planes.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Fredrik]

It is being determined by the direction if the wind. This is still farily early and not so visible right now for the players but best is to ensure they can reach both sides of the runway.

[JTConner]

Hmmm, didn't notice that since I'm 8 days in now (ingame time) and my planes never switched sides. Thanks for your answer.

[Fredrik]

Hmm ok, yea, it is still rough but should be there.

[Agathorn (SH)]

Originally posted by Fredrik:

It is being determined by the direction if the wind. This is still farily early and not so visible right now for the players but best is to ensure they can reach both sides of the runway.

Runways always go both ways, as Fredrik said based on the wind. You want to be taking off and landing into the wind.

A windsock would be nice to see the wind I guess, but its not like you can really do anything or design around it. Sometimes it will go one way sometimes the other :)

One thing though related to this that bothers me:

Planes shouldn't be turning around on the runway. I'm not 100% positive about this but I'm pretty sure that is a major no-no in aviation. If during landing you pass the closest taxi-way you contionue on to the next one, you don't turn around on the run way to go back just because it is closer. If you are taxing for takeoff then you shouldn't be taxing all the way down the runway to get to the other end, then turning around and taking off. You should be doing that on the taxiway.

[Fishu]

I've always had the planes go from west to east. It's a miracle they can still fly, since the winds are regularly in excess of 30 m/s, even up to 60 m/s. My airport should be closed due to weather more than half of the time. Ironically it's located at an area where an IRL airport is almost never closed due to weather - let alone ever having winds anywhere close to 30 m/s.

Originally posted by Agathorn (SH):

Originally posted by Fredrik:

Planes shouldn't be turning around on the runway. I'm not 100% positive about this but I'm pretty sure that is a major no-no in aviation. If during landing you pass the closest taxi-way you contionue on to the next one, you don't turn around on the run way to go back just because it is closer. If you are taxing for takeoff then you shouldn't be taxing all the way down the runway to get to the other end, then turning around and taking off. You should be doing that on the taxiway.

If there is a taxiway ahead, you'll exit through it, unless it's closed. However there are airports where you have to "backtrack" on the runway since there might be taxiway only at one end of the runway and middle of the runway.

[Logis M.]

Extending the topic a little: there is an option in Runway > Upgrades to extend the runway.
Options are N or S. For most players it won't be clear which side is N and which is S and as the extention is immediately layed and payed this leads to mistakes. My runway even left my plot :)

[Logis M.]

Another extention - runway safety: I'm no expert but I don't think it's safe that my fuel truck can drive across the front of the runway when a plane is landing or taking off. Maybe extend the runway with a blocked zone or introduce a vehicle crossing for the runway and/or taxiways.

[Agathorn (SH)]

Originally posted by Fishu:

I've always had the planes go from west to east. It's a miracle they can still fly, since the winds are regularly in excess of 30 m/s, even up to 60 m/s. My airport should be closed due to weather more than half of the time. Ironically it's located at an area where an IRL airport is almost never closed due to weather - let alone ever having winds anywhere close to 30 m/s.

Originally posted by Agathorn (SH):

If there is a taxiway ahead, you'll exit through it, unless it's closed. However there are airports where you have to "backtrack" on the runway since there might be taxiway only at one end of the runway and middle of the runway.

Obviously if there isn't a taxiway available that is a different story. I'm talking about conditions where there are taxiways available. In the game though the AI chooses the closest taxiway off the runway, even if that is behind them, so they will stop on the runway, turn around, and exit from that one which AFAIK is incorrect.

[Chu]

In response to Internet
You can even build light poles in front of the runway if you wanted. So why would you? You as the player have control of where to build things and if you think it's stupid, then....that's kind of your choice?

[0xDECAFBAD]

My runways are running north/south (up/down if you're looking using the default view) and I'm on day 6 and my planes have never once changed which direction they land/take off. Does the wind change that infrequently?

[JTConner]

Originally posted by 0xDECAFBAD:

My runways are running north/south (up/down if you're looking using the default view) and I'm on day 6 and my planes have never once changed which direction they land/take off. Does the wind change that infrequently?

I have experienced it once now. I noticed my planes causing a hugh traffic jam and when I inspected it, I noticed that the winds had shifted. Had to change my taxiways again ;(

[damianw8]

I have two parallel runways (one for arrival, one for departure). They planes are using them in opposite directions and its driving my nuts. What gives?

[Person012345]

I've played for an ingame year, and the planes have almost eclusively used 06L and R. They've only used 27L and R once in the entire time

[NZ_Wanderer]

I have forced my planes to take off and land one way only (2 runways)... - When I had both ends able to land and take off the pathfinding went crazy, so removed nodes at one end of each runway and now everything works.

[damianw8]

Originally posted by simplicity:

I have forced my planes to take off and land one way only (2 runways)... - When I had both ends able to land and take off the pathfinding went crazy, so removed nodes at one end of each runway and now everything works.

What do you mean by nodes? If you remove the taxiway from the end of the runway, the plane will turn around and go all the way to the other end.