In the near future we will be posting a full multi-part history on LAX, featuring 100s of rare images from the archives of the LAX Photo Archives-Flight Path Museum.įor a taste of what's to come, presents a two-part photo special, exploring LAX in the 1960s, when the brand new passenger terminal complex opened for traffic. Ground transport issues are being addressed as well with the construction of a ground transportation center (GTC) and automated people mover, connecting the GTC to the terminals. The expanded Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) is considered one of the world's great airport terminals, several new terminals will be built in the coming years and many of the older facilities are in the process of being upgraded. This negatively impacted both the aesthetics and the passenger experience.Ĭurrently, the airport is making strides in turning itself once again into a world-class airport. In subsequent decades, the airport went through several rounds of expansions in order to cope with ever-increasing passenger numbers, and it had to do so within the current footprint. When its current passenger terminal complex opened in 1961, it was a revolutionary and state-of-the-art facility. Oh, and PIT’s fourth runway? That’s 32-14.Los Angeles International Airport-known around the world simply as 'LAX'-is one of world's busiest airports. “But with that said, magnetic variation has slowed in the recent years, so I do not foresee PIT’s runways being changed anytime soon.” “Changing the runway names is a costly, extensive process that happens to airports every so often,” said Polachek. Just last year, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, had to change its numerical designations because of a magnetic variation. “The FAA then ensures that the charts and other documentation that pilots and airports use are updated to show the changes,” she said. Airports advise the FAA well in advance of needing to rename a runway, she added. When this happens, runways are renumbered, according to Kathleen Bergen, communications manager for the Federal Aviation Administration. Magnetic variations can change due to the Earth’s core spinning at a different rate than the crust. One factor that has a fundamental effect on runway designations is magnetic variation, or how much the poles deviate from one another, a phenomenon that is also used in navigation for ships and other vessels. Once an airport’s runways are set, pilots use maps of each airport, as well as verbal instructions from air traffic controllers, to identify the proper approach and which vectors, or legs, to turn toward for landing. Those decisions, he said, “can involve anticipated air traffic - both aircraft type and volume - historical weather such as prevailing winds, topography, adjacent land usage, land available and funds.” The number is rounded to the nearest tenth of a degree, and the third digit is dropped for simplicity, he added.Īircraft land in different directions on those runways due to the wind and other conditions at the time. “Since three runways are aligned at the same angle, they are further named left, right and center to distinguish.” “Twenty-eight represents 281.1 degrees magnetic,” Polachek said. Three of the four runways at PIT are designated 28-10. That means either end of a runway, regardless of its orientation, is 18 digits apart, since they are 180 degrees from each other. East and west flip flop from the traditional as well. Likewise, the north end would be designated 18, for 180 degrees, or true south. Thus, the south end of the runway is designated 36 for 360 degrees, the usual setting for true north, since that’s the direction the plane is heading. On a north-south runway, for example, a plane enters at the south end in order take off at the north end. However, the direction the plane is traveling is key. The best place to start is to think of a compass which points to the North Pole at 360 degrees, south at 180, east at 90 and west at 270. Though these numbers may sound random, each designates one of the airport’s four runways.įrom pilots to ground operators worldwide, taking off and landing a plane requires intense, coordinated communication, including this standardized system of naming runways.įor Jim Polachek, a retired pilot and current Airport Duty Manager, these numbers are part of an elaborate system that takes into account coordinates of the globe, prevailing winds and other weather conditions to ensure safe takeoffs and landings. At Pittsburgh International, you’ll see 28-L or 28-R, among others. Looking out an airplane window, we’ve all seen the big, bold numbers (and sometimes letters) painted in white on the runways.
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