This question is specific to airline jet ops: If the wind is calm at an airport with parallel runways (EWR, PHL, MCO, STL, HOU), is there a documented general direction ATC will direct aircraft to takeoff in? If so, where might that be documented?

 

Thanks!

 

Jim

ATC will generally try to launch you off in a direction you are going. Key word is generally try, it all depends on the controller, the traffic inbound and the airway routes you are filed on. Most of all, its on the traffic. The wind direction doesn't really play a part in the decision to launch, unless its pushing up to 20 -30 knots. Then it becomes an operational necessity to go into wind. All of which would only be documented in the company operations manual, and the pilots experiences logged in their heads. Of the airports you mentioned, each is different. HOU can be accomodating on a quiet day. ie late at night. PHL,STL same. EWR, to coin a phrase....forget about it. Once ATC in these busier hub airports have set their runway choice, based on their logged experiences of day to day traffic patterns, they will be concentrating on sequencing all departures, quickly and safely. You can sort out your direction once in the air chatting with center.

Hope this helps?

Runway choices in calm winds (calm winds usually defined as 5kts or less) are based on a number of factors.

 

One would be the 3000ft wind. We will generally avoid creating tailwind approach situations, so if there is a strongish wind at 3000 that will have an influence.

 

Another would be runway configuration. Here in Toronto we have 3 East-West parallel's and 2 North-South runways, so obviously we prefer to stay in either an Easterly or Westerly configuration as much as possible.

 

Thirdly many airports have a preferential runway system where there are specific procedures for calm wind conditions. For example London Heathrow prefers the 27's rather than the 09's and the preferential runway is usually based on the noise footprint. Pref runways are usually stated in the airport chart - certainly true for Jeppesen charts, not sure about other sources.

 

Requests for runways other than the ones designated as in use at an airport that has anything approaching busy traffic levels .will almost certainly be denied because of the huge complications and delays to other traffic both in the air and on the ground.

Thanks All! Your responses are appreciated.

 

Jim

I didn't know any of that, thanks guys!

And, I just found out that this was the 10,000th reply on this particular forum B)