So I picked up Tower!2012 during the holiday and some add-on airports.   I was controlling at San Francisco International today and inbound traffic was starting to get heavy.    Runways 28R and 28L were both being used for landings.    I got docked -1000 points today because I let two airplanes land together on parallel runways.   What I want to know from any professional ATC/Tower Controllers or those who know, isn't it okay for aircraft to land in a parallel runway configuration at the same time or is there always a strict separation regardless?

 

Also, on the same controlling day, I had a Southwest and Delta jet run into each other on the taxi way in the lower ramp area around 1L.    They had like 600 yards of concrete they could have used to taxi around each other but chose instead to go right at each other.    I caught them before they could with a Hold Position call but when I told the Southwest plane to skip over to the Hotel taxiway, instead of turning left and rolling over he decided to go through the other plane.   Maybe the Captain hated the other captain.   It was a lame moment.   Let that be a lesson.   

 

Overall, I love this game.   It is addicting!  Before you know it, four hours have passed.

Specific runways have to be approved for simultaneous landings IRL. Don't know about the game.

I don't have any expertise in this area but could it be that you let a heavy aircraft like a 747 land alongside or ahead of a lighter aircraft? I believe the heavy aircraft has to stay a little behind so that its downwash doesn't interfere with the lighter aircraft.

For true parallel runways operations the runways must be spaced sufficiently apart from each other. If not, more or less the usual (single runway) separation minima apply, including wake turbulence considerations.

 

(I may be awfully wrong, though.    )

 

(Compare HALS/DTOP for EDDF - this kind of stuff can get really complex.)

 

And, yes, I agree, all this speech recognition stuff can be pretty immersive. Have you tried Feelthere's TRACON already?

From the ITVV Video of Virgin Flight 19 EGLL to KSFO, the B747 did a parallel landing on 28L while a B757 landed on 28R. The ATC warned the B747 not to overtake the B757.

I suspect they were doing visual approaches at SFO and most likely very staggered.  "See and be seen"?

 

If I recall years ago from my airport management and ATC class, it used to be the runway had to be separated by 2,500 feet.  I don't remember if it was for instrument approach or if they could do side by side visual approaches.

I suspect they were doing visual approaches at SFO and most likely very staggered.  ala "See and be seen"?

 

If I recall years ago from my airport management and ATC class, it used to be the runway had to be separated by 2,500 feet.  I don't remember if it was for instrument approach or if they could do side by side visual approaches.

Well one aircraft was a 737-800 and the other was a 757.    The runways at KSFO are pretty close together though so I think I got docked correctly for letting them get way to close together.    I have not tried TRACON yet but it looks just as fun as Tower! and I believe the two can multiplayer hook up together so you can have the full experience from the area down to the gate.

According to the charts for KSFO:

 

"Simultaneous parallel approaches will only be offered/conducted when the weather is at least 2100 feet (ceiling) and 4 miles (visibility)."

They do have to be a certain distance apart. I think the 2,500' is correct. My home airport is KCMH (Cols Ohio) and they just tore out 28L and built a new 28L farther to the left for that very reason.

 

Thanks,

Ron

If you search "parallel landings at san francisco youtube", you can see several examples.

 

Maybe this game uses only the general rule of 2500' and doesn't cover the special situation at KSFO.

If you search "parallel landings at san francisco youtube", you can see several examples.

 

Maybe this game uses only the general rule of 2500' and doesn't cover the special situation at KSFO.

 

I'm pretty sure this is it.   They just couldn't model it right with the game engine.  I had them parallel to each other about 8 miles out from the runway and the game considers that open air space and it enforces the separation rules while out there.