I recently became aware the 03/21 runway at Lisbon (LPPT) had changed to 02/20 last May. Aivlasoft’s EFB showed the change as I flew out of it quite by chance.

After a forum discussion yesterday I was made aware an updated file was available on SimMarket and after I installed it all was well.

Last year I wrote to Navigraph asking if they could publish runway designation changes for each AIRAC cycle. Here’s the discussion…

https://forum.navigraph.com/t/runway-designation-changes/7760

As you can see they refused on grounds of confidentiality. Huh? It’s about to become public knowledge. 🙄

Having a fair number of 3rd airports it would be helpful to be aware of these changes so I can get the updated file or alternatively contact the developer to alert them to a required change.

But it seems no such service exists. Unless you know something I don’t. Quite possible! 😁

How do you know when runway designations have changed?

Unless a huge variation occurs they usually are checked for the necessity of change every 5 years in Portugal.

The ones in MFS changed same day 🙂  in May 2022 🙂

If I'm not mistaken, MFS get's it's data from Navblue, unless you have a Navigraph subscription and update the MFS databases through it.

It's on each country AIP / e-AIP.

Edited March 30, 20233 yr by jcomm

@jcomm, I posted this in a neutral forum as the same issue arises for the three major sims. My interest is in P3D. It’s unlikely LM will update their core data. That’s usually done with new versions.

I do have a Navigraph subscription but there’s no indication which runways have changed. Hence my question to them.

Searching each country’s AIP isn’t feasible for most of us. A central repository would be ideal. I can’t think of anyone better than Navigraph for simming purposes.

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

@jcomm, I posted this in a neutral forum as the same issue arises for the three major sims. My interest is in P3D. It’s unlikely LM will update their core data. That’s usually done with new versions.

I do have a Navigraph subscription but there’s no indication which runways have changed. Hence my question to them.

Searching each country’s AIP isn’t feasible for most of us. A central repository would be ideal. I can’t think of anyone better than Navigraph for simming purposes.

You're absolutely right Ray, and I have searched just like you, but found no alternative 😕

Navigraph did update their charts though, I believe still during May 2022, and their databases already used the new LPPT rw designators.

When importing that data into XP12 I had a mismatch between the displayed in-sim rw designators and the actual headings and designators used in the database. 

Aerowinx PSX OTOH had it's rw designators adapted to the new ones the moment I used the Navigraph update executable for that platform.

But a Central repository of this kind of information would be great to have, yes.

I have another potential source. I’ll write to them tomorrow.

Any good mathematician can work out when a runway designation is going to change. Magnetic Variation is fixed and the closer to the poles an airport is the more frequently designations change.

This is an interesting source. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/airport-runway-names-shift-magnetic-field

It's not that a big deal in P3D actually, but some Xplane add on would use the same airport data for scenery rendering as FMC's navdata, so if this happened FMC will not be able to select the correct runway/SID/APPR....

realistically...I would  agree with Canada that we should all use true heading for runway number anyway.....

10 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I have another potential source. I’ll write to them tomorrow.

Any good mathematician can work out when a runway designation is going to change. Magnetic Variation is fixed and the closer to the poles an airport is the more frequently designations change.

This is an interesting source. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/airport-runway-names-shift-magnetic-field

The mathematics are "simple" if we use one of the formulas, but then there's bureocracy...

Where I work, the Portuguese MetOffice and Geophysical authority, we have the mission of determining among other parameters, airfield geomagnetic declination, but then the update occurs according to other more bureaucratic fundaments...

Hervé Sors has long made that data available for FSX / P3D, and in Aerowinx PSX we can also update the database with NOAA-computed data. I'm not user though if rw numbers get then updated automatically whenever the deviation is big enough, or if it's just when the NavData get's updated...

This is a holding reply. I’ve just had cataract surgery on my left eye and reading is difficult for the rest of today. I’ll reply when I’m more comfortable.