Construction interfering with airport functionality?

[Guest Rick Baldwin]

Hi All,This question recently occurred to me and I thought, where else better to get a good answer than at AVSIM?I know that airport runways are placed to take advantage of the prevailing winds at the airport site.Has there ever been an instance where over the years subsequent construction of buildings in the airport vicinity have altered the prevailing wind pattern to an extent that the airport became more difficult to use or even effectively unuseable? -Rick----------- My System -----------P4 @ 2.53 GHz / 1GB RAM / NVIDIA GeForce 6800XT, 256MB / Windows XP Home

[KevinAu 441]

Never heard of wind patterns being changed that significantly, but the encroachment of tall objects within the takeoff and landing glidepath is a more common and signifcant problem. The effects of this is reduced landing useable runway length as the authorities displace thresholds and limit maximum takeoff weights in order to keep aircraft safely above new buildings while coming and going.

[mgh 89]

There are limitations on construction work at major airports in the UK. I was personally involved in a scheme to construct a new section of railway line near an airport. It would have to have been in a cutting below ground level to avoid the trains infringing the airport approach and take off areas.A more widely known instance was Kowloon side of Hong Kong where the buildings were limited in height because of the presence of the old airport. One of the economic justifications for building the present airport was the increase in land values that would occur once the building height restriction was removed.

[Guest Rick Baldwin]

Thanks for your replies!I imagine it would be a lesson once learned, not easily forgotten, to have a community's shiny new airport become almost worthless because of poorly zoned construction in the vicinity.One needs only walk in the downtown of any large city and feel the wind gusting down the streets between rows of buildings to see firsthand how large scale construction can alter and create new wind patterns.-Rick

[Cessnaflyer 56]

There have been quite a few airports that have mechanical turbulence put off of buildings or hangars around the airport. Even though you know it is going to happen it isn't a fun experience.

[mgh 89]

The AIP for London Gatwick (EGKK) contains the following warning:"Pilots are warned, when landing on Runway 26L/R in strong southerly/south-westerly winds, of the possibility of building induced turbulence and windshear effects"

[Guest christianholmes]

Dude- I don't think there is actually any *requirement* that the runway is built in a certain direction. Chester, CT is pretty much always a crosswind, and from what I hear one of the hardest to fly into anywhere. I did one landing there today, and I hated every moment of it. It's a great place to practice go-arounds, whether you want to or not. I think they built it the way they did to keep it so only elite pilots will fly there :) I don't know if it was always like that, but there aren't many buildings around there that would cause the winds to change. And I have to say- I don't really see how buildings would cause winds to change anyway, at any airport. You would need mountains to do that. You can definately tell when turbulence is created by manmade structures, as when you get down to a few hundred feet, highways and rivers can cause pockets, but not the actual wind.I hate wind :)