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To: moovova; Repeal The 17th

The airport has not moved. Only the direction in which the compass points has shifted since the runways were first laid out in 1928.

Compass heading at most airports is constantly changing by varying amounts. Whether or not runways need to be re-designated/renamed depends on how fast magnetic declination changes at that location and how long it has been since the runway was laid out.

Also, if the runway was originally laid out exactly at 180 degrees they would name it “Runway 18”, the nearest 10 degree increment. Since the magnetic declination at tampa has shifted over 7 degrees since Drew Field was first opened, the current heading would be 187, or “Runway 19”. This would hold true for original directions of 179 to 184 and everything in between.


21 posted on 01/08/2011 6:55:12 AM PST by BwanaNdege ("a comeuppance is due the arrogant elites" - Charles Krauthammer)
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To: BwanaNdege

So, would the alleged declination affect GPS satellite accuracy or not?

I understand runway designations per their respective alignments. Here in SE MI, the main runway at Selfridge Air Natinal Guard Base is designated as being “19” and is physically marked as such.

All I have to do is run the X-Plane flight simulator, go to that location and sure enough, the cockpit compass’s heading reading matches to the nearest degree (at the most) as the aircraft is positioned for takeoff.


40 posted on 01/08/2011 7:44:42 AM PST by equaviator ("There's a (datum) plane on the horizon coming in...see it?")
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