Posted on 04/25/2017 2:09:26 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
Last month we published a video arguing the case for circular runways at airports, as part of a series called World Hacks. It took off and went viral.
The video has had more than 36 million views on Facebook and generated heated debate on social media - including within the aviation community. Many people are sceptical about the concept.
So we decided to hand-pick some of the top concerns and put them straight to the man proposing the idea: Dutch engineer Henk Hesselink.
This is what he had to say.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Chode, I may have avoided giving you a straight answer on the facing into the wind thing. The direction of approach could be modified as winds changed directions, so that at touchdown the aircraft could be facing in the wind.
You could approach from any direction on the circle, as the wind shifted prior to your approach.
With straight runways you cold still be off by 22 degrees, even if you were on the best of a North/South or East/West runway.
Actually the runway should be in the form of a spiral-
That way you`ll never lose your luggage.
Hey, pilots actually did use inclined glaciers to land on Mt. McKinley going uphill to slow them.
Turned around and went downhill for takeoff, might of had a little drop, going over the edge.
First guy to do that ... it worked.
It just dawned on me I’ve been using 22 instead of 45 degrees.
I should have said on straight runways you could still be off by 45 degrees.
Sorry about that.
I landed at LAX one afternoon with a cross-wind of 50-60 mph. It was rugged.
That’s the wind speed I overheard the stewards discussing.
A man ahead of his time...
“:^)
planes could use articulated landing gear like the B-52
Yeah,
Some airport have maybe three runways, like a triangle, which will ‘approximate’ a circle, given enough dx/dy and stuff like that.
How would the ILS work? Curved radio signal for the glideslope and localized?
Perhaps so.
It’s a strange idea, and there are probably a myriad of issues associated with it.
Take care.
Localizer not localized.
“It makes runways WAY more expensive to build,”
Hold NASCAR events on the runway a few times a year to offset costs. :-0
“How would the ILS work? Curved radio signal for the glideslope and localized?”
shhh .... GPS ....
Lol. What would they call these things anyways, rudderies?
Daf, this thread needs an updated variant on the turkey circle.
“In 1941, three new 24-passenger DC-3s were flown in formation from Oakland, California, to Honolulu in 13 hours and 54 minutes — it was the longest over-water flight made by a DC-3.”
https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/about-us/history
It’s probably a good thing that no one told the pilots that it was too far.
The A-380 is a classic example. Economics logic says move more people with fewer airplanes. Reality says most airports are unable to handle the bulk of the plane or the number of passengers. "Super hubs" have evolved because of that.
you do the same
Wonder if they come equipped with yield signs.
That was a delivery .... NO PASSENGERS!
Sort of like Benito Mussolini, Otto Skorzeny and the pilot in a two seater plane taking off from Gran Sasso?
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