sounds like fun in a crosswind or on slick surface... not
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 ...
Former Air Force pilot and former Air Traffic Controller, this is a most horrible idea.
I can not conceive of any way to control the aircraft .
Looks like someone thought so.
“:^)
NO, it circulates toward the Right...
Just think- you can Always land right into the wind
A different spot on the circle becomes the touch-down point every day
You just vector them in on that heading each day.
No?
This idea has more holes in it than a burlap sack.
“Former Air Force pilot and former Air Traffic Controller, this is a most horrible idea. I can not conceive of any way to control the aircraft .”
You bank to get the right degree of turn and then set it down.
I’m not convinced of that.
You’re not alone though.
I think the California state government ought to raise taxes to fund building a circular runway, so California can stay on the cutting edge of technology.
And so the rest of us can laugh at them.
“This idea has more holes in it than a burlap sack.”
That’s what they said about traffic circles.
Not for major airports. See ATL, LAX, Heathrow, PHX, DFW (does have a couple of angled runways for small planes, but nothing perpendicular, CLE has one at about the same angle to the main runways), DAL,
JAN. IAH, JAX and Las Vegas have angled runways nearing perpendicular, but not getting there.
Tallahassee does appear to meet the perpendicular rule. But I'm not sure I would consider it major. HOU is the largest I can think of with crossing runways.
Because round-a-bouts work so well...
DC-3s flew from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1941.
In 1914 airports didn't exist. Any grass strip was a runway. The germans pioneered modern style airports in the 1930's with Templehof.
Airplanes will continue to evolve and adapt. Together, airplane and airport development and adaptation would be synergystic. The future beongs to the ones with imagination.
You don’t build an airport hoping that airplanes will evolve
What’s next...a circuler firing squad?!
Nope, you changed them as they did.
sounds like fun in a crosswind or on slick surface... not
“DC-3s flew from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1941. “
The DC-3 had a range of 1500 miles. It is over 2300 miles SF to HA.
“The Navy flew twin engine planes from the west coast to Hawaii as early as 1934. It just took a little over 24 hours for the flight. “
We are talking about commercial service certifications.
Hmmm, I’ll have to give that some thought.
“:^)
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