Real-world aviation question

Paul K · Post by **Paul K** » 23 Mar 2007, 00:19

I flew from Belfast International home to Stansted tonight, and was puzzled that we took off in the opposite direction to the way other airliners had been landing. According to the windsock, we were going into wind, so they were landing with the wind behind them. :k:

I wonder why that should be ...noise abatement maybe ? But that wouldn't affect those planes that were landing, would it ? :think:

Any thoughts, chaps ?

Post by **Garry Russell** » 23 Mar 2007, 00:24

How much wind was there?

Sometimes at our local they take off or land downwind if it is negligible

Garry

Post by **TSR2** » 23 Mar 2007, 00:25

Hi Paul,

Usually at EGAA the main runway is used... i.e. 07/25 but quite often the secondary runway will be used 17/35.

Its also posible that the wind was changing direction.

Do you know which runway you took off from, or can you explain which way you taxied out?

Cheers

Paul K · Post by **Paul K** » 23 Mar 2007, 00:38

Gary, Ben; the wind was enough to blow the windsock about 30 degrees, and directly down the runway we took off from. It was dark, and I'm not too familiar with the layout of BI, so I can't tell you actually which runway it was, but assuming the prevailing wind to be westerly, I'd imagine it was 25.

Post by **TSR2** » 23 Mar 2007, 01:07

25 will take you allong the runway with the terminal on your right. The Wind can be quite changable coming off the Lough so maybe something in that? :think:

Paul K · Post by **Paul K** » 23 Mar 2007, 01:24

In that case, we must have used RW07, because the terminal was on our left as we took off.

jonny7 · Post by **jonny7** » 23 Mar 2007, 11:18

METAR EGAA 221750Z 07007KT 9999 BKN029 10/06 Q1023
METAR EGAA 221820Z 08006KT 9999 BKN029 09/06 Q1023
METAR EGAA 221850Z 09006KT 9999 BKN032 09/06 Q1023
METAR EGAA 221920Z 07005KT 9999 BKN031 09/06 Q1023
METAR EGAA 221950Z 07004KT 9999 BKN032 09/06 Q1024
METAR EGAA 222020Z 08003KT 9999 BKN032 08/06 Q1024
METAR EGAA 222050Z 08004KT 9999 BKN031 08/05 Q1024
METAR EGAA 222120Z 08004KT 9999 BKN031 08/05 Q1024
METAR EGAA 222150Z 11004KT 9999 BKN028 08/05 Q1023
METAR EGAA 222220Z VRB03KT 9999 SCT028 07/04 Q1023
METAR EGAA 222250Z 00000KT 9999 SCT029 07/05 Q1023
METAR EGAA 222320Z 00000KT 9999 BKN029 07/05 Q1023
METAR EGAA 222350Z 00000KT 9000 BKN029 07/05 Q1023

As you can see winds here last night were very calm but more or less straight down RW07, Dep / Arr can also depend on what runway EGAC (Belfast City) are using.

Runway 07 departures provide a more direct routing out towards IOM and if Belfast City were using Runway 04 this would not conflict with their ARR / DEP

If you departed on the EZY258 the liklihood is that you departed RW07, the wind changed slightly at 2150Z but i think you were probably away by then.

jonesey2k · Post by **jonesey2k** » 23 Mar 2007, 12:20

Ive seen planes at Liverpool ask the tower if they can land on 09 instead of 27 so they can go straight in. Usually when there is not much wind.

ferryman · Post by **ferryman** » 23 Mar 2007, 12:48

Thanks to a small hill north of the airfield, it is possible to get tail winds at the thresholds of both 12 and 30 at EGHJ (Bembridge). It can be quite interesting sitting on the ridge to the south and watching a visiting microlight trying to sort it out.

Paul K · Post by **Paul K** » 23 Mar 2007, 17:02

Jonny thanks for that ( it was indeed EZY258 ), and thanks to everyone else too. I knew I'd get some answers here.