Hi all,
I was just looking at a diagram of the runways at LAX and I noticed that the runways designated 24R and L are to north of the airport terminals and runways 25L and R are to the south of the terminals. Looking at a compass it seems like 24R/L should be to the south of the terminals and 25R/L should be to the north since compass reading 240 comes "before" 250. Curious as to why the runways at LAX are designated the way they are.
Hope my question makes sense!
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
dfwjim1 wrote:Hi all,
I was just looking at a diagram of the runways at LAX and I noticed that the runways designated 24R and L are to north of the airport terminals and runways 25L and R are to the south of the terminals. Looking at a compass it seems like 24R/L should be to the south of the terminals and 25R/L should be to the north since compass reading 240 comes "before" 250. Curious as to why the runways at LAX are designated the way they are.
Hope my question makes sense!
Firstly, the runways are numbered according to the magnetic direction they form, and not related to their position on the airfield.
They could well put a runway 36/18 north of the tower, and will still be called that.
Both sets of runways have the same direction, they split it up so that you can have two distinct sets of runways: 24L and 24R, and of course 25L and 25R.
If they didn't do it, they would have to be called 24LL, LR RL and RR, or something similar.
Just less confusing this way.
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
dfwjim1 wrote:compass reading 240 comes "before" 250
60 comes before 70, so by that reasoning the present numbering is correct.
-
- dragon6172
- Posts: 1181
- Joined:
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
timz wrote:60 comes before 70, so by that reasoning the present numbering is correct.
This here. Runways 6L/6R and 7L/7R are in the correct order (left to right).
Things just don't work out to keep the left to right counting when you get 180 out to approach from the other way.
-
- Starlionblue
- Posts: 21730
- Joined:
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
LAX is not unique in with a "non-standard" system of naming that is not quite directionally correct. PEK has 18L/36R, 18R/36L and 01/19. All have the same direction of 179/359..
On the other hand, SIN has 02R/20L, 02C/20C and 02L/20R.
On the other hand, SIN has 02R/20L, 02C/20C and 02L/20R.
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
Starlionblue wrote:LAX is not unique in with a "non-standard" system of naming that is not quite directionally correct. PEK has 18L/36R, 18R/36L and 01/19. All have the same direction of 179/359..
On the other hand, SIN has 02R/20L, 02C/20C and 02L/20R.
SEA also has 16/34L, C, and R.
So if I'm understanding this correctly, the 24s and 25s are exactly parallel but have the different numbers to avoid confusion since there are four runways in the same orientation. Correct?
-
- Starlionblue
- Posts: 21730
- Joined:
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
BoeingGuy wrote:Starlionblue wrote:LAX is not unique in with a "non-standard" system of naming that is not quite directionally correct. PEK has 18L/36R, 18R/36L and 01/19. All have the same direction of 179/359..
On the other hand, SIN has 02R/20L, 02C/20C and 02L/20R.
SEA also has 16/34L, C, and R.
So if I'm understanding this correctly, the 24s and 25s are exactly parallel but have the different numbers to avoid confusion since there are four runways in the same orientation. Correct?
Correct. Granted this is an old chart but you can see all the runways are 069.1/249.1 degrees. Thus they should technically all be "07/25". The number is there to give pilots a general idea of the direction, for example when looking at a METAR etc... Stuff that requires very high accuracy like an ILS doesn't care about the nomenclature but it is important to enter the right runway number into the FM!
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
Once upon a time LAX had a north south runway just about where taxiway Mike is no located. Piston airliners only. It was good for when the Santa Anna's were blowing hard. Also you must recall that 24L and 24R were built some years apart thus the numbering was already in place.
-
- Redbellyguppy
- Posts: 283
- Joined:
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
The south complex existed first and are numbered "properly". When the north complex was built they just used the closest reasonable number (8/26 less appropriate than 6/24)
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
OP. Thanks for asking the question.... this prompted me to do some quick googling and I found this
LAX in 1956
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@ ... 57/sizes/h
LAX in 1965
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@ ... 21/sizes/h
Terminal map 1961
https://www.flickr.com/photos/n303wr/3467050218/sizes/o
Looking at google maps satellite, you can easily see the original satellite terminal buildings for terminal 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
Hard to believe that LAX started out as a tiny airfield totally contained on 4 sides by century, imperial, Sepulveda and aviation.
By 1956 LAX had grown west of Sepulveda with the 16/34 being roughly where taxiway P and W Are today and TBIT being built over the old 16/34 runway.
LAX in 1956
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@ ... 57/sizes/h
LAX in 1965
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@ ... 21/sizes/h
Terminal map 1961
https://www.flickr.com/photos/n303wr/3467050218/sizes/o
Looking at google maps satellite, you can easily see the original satellite terminal buildings for terminal 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
Hard to believe that LAX started out as a tiny airfield totally contained on 4 sides by century, imperial, Sepulveda and aviation.
By 1956 LAX had grown west of Sepulveda with the 16/34 being roughly where taxiway P and W Are today and TBIT being built over the old 16/34 runway.
Re: LAX - Runways 24/25 Question
There was a time beforethe Sepulveda tunnel was built that the airport would close off Sepulveda Blvd., when the Pan American B377 was taking off. Maybe they did it for some others as well? Of course this was well before the jet era began. There was also a restaurant at the airport called Mike Lymans (sp?) that served up some pretty good food. Always excited to go there back in those days as a kid. I believe the new airport opened in 1960.
Re: LAX - Runway 25
Dunno when PA began flying the B377 out of LAX-- probably? after 25L was extended to 6000 ft circa 1950. Sepulveda Blvd looped around the west end of the runway, and it seems it looped around the west end of the 8300-ft runways until the tunnel in 1953.
Re: LAX - Runway 25
timz wrote:Dunno when PA began flying the B377 out of LAX-- probably? after 25L was extended to 6000 ft circa 1950. Sepulveda Blvd looped around the west end of the runway, and it seems it looped around the west end of the 8300-ft runways until the tunnel in 1953.
I'm old, but I have no personal experience off seeing this being blocked but rather some photos. I suspect that Pan American started using the Starts around 1951 but don't know for sure,