Circular runways - Yep, it just might happen!

FloridaPilot

FloridaPilot

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Messages
2,456
Location
Florida
Display Name
Display name:
FloridaStudentPilot

I just don't get how a circular runway will be greener. I also don't get why people build houses next to airports and expect neighborhoods to be quiet... o_O

What do you think?
 
I think it's easier and more efficient to sequence aircraft in and out of parallel runways. It will be impossible to develop clear procedures for approach and landing on a circular runway. I can't even imagine how complicated an ILS approach would be.

An uncontrolled field would be impossible.
How would you mark a runway closed?
I would think you'd have to close the entire runway for any maintenance.
It claims to solve crosswind landings and allow for 3 planes to use the runway at once, but both of these at the same time are not possible. u
What would a go around look like?
Do you spiral in on approach, or straight in and then bank just before touchdown to turn into the runway? If you spiral in, good lord that will be complicated to sequence and for pilots to know if they are on the flight path. If you don't spiral in, that bank at the last minute sounds like a great idea for safety and comfort.

I think this is a great idea to combine with flying cars and personal jet packs
 
Last edited:
Trying to address a secondary problem while creating a primary one.

I could see if the circle was big enough, that the takeoff distance would effectively still be a straight enough line (imperceptible curve). But that's just silly.
 
Just because someone created a fancy concept video because he was watching crosswind landing videos on YouTube doesn't mean it might happen. There are some fundamental airport operations, runway safety, and air traffic concerns that are totally ignored by this concept.
 
This is a bad idea.

Also I recall this making the rounds about 3 years ago. Not sure why the resurgence.
 
Where every approach becomes a "circle to land" approach. ;)
 
1. Landing in a turn freaks most pilots out.

2. Turning a steady crosswind into a variable crosswind is gonna cause accidents. Shouldn't, but it would.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
This is a bad idea.

Also I recall this making the rounds about 3 years ago.
Click to expand...

Yes, and the EU has apparently stopped scheduling meetings about it.

http://www.endlessrunway-project.eu/news/index.php

Not sure why the resurgence.
Click to expand...
My guess is that the guy who's pushing this is hoping to find a new round of suckers to give him money to "develop" this scheme.

By the way, there's another thread on this:

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...-to-land-runway-27-28-29-30-31-and-32.101922/
 
How about this? Spencer NOLF has 16 runways. Each 1800' long x 150' wide. I love how this looks on the chart. (It looks like the spaceships from the old arcade video game Omega Race.) I've flown over it, and it looks just like that.

upload_2017-3-17_10-23-39.png
 
Last edited:
This is nothing new. IIRC Opa Locka airport was once like this back when it was a Naval Training base.
 
Weird, just saw the same video on Facebook but with completely different audio.

So let's recap:
  • No crosswind because you can land in any direction
  • Three airplanes can use the runway simultaneously
  • You can takeoff and land in the direction that has the least noise footprint
How can you put into practice more than one of these at a time? And the first one doesn't even make sense.
 
pburger said:
How about this? Spencer NOLF has 16 runways. Each 1800' long x 150' wide. I love how this looks on the chart. (It looks like the spaceships from the old arcade video game Omega Race.) I've flown over it, and it looks just like that.

View attachment 52143
Click to expand...

Yep, flew over that on our way into Pensacola, and I was like WTF is that?!?
 
pburger said:
How about this? Spencer NOLF has 16 runways. Each 1800' long x 150' wide. I love how this looks on the chart. (It looks like the spaceships from the old arcade video game Omega Race.) I've flown over it, and it looks just like that.

View attachment 52143
Click to expand...
Interesting, and a lot easier for pilots to deal with than that goofy circular runway idea!

spencer-nolf-png.52150


https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...21f3:0x26f55d710519db06!8m2!3d30.625!4d-87.14
 

Attachments

  • Spencer NOLF.png
    Spencer NOLF.png
    414.5 KB · Views: 245
Brad Z said:
Just because someone created a fancy concept video because he was watching crosswind landing videos on YouTube doesn't mean it might happen. There are some fundamental airport operations, runway safety, and air traffic concerns that are totally ignored by this concept.
Click to expand...

Hell, I think his idea stinks just based on that absolutely crap music is video uses :)
 
FloridaPilot said:

I just don't get how a circular runway will be greener. I also don't get why people build houses next to airports and expect neighborhoods to be quiet... o_O

What do you think?
Click to expand...
Not exactly a circular runway - but definitely a round airport: Tempelhof, Berlin Germany :https://www.tip-berlin.de/wp-content/uploads/Tempelhof_luftbild__Markus_W__chter_BLZ.jpg

I think it was all grass in the old days - the runways were a more recent addition. Now closed - read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Tempelhof_Airport

Dave
 
This whole concept will be shot down as soon as they are required to buy the land to do it.
Best example - SEAs third runway Umpteen years to get the rights of domain in place to condemn the housing they needed to expand the airport.
 
Jeff Oslick said:
Runway safety zones would have to be circles at distance away from the airport, not arcs...
Click to expand...
By the time they get it started, telepathic transportation will be a reality. (beam me up Scotty)
 
Palmpilot said:
My guess is that the guy who's pushing this is hoping to find a new round of suckers to give him money to "develop" this scheme.
Click to expand...

Maybe so.

Or maybe he's with the tire companies. Turning at high speed on the ground has got to wear rubber faster than anything.
 
Palmpilot said:
Interesting, and a lot easier for pilots to deal with than that goofy circular runway idea!

spencer-nolf-png.52150


https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...21f3:0x26f55d710519db06!8m2!3d30.625!4d-87.14
Click to expand...
Anybody know what the four groups of white objects (each consisting of four items arranged in a square pattern) near the corners are?

Here is another airport having strange patterns on it https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...635cce83e7dc6!8m2!3d34.8991411!4d-120.4477733

In this case the circles are aircraft dispersal parking pads made of concrete. They date from WWII, when SMX was a training base. In those days people were terrified of possible
Japanese attacks. They had learned a lesson from the havoc wreaked on Hawaii and the Philippines, where aircraft parked in neat rows were literal "sitting ducks".

Dave
 
For pattern work, it could be the never ending final, just keep circling while on final.
 
cessna182b said:
Anybody know what the four groups of white objects (each consisting of four items arranged in a square pattern) near the corners are?
Click to expand...


There were WWII Naval air training bases in WW2 around here that had a similar arrangement of runways, in a square with two runways in each direction to allow pattern training simultaneously on two runways, one left traffic and one right. (for an example, paste 86H95R3M+G9 into Google maps).

I looked at aerial images just now and for the old WWII airports near here, I saw no hint of those white markers that you are asking about. But given the purpose of the airport, for primary training, could the markers indicate intended turning points in the pattern?
 
Anymouse said:
The guy is sticking to his guns...

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-39643292
Click to expand...
His "answers" to the objections are remarkably short on details - I see a whole lot of arm waving going on there! I also notice that the article doesn't discuss the lack of justification for his claim to eliminate crosswinds, nor provide any explanation of why he thinks that crosswinds are such a horrible problem as to require a Herculean infrastructure redesign and replacement.

He mentions his source of funding; I think he has found some suckers among the clueless bureaucrats of the European Commission.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top