....more PHX questions

Maximilian_Jenius

Maximilian_Jenius

Super User
Okay as everyone might or should know Phoenix is a VERY,VERY hot city to live in.

After all it is located in the desert of Arizona.

In the summertime temps can reach 105-115 (115 is prolly rare).

Field elevation is 1135ft.

Okay getting to my point here.

Rwy. 8/26 is 11,490ft x150 width.

Rwy 7L/25R is 10,300ft. x150 width.

So how come when I have no life and call PHX ATIS (from CVG) is rwy. 7L/25R the main runway in use for departing aircraft?

All other runways seem to only be used for landings. With the occasional rwy. 8/26 or 7R/25L departure.

Everytime I visit PHX there are like 20-25 planes or more lined up for departure on either rwy. 7L/25R again depending on which runway is in use. and rwy. 8/26 and 7R/25L both look abandon like a ghost town.

Now rwy. 7R/25L is only 7800ft x150 so with the heat and high altitude I do understand it's limited departure use.

My point and I do have one
grin.gif
.

Is with the extreme heat in PHX and it's altitude above sea level one would think that rwy 8/26 would be the main rwy used. Because it is slightly longer (but not by much). And not rwy. 7L/25R.

Anyone care to explain?


And lastly yea there is more
grin.gif
.


Runways 8,7L & 7R seem to be the norm of both departure and approaches into and outa KPHX.

I figure there the "no wind"runways for PHX much like 18L & 18R are the main approach runways here in CVG and not 36R & 36L.

So why in PHX. all the time listening to ATIS it will report wind calm or wind variable at 4 knots or whatever and there taking off usually to the west (26,25L,25R)and not the east (8,7L,7R)?

I mean I could total see westerly operation if the wind was 240/08kts for example.

But man the wind is calm or variable at 4 so shouldn't easterly operations still be in use?

The two biggest mysteries in my life @ the moment.

Yea I need a life I have waaaaaaay too much free time.


Matthew
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah. Stop calling PHX just to listen to ATIS.
grin.gif


(My useless reply of the day)

[/ QUOTE ]


Ahhhh so your lack of answering the question(s) means maybe your stumped and totally confused as well?
grin.gif



Matthew
 
[ QUOTE ]
It probably goes far beyond the lengths of the runways; departures, approaches, ease of ground operations, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]


This is very possible.I believe that I have heard you say that you attend ASU which is right near KPHX.

So you can look up and see airplanes landing or taking off all the time depending which flow is in use.

Me I just wanna know for sure what itis and why.


Matthew
 
I don't remember seeing a question on runway use at PHX on the private written. How' bout pondering something useful, like oh, whether low-level wind shear is more or less likely (or neither) in the PHX heat?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I don't remember seeing a question on runway use at PHX on the private written. How' bout pondering something useful, like oh, whether low-level wind shear is more or less likely (or neither) in the PHX heat?

[/ QUOTE ]


Actually I have had my PPL for more then a year now.

And I would have already had my instrument rating if winter weather in CVG ever co-operated.

But hey thanks for showing up to class late and answering my questions.
smirk.gif



Matthew
 
[ QUOTE ]
But hey thanks for showing up to class late and answering my questions.

[/ QUOTE ]
Wouldn't be too sure about that one. He's been in class the whole time (before you actually) - sitting in the back and observing. You just din't know it until he spoke up.
wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It probably goes far beyond the lengths of the runways; departures, approaches, ease of ground operations, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]


This is very possible.I believe that I have heard you say that you attend ASU which is right near KPHX.

So you can look up and see airplanes landing or taking off all the time depending which flow is in use.

[/ QUOTE ]I attend ASU-East at the former Williams AFB which is about 20 miles east southeast of PHX.

Now, does anyone know why the runways are numbered differently even though they are parallel?
 
Sky Harbor usually uses the east runway in the morning and the west runway in the afternoon and evening. Runway 8 has been under construction for a while. I think General Aviation uses it more often but I've seen the airliners taking off and landing on that one too.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It probably goes far beyond the lengths of the runways; departures, approaches, ease of ground operations, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]don't forget NOISE abatements....
 
[ QUOTE ]
don't forget NOISE abatements....

[/ QUOTE ]Ding ding ding! And we have a winner, here folks! Mrs. Taylor wins the JC Award for the day.

Matthew, in answer to your question, there are any number of reasons for runway use plans, all of which are indicated above. 8/26 at PHX is currently under construction and at various times is either closed or available at greatly reduced lengths (6000' or so I think) for operations. The high/hot/heavy issue you mentioned is certainly a thought, but remember that there aren't a ton of widebodies flying at PHX ... AWA and SWA fly the lion's share of passenger flights there and neither of them operates widebodies or transoceanic services. I know BA comes in there, and depending on conditions, they might be weight-restricted. That's a fact of life at some airports. For example, Doug, have you ever departed SNA WITHOUT a weight restriction??

As to why the runways are numbered differently ... this happens at a lot of airports, particularly when there are more than three parallel runways. ATL (8L/R, 9L/R), DFW (17L/C/R, 18L/R), (IAH 26L/R, 27), LAX (24L/R, 25L/R), DEN (34L/R, 35L/R) and MCO (17L/R, 18L/R) are all examples. It's just another convention for numbering parallel runways, not a big deal.
 
Rwy. 8/26 is no longer under construction at least according to ATIS.

I have always noticed that PHX controllers seem to greatly favor rwy. 7L/25R for departures vs. runway 8/26.

Even before all the construction began on 8/26.

PHX. might not have alot of widebodies but SWA and AWA are akin to cattle cars (more often then not SWA).

There 737-500's,300's and 700's typically leave outa there VERY full and often use up alot of tarmac on a hot day usually getting airborne right on the numbers if not slightly before.

As for noise abatement there really aren't any houses or communities along the departure or arrival corridor for any of KPHX runways.

Downtown is located to the west of Sky Harbor and to the east is Tempe which near PHX is mostly business and ASU.


Matthew
 
hmmm the only thing I worry about in phoenix is making sure im not near van buren st. after dark, I learned my lesson the hardway
shocked.gif
.... as long as you can avoid that everything else works itself out
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
As to why the runways are numbered differently ... this happens at a lot of airports, particularly when there are more than three parallel runways. ATL (8L/R, 9L/R), DFW (17L/C/R, 18L/R), (IAH 26L/R, 27), LAX (24L/R, 25L/R), DEN (34L/R, 35L/R) and MCO (17L/R, 18L/R) are all examples. It's just another convention for numbering parallel runways, not a big deal.

[/ QUOTE ]Well, with three runways PHX would have been fine with 7/25 L/C/R. One of my professors is a controller at PHX and said the runways are numbered differently because, like so many other things in life, it had to do with money! Even though the runways don't intersect on the ground, they would eventually intersect in space. With this "intersection" operations become more complex and thus warrant more FAA funding.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Even though the runways don't intersect on the ground, they would eventually intersect in space.

[/ QUOTE ]
How could they intersect if they have the same magnetic heading?

And Maximillian, I follow the weather in cities in the south also, but I use DUAT instead of paying for a long distance phone call. Those of you who live in the south probably don't follow the weather somewhere else because you don't aspire to live somewhere else.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Even though the runways don't intersect on the ground, they would eventually intersect in space.

[/ QUOTE ]
How could they intersect if they have the same magnetic heading?

[/ QUOTE ]They don't, and the FAA doesn't care that they don't. They still give them the increased funding. I guess it's a scheme to get around the FAA's outdated system of appropriating funds for ATC.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top