runway width???

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cessna lover

runway width???

Post by cessna lover »

when you calculate runway width do you have to subtract the wingspan of the plane your flying to know how much room you have to work with? for example my home field on FSX is 100 feet wide so do i have to subtract the wing span of the Cessna 172 which is 36 feet? so that gives you 64 feet for airport obstacle clearance? is that what that means? i think that's so your not taking things out on the edge of the runway with the wing tips?

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DHenriques_
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Re: runway width???

Post by DHenriques_ »

cessna lover wrote: 16 Aug 2020, 08:51 when you calculate runway width do you have to subtract the wingspan of the plane your flying to know how much room you have to work with? for example my home field on FSX is 100 feet wide so do i have to subtract the wing span of the Cessna 172 which is 36 feet? so that gives you 64 feet for airport obstacle clearance? is that what that means? i think that's so your not taking things out on the edge of the runway with the wing tips?
Generally speaking when taxiing an airplane on an airport or anywhere for that matter you are in an "eyeball situation" when it comes to avoiding obstacles. Attempting to do the math can turn out to be be very counter-productive. :-)
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Re: runway width???

Post by cessna lover »

oh ok. i just thought thats why i have seen people on youtube and stuff talk about runway width was avoiding stuff at the edges of the runway.

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AKar
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Re: runway width???

Post by AKar »

There are various rules, standards and advisories in what comes to the runway layout, but of course, not all runways adhere to these, private strips in particular. FAA AC 150/5300-13 apparently suggest a minimum width of 18 meters (60 ft) and a runway object free area width of 75 meters (250 ft) for runways intended exclusively for small airplanes. You'd be the judge on how often these are not met.

-Esa

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Re: runway width???

Post by cessna lover »

ohok thanks

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Oracle427
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Re: runway width???

Post by Oracle427 »

I can't think of any public user airports in this area aside from Warwick Municipal's (N72) asphalt runway 3R/21L 2150 FT x 28 FT. It is an example of a runway that is nearly always smaller than the wingspan of most small aircraft.
https://skyvector.com/airport/N72/Warwi ... al-Airport
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Warwi ... -74.286239

Butter Valley is the only smaller one I can think of with the asphalt portion of the runway 16/34 at 1535 FT X 24 FT. It's an interesting upslope runway that starts as asphalt and turns into a 900 FT turf surface that is 85 FT wide. Your obstacles are golf carts :)
https://skyvector.com/airport/7N8/Butte ... rt-Airport
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Butte ... 75.5605216

These airports have minimal to no signage or lighting. The clearance to trees or other natural obstacles off runway depends, but once you get away from the "ramp area" you may barely have 100 feet on either side.

The vast majority of the smaller airports are going to be 50 FT wide with lights usually located within a foot of the runway edge, and taller signs several feet beyond.
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AKar
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Re: runway width???

Post by AKar »

In my opinion, I value the object free area, even if just an implied concept in some circumstances, way higher than the actual runway width. In fact, it is often perfectly ok to land outside the actual runway, and that's done regularly in certain kinds of flying. However, that often assumes (yes, unfortunately & necessarily, in part, assumes) that the areas in question are clear of all the stuff that someone may think causes no harm for it is "that far" from the edge of the pavement.

Around where I have flown, excessively narrow runways are almost always lacking any kinds of objects, such as signs or such, that could be an issue. For a good reason, I might add, even if unintentionally so.

-Esa

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Re: runway width???

Post by ThreeGreenGaming »

Typically objects around the runway are kept relatively low as well for runway clearance. For example, typically runway edge lights are low enough that if you were flying into a narrow strip on a wider wing aircraft there would still potentially be some clearance there. Probably not something I would want to risk without being certain, but typically they keep those items low around the edges.
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Re: runway width???

Post by cessna lover »

thanks guys. might have been a dumb question in my OP but i was just curious as to why some pilots say the runway length is x number of feet and they talk about runway width as well.

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Re: runway width???

Post by Oracle427 »

Well for one, it is very important to understand how one might perceive the runway as they approach it. A 150 foot wide runway will appear to be much closer than a more typical 50 foot runway that an unwary SEL pilot might be operating from. The pilot might sense that they are lower than they truly are and attempt their landing at a higher altitude. It happened to me as a student the first time my instructor took me to a large airport. :)

The converse is also true and may result in the pilot flying a lower approach than normal, too close to terrain and/or being surprised by early ground contact.

These are cues that proper scans and awareness will address, but it can create illusions and lead to disaster if one is not proficient or perhaps task saturated or distracted.
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Re: runway width???

Post by cessna lover »

Oracle427 wrote: 17 Aug 2020, 17:02 Well for one, it is very important to understand how one might perceive the runway as they approach it. A 150 foot wide runway will appear to be much closer than a more typical 50 foot runway that an unwary SEL pilot might be operating from. The pilot might sense that they are lower than they truly are and attempt their landing at a higher altitude. It happened to me as a student the first time my instructor took me to a large airport. :)

The converse is also true and may result in the pilot flying a lower approach than normal, too close to terrain and/or being surprised by early ground contact.

These are cues that proper scans and awareness will address, but it can create illusions and lead to disaster if one is not proficient or perhaps task saturated or distracted.
right i have heard about those illusions. i think they have also caused some airplanes to get bent haven't they? im not a real pilot my self sadly but i love reading about it. im trying to get life out of the way that i can fly for real some day though :D

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Re: runway width???

Post by TBryson2 »

Reminds me of when I was taking lessons and we were approaching X35 (Dunnellon Florida). I only saw one runway. (5/23). My instructor said, “now land on runway 10”. I was a bit confused and then it hit me, THAT’S a runway? I thought it was a taxi strip! Airport chart says it’s 60ft wide, but it looks like 30. :lol:

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AKar
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Re: runway width???

Post by AKar »

cessna lover wrote: 18 Aug 2020, 04:54 right i have heard about those illusions. i think they have also caused some airplanes to get bent haven't they? im not a real pilot my self sadly but i love reading about it. im trying to get life out of the way that i can fly for real some day though :D
"Funniest" ones are the ones that have a significant slope. I've done a few unnecessarily firm ones on sloping surfaces in gliders. I was sure that the wingtips were still bouncing when I sneaked out of the seat, carefully looking that no one paid any attention, and if someone did, trying to invent some excuses. Wind gradient is a good one, especially on calm days, for then you can insist that hence you did not expect it. :mrgreen:

-Esa

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Re: runway width???

Post by cessna lover »

it's too bad the simulator don't have sloping runways and stuff like that.

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