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Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: Squawk 7700 on October 21, 2013, 11:24:34 AM

Title: Oakland International Airport Changes Runway Numbers
Post by: Squawk 7700 on October 21, 2013, 11:24:34 AM

Those listening to KOAK may hear something unusual these days?
The old familiar South Field Runway 29 has been re-numbered to Runway 30.
North Field Runways 27L/R has been re-numbered as well to 28L/R
It's going to take some getting used to!
http://ww1.jeppesen.com/documents/aviation/notices-alerts/chart-alert/KOAK_10-9_1311_eChart_Alert.pdf

Title: Re: Oakland International Airport Changes Runway Numbers
Post by: RonR on November 29, 2013, 09:14:00 AM

And here's a newspaper article explaining the reason for the change...

http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_24613702/earths-magnetic-shift-causes-first-change-runway-numbers?source=rss

Title: Re: Oakland International Airport Changes Runway Numbers
Post by: Squawk 7700 on November 29, 2013, 11:08:17 AM

Thanks Ron! This is an interesting article that explains the change. Great find! :-D
Ken

Title: Re: Oakland International Airport Changes Runway Numbers
Post by: RonR on November 29, 2013, 11:55:14 AM

No problem Ken  :wink:

To be honest, I never even thought about the shifting of the Earth's magnetic field is being a reason for the change, but it does seem to make sense...

I hope you had a good Turkey Day!

Ron

Title: Re: Oakland International Airport Changes Runway Numbers
Post by: Marty Becker on November 29, 2013, 12:47:04 PM

I like this sentence, "Pilots use the numbers to navigate, so it's critical that they be accurate."  I really do not think the actual runway numbers are "critical." Pilots care about the actual degrees, not the number designation.

For example at KORD; 9R, 9L, 10L, 10C are 93.2, 93.2, 93.1, 93.0 respectively. I sure the when 10R finally opens in a year or so, it will also be 93.1 or 93.0. All four and eventually all five runways are within two-tenths of a degree, but have number designations separated by ten degrees.

Title: Re: Oakland International Airport Changes Runway Numbers
Post by: tyketto on November 29, 2013, 01:54:47 PM

Looks like KOAK isn't the only casualty of this. Numbers are changing at Orange County (KSNA) as well. They also explain it well:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/airport-537855-runway-degrees.html

Expect some charts and arrivals to change.

BL.