Airport

What do pilots think of the new “circular” runway concept?

According to Quora Debate by Laurence Sizemore current Boeing 767 captain.

I cringed when I saw the simulated video of the A380 landing on the circular runway (and not only because of the gear-up approach!). It looks like a wingtip strike or a pod (engine) strike waiting to happen.

The idea might work fine when everything goes according to plan, but a runway excursion would be absolutely disastrous, as would any sort of long landing (ie: landing somewhere after the intended touch-down point).

Land too far to the inside of the circle and you drag wingtips and engine pods on the ground and risk cartwheeling to the collective death of everyone on board.

Land too far to the outside of the circle and you ‘high side’ (motorcycling term), catch the outer landing gear in the dirt, spin around and risk cartwheeling to the collective death of everyone on board.

Takeoffs are going to be interesting. One of the more difficult types of aircraft to fly is the ‘tailwheel’ design. They’re challenging to fly in part because a take-off is a three-step process whereby you first lift the tail off the ground, stabilise, and then lift the rest of the aircraft off the ground. A take off on a banked circular runway would be similarly complex: you’d need to lift the inside landing gear off the ground, stabilise, then lift the rest off the ground… and do you lift the nose gear first, or second, or when?! If you get the timing wrong, then you either drag wingtips and engine pods on the ground and risk cartwheeling to the collective death of everyone on board, or catch the outer landing gear in the dirt, spin around and risk cartwheeling to the collective death of everyone on board.

If you do take off ‘normally’, you’d achieve that by making the diameter of the circle you carve out in pitch to be less than the diameter of the banked runway, and then you’d lift off pitching up and simultaneously rolled left, you’d need a heap of opposite rudder input to counter the sideslip and yaw imposed by the roll, and the pilot flying would be very very busy while they’re very very close to the ground. If an engine quits at that point in the flight, you drag wingtips and engine pods on the ground and risk cartwheeling to the collective death of everyone on board.

I have problems with the claim that up to three aircraft could operate from the same runway at once. Again, it will work well when everything goes to plan, but on that one day when the guy behind you can’t stop in time (or doesn’t know you’re there because he can’t see you in the fog), he rolls right over the top of you to the collective death of everyone on board both aircraft. Would anyone like to try Tenerife again?

Aviation is a very risk averse business. It’s just too damned expensive to make mistakes. The circular runway concept is a lot like communism: it’s an wonderfully beautiful idea that absolutely can not work in real life!

About Author

Laurence Sizemor

Jeff Loftin, Former USAF fighter pilot, current Boeing 767 captain

and Peter Wheeler, Qualified flight instructor in Australia, NZ and UK.

you can follow him : click

Courtesy : Laurence Sizemor by Quora

Airport

Three Major UK Airports Up for Multi-Billion Pound Sale

Three major UK airports, including London City, Birmingham, and Bristol, are set to be sold in a multi-billion pound deal as their Canadian owner, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), seeks to capitalize on a booming air travel market.

The OTPP is in talks with minority shareholders about selling its stakes in these airports, as well as its holdings in Brussels and Copenhagen airports.

Current evaluations suggest the combined value of the five airports exceeds £10 billion, with OTPP owning between 25% and 70% stakes in each, potentially bringing the total sale to over £3.5 billion.

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The move comes as global aviation experiences a strong recovery, driving increased demand for air travel, particularly across Europe. The OTPP, which holds a significant portion of its portfolio in these airports, is in the process of offering its shares to co-investors with a 30-day “right of first refusal” period.

Analysts speculate that the sale could trigger a chain reaction, prompting other stakeholders to consider selling their shares, particularly if a new buyer seeks a controlling interest.

Bristol Airport, for example, has outlined an ambitious master plan to expand its capacity from 12 million passengers per year to 15 million by 2036, addressing the growing demand in the region.

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Meanwhile, London’s Heathrow and Stansted airports have seen record passenger traffic, further underscoring the sector’s recovery.

As the 30-day period progresses, the OTPP’s decision could spark a flurry of activity, with other investors such as Australian giant Macquarie reportedly showing interest in the airports.

This potential sale is set to reshape the future of UK airport ownership and investment, as the aviation industry continues to recover and grow.