Did You Know? 11 Fun Facts About Runways

Here are some weird things you need to know to geek-out about this humble piece of infrastructure.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 09:19 AM ET

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Airports can be hard to judge from the air. The FBOProps app seeks to reveal what arriving pilots can expect. [Courtesy: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Runways are precisely designed with features like a slight crown for drainage and are numbered based on their magnetic heading, which is updated if the Earth's magnetic field shifts significantly.
They undergo daily inspections for foreign object debris (FOD) and utilize specific markings, such as "piano keys" for precision approaches, to convey crucial information to pilots.
Traffic patterns around runways are often left-hand, indicated by segmented circles, though right traffic (RP) can be designated, and the "long" runway definition is subjective, not a fixed FAA metric.
Historically, runways have seen unusual adaptations, including elaborate camouflage efforts during WWII to disguise aircraft factories from aerial observation.

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Editor’s Note: This article is part of special series spotlighting runways: April 18: America’s Longest Runways | America’s Shortest Runways | April 19: 11 Fun Facts About Runways | April 20: Self-healing Concrete and How It Can Save Runways | April 21: FLYING Explained: How Do You Read Airport Markings and Signage | Runway History | April 22: Remembering Meigs Field

In 1903, the Wrights brothers’ first flight took place, launching off a track on a sand dune in North Carolina. Soon after, other aircraft designs were developed—some successful, some not—and they all had one thing in common: they needed a way to get into the air and come back down safely.