Stay Out of the Way

Pia Bergqvist

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 07:11 PM ET

Verified

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey

Key Takeaways:

Navigating parallel runways demands precise pattern awareness to avoid other flight paths and vigilance regarding wake turbulence, especially with crosswinds.
Intersecting runways often involve Land and Hold Short Operations (LAHSO), for which pilots should prepare by knowing available landing distances and be ready to communicate with ATC.
The most critical safety measure at any multi-runway airport is to meticulously ensure you line up for and use the correct runway to prevent catastrophic errors like insufficient takeoff length or conflicting with other aircraft.

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I learned to fly at Santa Monica Airport (KSMO), which has one runway, 3-21. So, as a budding pilot, any time I would go to an airport with multiple runways such as Van Nuys (KVNY), which has two parallel runways or Long Beach (KLGB), which has five intersecting runways, there were some extra thinking and planning required prior to taking off.

If you’re flying into an airport with parallel runways it’s clearly important to stay out of the flight path of the other runway or runways. Therefore, you need to be extra aware of your position in the pattern. You may want to cut the base leg a bit short to avoid overshooting the final leg and intersecting the approach path for a parallel runway. There is simply very little room for error and it’s better to stay on the safe side.