I came across an interesting video showing research and simulations that are taking place that suggest that a circular, banked runway (Think race track style) is better, safer, and more environmentally sound.
The research is being conduct at The Netherlands Aerospace Center and several advantages are being discovered with a 360 degree runway. One being the idea that you can micro-tune approaches and departures to account for wind conditions; eliminating all those enjoyable cross-wind landings we like to watch on Youtube. The research suggests that you can have 3 aircraft departing and or arriving at the same time which would reduce congestion at major airports. Also with a circular runway, aircraft would spend less time in the air holding patterns over airports which in turn would reduce air and noise pollution near the airports.
Here is the video (Courtesy of BBC) explaining the concept along with simulator work showing the effectiveness of the idea. (PS, if any of you use X-Plane 10 or 11, there’s a circular airport that is available….and it’s a blast!).
Could circular runways be the future of air travel?
Will circular runways ever take off?
Posted by BBC World Hacks on Thursday, March 16, 2017
So the noise will be spread around fairly quiet neighborhoods rather than concentrated at the ends of straight runways. Cities compensate for this by making those areas industrial rather than residential. If they make use of all compass points they will just make more people mad.
It is spreading even to all kind of credible media. If you know something about flying you will know this is a ridiculous idea. Every pilot will tell you the approach and landing are the most critical parts of flight, and this “solution” is simply dangerous: there are very good reasons why the final approach should be in a straight line and the runway should straight. Take-off same problem.
Well the people working on this theory are aviation experts so maybe there is something to be gained from the research. Maybe not exactly to what they’re suggesting now, but perhaps they learn something from this that does help the industry.
Re-revolution: “Flight Operations on a Circular Runway”, Smith, C. (1966) Inherent advantages of an infinitely long runway, optimum technical location at the center of the circle, and safety enhancement by increased directional stability during aircraft ground roll generated interest in the circular runway concept. The Bureau of Naval Weapons originated a project to determine, within the realm of aircraft behavior, the feasibility of flight operations from a circular runway.Utilizing an existing circular track at the General Motors Proving Ground near Mesa, Arizona, tests were conducted with a T28, an A1-E, an A4-B, and a C54. It was determined that pilots readily adapt to operations from a circular runway, that aircraft lateral and directional stability is more positive than on a flat runway, that tangential approaches are no more difficult than approaches to a straight runway, and that low visibility approaches are much simpler than to a straight runway. Flight operations from a circular runway are feasible.
http://papers.sae.org/660283/
Amazing research I hope this becomes reality soon and I know the chalanges of the runway I will also start researching about it I would love to be a part of this revolution if I get a chance to get the details. All the best.