Pilot requests different runway

[N2SCV]

Last night listening to Newark Tower a Continental flight was cleared to land on 22R; co-pilot? says " Is 22L or 29 available?" Tower asks why. Co-pilot says "My partner requests it". They were cleared to land 29.

Can someone explain why they asked for another runway and does it happen often? Tnx.

 

[KD9KSO]

Because sometimes it's a shorter taxi to the ramp or the terminal. Sometimes because of wind, but that effects mostly smaller aircraft.

Pilots often ask for 30L or 12R at KSTL if it's not busy because of the short taxi.

 

[WA1ATA]

It happens all the time at SJC / San Jose CA.

Normal pattern is 30R for takeoffs, 30L for landings. When available, the tower will often shift the incoming flight to 30R, which is closer to terminal, and perhaps more importantly, doesn't require crossing a runway to get to terminal. That makes life easier for the tower/ground controller also.

Most of the time the change is made by the tower, but sometimes it is after a request by the pilot.

 

[K9WG]

I know at a specific airport one runway was smoother then the other. I have also heard ATC ask the pilot his preference during low traffic times.

 

[davidmc36]

CYOW I am sure at least 50% of flight crews ask for this or that runway. Almost never are asked why, they are simply granted the request if traffic allows. Overall I woud describe the day to day as a supreme example of co-operation between the two "parties".

Heard a week or so ago:

Little Airplane XYZ you are at 4,000 feet, would you like to do a 360 and come down?

No thanks Tower, we're good.

Little Airplane XYZ are you sure? You are at 4,000 feet and just over five miles.

No thanks Tower, we're fine.

(With just the tiniest bit of sarcasm that you can get away with on mike)

At your discrection Little Airplane XYZ

 

[KD9KSO]

I've never been asked why. I thought it a bit strange in the OP.

 

[b7spectra]

At smaller fields (well PDK isn't really smaller), some have parallel runways where one is longer than the other, and rookie pilots sometimes request the longer (6,001') so they don't run off the end. I was at PDK when a corporate jet requested the shorter runway for take off (3,744') and the tower asked if it was long enough for him. His reply was "we unloaded all the dead weight" (I'm sure he meant his passengers).

 

[N2SCV]

Another question, this is local. I live 13 miles S of Newark Airport. Antenna cut for the band in my attic.
I can barely hear the tower but can hear Clr/Del, ATIS, Ramp, Gate hold Departure etc. Then some days the tower comes booming in.
Do they switch to a higher powered transmitter?
Why do I hear the Ramp etc better than the tower?
Tnx, Joe.

 

[davidmc36]

Another question, this is local. I live 13 miles S of Newark Airport. Antenna cut for the band in my attic.
I can barely hear the tower but can hear Clr/Del, ATIS, Ramp, Gate hold Departure etc. Then some days the tower comes booming in.
Do they switch to a higher powered transmitter?
Why do I hear the Ramp etc better than the tower?
Tnx, Joe.

What is your altitude compared to the tower?

I know at least one tower that I cannot hear an eighth of a mile away when down at ground level but it comes in if I dirve up the hill.

Is the radiation pattern shaped or anything?

 

[pmturner]

Unless they are in an emergency situation, all radios are the same, same power (10 watts), same antenna gain (unity). Feedline differences might add a dB or so. It's common at really big airports to have more then one transmiter site to reduce intermod. Thats a posability. Also whatever antenna position is being used for Local, may have a known dead zone in your area, but they don't care. Say at Orlando (MCO) which has North South parallels, no one cases if the radio is a bit weak to the east or west.

FAA doesn't use tall towers, espically at airports, and ground to ground propigation sucks.

BTW, ramp freqs are non FAA, and ATIS may be located at the tower vs a transmitter site since it's an intermod nightmare. Ground control is allways FAA, that might be a better compairson.

 

[N2SCV]

Thanks all.

Unless they are in an emergency situation, all radios are the same, same power (10 watts), same antenna gain (unity). Feedline differences might add a dB or so. It's common at really big airports to have more then one transmiter site to reduce intermod. Thats a posability. Also whatever antenna position is being used for Local, may have a known dead zone in your area, but they don't care. Say at Orlando (MCO) which has North South parallels, no one cases if the radio is a bit weak to the east or west.

FAA doesn't use tall towers, espically at airports, and ground to ground propigation sucks.

BTW, ramp freqs are non FAA, and ATIS may be located at the tower vs a transmitter site since it's an intermod nightmare. Ground control is allways FAA, that might be a better compairson.

 

[WA1ATA]

Unless they are in an emergency situation, all radios are the same, same power (10 watts), same antenna gain (unity).

I didn't know that. Interesting.

I googled a bit on the radios for installation in airplanes and it looks like they are all 5 to 8 watts output ... perhaps due to different efficiencies with a specified 10 watt maximum input power to the final stage.

I had assumed that the commercial aircraft like 747's and 737's had more powerful transmitters than the Cessnas and Bonanzas that have much weaker radio signals. Perhaps it is just the antennas.

Can you confirm that the big aircraft also have 10 watt radios?

 

[ST-Bob]

In the VHF aircraft band there's no need for higher powered radios as they're only used for short-distance, line of sight, communications or to talk to simulcast control centers. For long-distance communications they use long-wave HF frequencies which propagate much further. Those radios could be high powered.

 

[majoco]

The older Collins 618m VHF Com transceiver and it's Bendix/King mates that were used on mid-sized aircraft (737, DC9 etc) were all 25watts output.

The HF 618T transceivers were 400watts PEP on SSB.