Flight path change at SNA today? (28 Sept 2010)
Sep 28, 2010, 11:34 pm
#1
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Flight path change at SNA today? (28 Sept 2010)
Does anyone know why the flight paths changed today over SNA? I travel here frequently for business and the planes were flying east-west instead of north-south like they normally do.
It's cloudy today, but it's been cloudy here before and the planes didn't fly at a 90 degree angle.
It's cloudy today, but it's been cloudy here before and the planes didn't fly at a 90 degree angle.
Sep 29, 2010, 5:17 am
#4
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Flight paths are based on wind direction. Runways are built in the direction of prevailing winds but every now and then the winds will be at a different directions. When that happens planes will take-off/land on the alternate runways, assuming such exist.
Sep 29, 2010, 10:31 am
#5
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Does anyone know why the flight paths changed today over SNA? I travel here frequently for business and the planes were flying east-west instead of north-south like they normally do.
It's cloudy today, but it's been cloudy here before and the planes didn't fly at a 90 degree angle.
It's cloudy today, but it's been cloudy here before and the planes didn't fly at a 90 degree angle.
I checked a few inbound flights coming in from the east and they all used the usual KAYOH4 arrival into SNA. Or are you talking about flights overflying SNA?
Sep 29, 2010, 4:20 pm
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The first one I noticed was a Hawaiian Airlines plane, but I don't know the flight number. When I went outside for lunch today, I didn't see any weird flight paths.
Sep 29, 2010, 5:00 pm
#9
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sbm is right, the landing patterns can change due to the prevailing winds. SNA's runways are aligned to 194 degrees magnetic (or 14 degrees if you take off in the opposite direction). 90+% of the time the prevailing wind is coming from the ocean so planes will be taking off towards Newport on the 194 degree course. During Santa Ana wind conditions they reverse the traffic so planes will take off towards Orange.
Note that there is is only one runway so there are no direct "east-west" takeoffs or landings.
When they run the occasional reverse pattern it's fun to listen to ATC and pilots as they both can be a bit rusty..."American XXX clear to land runway 19 right, uh correction 1 left". What makes it even more fun is that the reverse pattern does not have an ILS approach forcing pilots to set up the approach and land using only the visual.
Note that there is is only one runway so there are no direct "east-west" takeoffs or landings.
When they run the occasional reverse pattern it's fun to listen to ATC and pilots as they both can be a bit rusty..."American XXX clear to land runway 19 right, uh correction 1 left". What makes it even more fun is that the reverse pattern does not have an ILS approach forcing pilots to set up the approach and land using only the visual.
Sep 29, 2010, 9:30 pm
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sbm is right, the landing patterns can change due to the prevailing winds. SNA's runways are aligned to 194 degrees magnetic (or 14 degrees if you take off in the opposite direction). 90+% of the time the prevailing wind is coming from the ocean so planes will be taking off towards Newport on the 194 degree course. During Santa Ana wind conditions they reverse the traffic so planes will take off towards Orange.
Note that there is is only one runway so there are no direct "east-west" takeoffs or landings.
When they run the occasional reverse pattern it's fun to listen to ATC and pilots as they both can be a bit rusty..."American XXX clear to land runway 19 right, uh correction 1 left". What makes it even more fun is that the reverse pattern does not have an ILS approach forcing pilots to set up the approach and land using only the visual.
Note that there is is only one runway so there are no direct "east-west" takeoffs or landings.
When they run the occasional reverse pattern it's fun to listen to ATC and pilots as they both can be a bit rusty..."American XXX clear to land runway 19 right, uh correction 1 left". What makes it even more fun is that the reverse pattern does not have an ILS approach forcing pilots to set up the approach and land using only the visual.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:05 am
#14
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On those rare occasions when there is severe weather here, and we have had a few days of scattered thundershowers, the ambient wind direction changes, and you might see LAX use 6 L/R and 7 L/R instead of 24 L/R and 25 L/R; LGB might use 12 instead of 30; and SNA might use 01 R instead of 19 L.
OP is correct in that clouds over LA are almost never an indicator of rain or severe weather.
OP is correct in that clouds over LA are almost never an indicator of rain or severe weather.