Melbourne Airport RWY 09

[mourgo]

Can anyone explain to me why 09 is not used for take offs or landings. I have seen the odd plane land there but not on a regular basis.

[43Inches]

The wind rarely favours it as the predominant winds at Melbourne are some form of Westerly.

It only has non-precision approaches, VOR and RNAV with terrain issues under the approach path.

It can get quite turbulent with windshear on approach during strong Northerlies.

The taxiway configuration means it can get quite congested with 16/34 operating, the LAHSO markings for 34 are after the taxiway (E).

There is no high speed exit.

Approach and Departure configuration (the SID and STAR layout) favour using 27/34 as most traffic arrives from the northeast (Sydney and Brisbane). It is easier for aircraft to climb out to the West then switch back to the East and arrivals to descend in from the Northeast under the departing aircraft.

[drpixie]

That pretty much covers it :D

[Chief galah]

mourgo

Many reasons.

The wind rarely favours 09.

There is a lot of taxi distance to the threshold for departures, it means crossing 16/34 to get there and even then one of the other departure directions will just be as suitable.

The main traffic configurations mean that the use of 09 is least preferred.

These are generally in order of preference

16 arrivals and 27 departures. Any 09 operations would be difficult and counter productive. Most of the time there would be downwind.

27 arrivals/departures with LAHSO 34 arrivals. Impossible to use 09 with the 27 departures.

27 departures/arrivals only. This will mean there is a westerly wind with excessive downwind on 09.

34 departures/arrivals only. This means there is a strong northerly wind and excessive crosswinds on 09. If there is an easterly component not exceeding 20kts then some 09 arrivals may occur depending on the traffic situation.

16 departures/arrivals only. This will mean a strong southerly wind and excessive crosswinds on 09. No point for departures, arrivals problematic with traffic flow.

Add into all of the above, wet runways, low cloud, and maybe EN traffic.

The instrument approach to 09 is non-precision and it's the shorter of the runways.

When the other directions are in use, it is against the traffic both in the air and on the ground.

Finally, the approach blokes hate it!

[F111]

In the 13 years I've been operating into ML I've landed on 09 once.

[mourgo]

Thanks guys much appreciate your answers!

[Back Pressure]

Get rid of it then - build a few hundred houses there (and then wait for the calls to close Tulla...) :E

[training wheels]

... and it's the least friendly for spotters as well...:E

[UnderneathTheRadar]

Get rid of it then

Might make it a tad difficult to use 27 then.....

[povopilot]

it got a work over this morning from the turboprop guys

[VH-XXX]

They need better options there for northerly winds, thats for sure. Yesterday morning waited over 20 minutes to depart as there were 7 lined up and quite a few inbound. All were using the same runway. You'd think you were in Denver if you had seen the taxiway.

[VH-ABC]

We were there a couple of days ago with a norwesterly blowing around 10 kts, from memory something like 020/12. The runways that were getting used were 34 and 27 with 5 kts tail on 27. Shortly after we landed, they made it rwy 34 ops only because of the tailwind on 27!!! WTF! Surely there would have been an improvement in movements if they started departures off 09. Is there any Mel ATC people out there?

[Dangnammit]

I live close to the airport and I can say that in the 3.5 years I've lived here, I have only noticed takeoffs on 09 once. I only noticed because I was in the backyard and the planes were louder than normal as they were almost over my house. That was on a weekend, so weekdays I wouldn't know if 09 used.

My grandmother lives in the same street as the Epping locator (in Lalor?? go figure) and I remember once a/c being quite high and loud outbound in that area, which seldom occurs.

Very rare for an easterly to occur strong enough to warrant t/offs on 09ML or 08EN. It doeas happen though.

[VH-XXX]

We were there a couple of days ago with a norwesterly blowing around 10 kts, from memory something like 020/12.

That might be part of the problem :ugh:

[eocvictim]

Those crazy Melbourne winds, saying they're westerly then blowing from the east. Sneaky.

[VH-ABC]

my bad... try noreasterly!!!

[43Inches]

We were there a couple of days ago with a norwesterly blowing around 10 kts, from memory something like 020/12. The runways that were getting used were 34 and 27 with 5 kts tail on 27. Shortly after we landed, they made it rwy 34 ops only because of the tailwind on 27!!! WTF! Surely there would have been an improvement in movements if they started departures off 09. Is there any Mel ATC people out there?


Problem is that the departing aircraft still has to cross runway 34, and no LAHSO for the taxiway. If you have the gap to cross one you probly could shoot one off 34 with some intelligent controlling.

Landing with LAHSO on 09/34 no problem as you roll through the intersection after landing whilst the other lands on 34.

There has been a few days from memory when 09 was the only operating runway due wind but they are very few.


I only noticed because I was in the backyard and the planes were louder than normal as they were almost over my house.


Another reason as why its not used much. A lot of new developement either side of the 27 approach corridor, aircraft taking off make a lot more noise than landing ones.

[Howard Hughes]

it got a work over this morning from the turboprop guys
When I flew into Melbourne regularly, we would always ask for 09 when there was strong Northerly, often meant the difference between 20 mins holding and none!:ok:

[max1]

I live close to the airport

You beauty we've got Darryl Kerrigan on pprune.

'Tell im he's dreaming'

[Aussie]

Hahahaha thats a great comment mate! Hows the Serenity!:ok: