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rawdata
24th Dec 2001, 06:50
How can you calculate the midpoint of a runway given the co-ords (lat/lon) of its thrsholds and its length. Would appreciate a formula if possible. Thanks.

4g_handicap
24th Dec 2001, 12:10
rawdata,

I assume you are looking for the co-ordinates of the runway midpoint. I have never done such a thing and I am sure there are guys here that will be able to give you more intelligent ideas than what I give, but the following comes to mind :

do it by construction ie take a piece of graph paper and set up a grid scale eg 1 block = 1 second or 1 minute of lat/long, depending on what is suitable. Then plot the co-ords of the thresholds. Measure the halfway point and then look up the co-ords on the grid scale.

I dunno if it will work, just an idea that came to mind.

Some nav computers have the ability to work out co-ordinates based on a starting point and a given great circle bearing and distance, but I think is more for en-route navigation and won't be appropriate for what you want.

Another idea just sprang to mind. Why not subtract the N/S lat from each other and the E/W long - divide by 2 and then subtract from or add to original co-ords <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> Could work, dunno - try it and let us know.

Regards
4g
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[ 24 December 2001: Message edited by: 4g_handicap ]</p>

Gaza
24th Dec 2001, 13:25
Try some of these sites:-

<a href="http://www.vsv.slu.se/johnb/java/lat-long.htm" target="_blank">http://www.vsv.slu.se/johnb/java/lat-long.htm</a>

<a href="http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~cvm/latlongdist.html" target="_blank">http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~cvm/latlongdist.html</a>

This second one has a link to another site that describes the calculation. Unless you are seriously in to mathematics I'd give it a miss. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Tinstaafl
25th Dec 2001, 01:10
An approximation might be to take the average of the lats & the longs?