How close is too close?
 

Hi, first time posting, but been loitering on the forum a good while. I'm becoming more and more interested in flying stuff but at a very low level of participation, just simming and observing.


To that end, in the course of my job yesterday, I had a very good view of one of the runways at Paris C de G and saw a plane landing that must have been on tenterhooks about whether the plane taking off was ever going to bother!


A medium sized jet was sitting on the runway for a little while, and I could see a dumpy little twin engine thing coming into land on the same runway. It got down to only about 100 to 200 feet off the deck before the medium jet sped off and then goes behind something that obscured my view and within about 5 seconds the little plane touches down where the first jet had stood. It occurred to me that if the medium jet aborted take-off for any reason on its run, the following jet was already down and not really in a position to go around and would have been hard pressed to not pile in the back of the first one.


I've observed over the years a fair few take-offs and landings and never noticed anything this close before, I was actually heart in mouth getting ready to call emergency services! I kid you all not about the distances and timings, to the best of my ability.


Was this a bit close, or comparatively normal? The next plane that took off was an A380 at 14.45 CET.


I'm aware that when something is not your profession, you may not know what is normal, and within limits, but sheesh, I wouldn't have wanted that view of the tail lights in front of me!

See following from Flight Radar 24. The playback running from 1337 GMT (1437CET) on the 18th March, 2015.

Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!

I would say that you were fooled by the illusion of the parallel runways. The aircraft on the runway waiting to take off would have been Air France 292 Boeing 777 with the UAE Airbus A380 next to take off. The aircraft you thought was landing on the same runway would have been Tarom Airbus A318 ("dumpy little twin engine thing coming into land") landing on the parallel runway. From your vantage point it would have looked like that the A318 was touching down on the same runway.

Thank you very much TEEEJ, that seems to clear that up!
I knew there were 2 runways, but I had thought they were very much further apart than they actually are. I guess the planes that I see when I am approaching Roissy station from the other direction are just on a taxi-way, not the other runway. I thought the main terminal buildings separated the runways!
Thanks for helping a newbie, I appreciate the work you did to help me out with my mis-apprehension.
Cheers.

No problem, Freddy. Thanks for the reply.

Freddy

There are 4 parallel runways at CDG, 2 north and 2 south of the main terminal complex.

Thank you so much for that info TopBunk.
That explains my confusion, I thought I'd seen planes landing and taking off south and north of the terminal buildings, which is why I'd thought I wasn't seeing planes on adjacent runways! Quite embarrassed, but at least I'm now wiser thanks. :-)