Crosswind runways

[phantomfreak]

I'm thinking of using a crosswind runway setup and I am curious to know if the runway length affects where the AI land and takeoff from.

[mikewmac]

I'm thinking of using a crosswind runway setup and I am curious to know if the runway length affects where the AI land and takeoff from.

Runway length certainly affects which runway an AI will take off on at FS9 airports with crosswind runways activated using the Star Technique. I did an empirical study on the departure runway assignments for crosswind runways in FS9 back in 2006 and below is a summary of my results:

SINGLE PISTON ENGINE AI

1.All single piston engine AI were assigned to depart on the closest runway with a length greater than 2500 feet.

Multi Piston Engine AI

2. All multi-engine piston AI were assigned to depart on the closest runway with a length greater than 4000 feet.

Turboprop AI

3. All turboprop AI were assigned to depart on the closest runway with a length greater than 4000 feet.

JET ENGINE AI WITH AN EMPTY WEIGHT EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN 99,955 POUNDS

4. All jet AI with an empty weight less than 99,955 Pounds were assigned to depart on the closest runway with a length greater than 5000 feet. Jet AI with an empty weight of up to 10,045 pounds were assigned to depart from the closest runway with a runway length of at least 5001 feet, but all other jet AI greater than this weight, but equal to or less than 99,955 pounds, were assigned to depart from the runway with a minimum length equal to 5001 feet plus, the difference between their empty weight and 10,045 pounds times the factor 0.02222 feet per pound or in other words calculated by the following formula:

Minimum Departure Runway Length for Jet AI with an Empty Weight Between 10,046 and 99,955 Pounds =

5001 feet + ((Jet AI Empty Weight - 10,045 pounds) X 0.02222 feet/pound)

JET ENGINE AI WITH AN EMPTY WEIGHT GREATER THAN 99,955 POUNDS

5. All jet AI with empty weights greater than 99,955 pounds were assigned to depart from the closest runway with a length of 7000 feet or longer.

All of these base AI departing runway assignments were determined with no wind and with light departing AI traffic in order to only determine the relationship of AI engine type and empty weight with assigned AI departing runway length.

Note: My observations during this study indicated that at least at KDEC FS9 considers the closest runway to a parked AI to be the runway with the closest centerline to the center of the AI's parking spot. Obviously the closest runway centerline point is the point that a line drawn from the center of the AI's parking spot intersects the runway's centerline at a 90 degree angle.

The intent of this study was to help AFCAD designers applying the "Star Runway Technique" for activating crosswind runways in determining what to expect for AI departure behavior from their crosswind runway airports.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

[phantomfreak]

Yes it is. Many thanks.