Mastershake747

Why do all the heavies take off from 27R/9L only? They are perfectly capable of taking off from 8R/26L as I saw it once on youtube with a KLM A330.

__________________

Ninjas can't catch you if your power level is OVER 9000!

crownvic

Your right a majority of the heavies go out that way..I have used 26L this year on the DL 747 and a couple of times a few years back on Korean 777/747..but that was rare compared to all the other times I took off on 27R

__________________
Hong Kong...the greatest city in the world!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9EOjizFxFA

dylan

How many times have you been there? Once? For a connection?

First of all 27R/9L is the longest runway at ATL at 11,890' with 26L/8R coming in second at 10,000'. Some of them long-hauls require the longer runway for their accelerate/stop distance.....Hell, 90% can get off in 7,000' but for balanced field length, are unable to. Plenty of heavies DO takeoff from the north side, but I guess you haven't been there when thats happening.

Last week, NWA 92, the SLC-NRT nonstop taxied out to 34L (12,000') at KSLC, waited for a few minutes, then turned around, taxied all the way to
34R (12,004') and took off. The discussion over the radio was Balanced Field Length. Guess he needed the extra 4 feet to have good numbers (accel/stop)....however, the fuel he burned off on the taxiway should have given him enough weight decrease to make his numbers on the 12,000' 34L....I dont know!?

__________________

Mastershake747

I thought that flight was axed.

__________________

Ninjas can't catch you if your power level is OVER 9000!

asj410

Having been through ATL 70-something times, I can tell you that the general procedure regarding departures is dependent on the aircraft's route of flight. Generally speaking, everything heading out of ATL in a direction between...say...270 clockwise to a 090 heading departs from either 8R or 26L, depending on the winds. As for departures going in a 090 clockwise to 270 heading, they'll usually depart from 9L or 27R, depending on the winds.

As Dylan mentioned, heavies often do use 8R/26L for departure. In fact, every widebody flight (well, every flight, for that matter) that I've been on out of ATL to SAN/LAX/SFO/SLC/etc. has departed from 8R or 26L.

Of course, this is just generally how it works. There are always plenty of exceptions, but widebodies off of 8R/26L is a very common thing. In fact, a shot of mine on the main page at Airliners.Net right now was taken from a departing Delta 767-300 headed for SAN.

asj410

October, I believe.