Some locations have very variable wind conditions so an airport may have runways in many different directions. For example, Wittman where they have Oshkosh has 4 runways in all different directions. http://img.airnav.com/aptdiag/w240/02539.gif?v=OY0UYO
Larger airports typically like to have more traffic throughput by having many parallel runways, like Atlanta which has all 5 runways facing east/west. This means planes may have to take off/land in crosswind conditions, which is not ideal but can be done. https://img.airnav.com/aptdiag/w240/02655.gif?v=Q88169
I have landed at ATL in a storm. I can confirm the first two points and the fact I can do so today confirms the last – but it was a bit of a code-brown!
Planes take off and land into the wind so they don’t crash. Runways are built in the directions wind blows, and wind direction tends to be pretty consistant, so an airport’s runways often all face the same direction.
Some locations have very variable wind conditions so an airport may have runways in many different directions. For example, Wittman where they have Oshkosh has 4 runways in all different directions. http://img.airnav.com/aptdiag/w240/02539.gif?v=OY0UYO
Larger airports typically like to have more traffic throughput by having many parallel runways, like Atlanta which has all 5 runways facing east/west. This means planes may have to take off/land in crosswind conditions, which is not ideal but can be done. https://img.airnav.com/aptdiag/w240/02655.gif?v=Q88169
I have landed at ATL in a storm. I can confirm the first two points and the fact I can do so today confirms the last – but it was a bit of a code-brown!