How are the letters and numbers organized in airports...?

Question

The letters and numbers are not the airport code or runway but the ground letters and numbers. Like "taxi to runway 22R using taxi way K5 K S B2"

Answer 1

Runway numbers are based on magnetic headings. Thus, runway 22 and runway 04 are the same runway in opposite directions. Some larger airports have parallel runways on the same heading, which are designated "right" and "left" as seen by a pilot approaching to land.



Thus runway 22R and runway 04L are the same runway in opposite directions, whereas runway 22L and runway 04R are the same runway, some distance away to the side.



Taxiways are assigned designators in more or less alphabetical order depending on importance. That is, taxiway A might be a parallel taxiway to the most important runway. In turn, short connectors between the taxiway and the runway it serves are numbered A1, A2, A3, and so on.



Large complex airports tend to have lots of taxiways that cris-cross and interconnect parallel taxiways and runways in a complex way. And there are many non-standard arrangements. Ground control uses a series of taxiway designators to direct flights to and from the runways, and the lighted signs at taxiway intersections show the crew where they are and which direction to go to get to the next assigned taxiway.

Answer 2

The runway numbering scheme is to take the nearest magnetic heading of the runway, round to the nearest 10 degree increment, and drop the final 0. This means that a runway which has a heading of 224 degrees will usually be called runway 22. If there are two runways with the same orientation, then they will usually be called L & R as in 22L and 22R. There are even some airports where there are three runways on the same orientation, and then they have a L, R, and C designation. The opposite end of the runway, has the reciprocal number. In the example above, 22L becomes 4R at the other end.



The plot thickens when there are 4 runways with the same orientation such as DFW which has 5 runways that are all oriented to 175.4/355.4 degrees. In this case, they are split into two different sets of numbers. At DFW, we have 17L, 17C, 17R, 35L, 35C, 35R on one side of the airport, and 18L, 18R, 36L and 36R on the other.



As for taxiways, they are lettered. At most airports, the taxiways have single designations such a A (alpha), B (bravo), etc. As some airports, the taxiways will have two letters or a letter and a number such as SC (sierra charlie) at IAH, or L4 (lima 4) at DFW. In the case of IAH, the S means that the taxiway is on the South side of the airport; on the North side they begin with an N. Interestingly enough, in the Northwest corner, there is a little confusion because the N taxiways meet the W taxiways. In DFW, L4 means that it is a taxiway that comes off of Taxiway L, and is between L3 and L5.



In the old days, ORD had real interesting names for taxiways such as "scenic," "stub," "new scenic," etc. I suspect that some near calamity caused by the non-standard markings, an FAA directive, or safety audit, etc., brought about the change to standard markings.



To view some airports, just type the airport identifier followed by "airport diagram" into Google.

Answer 3

Runway numbers are based on magnetic headings. Thus, runway 22 and runway 04 are the same runway in opposite directions. Some larger airports have parallel runways on the same heading, which are designated "right" and "left" as seen by a pilot approaching to land.



Thus runway 22R and runway 04L are the same runway in opposite directions, whereas runway 22L and runway 04R are the same runway, some distance away to the side.



Taxiways are assigned designators in more or less alphabetical order depending on importance. That is, taxiway A might be a parallel taxiway to the most important runway. In turn, short connectors between the taxiway and the runway it serves are numbered A1, A2, A3, and so on.



Large complex airports tend to have lots of taxiways that cris-cross and interconnect parallel taxiways and runways in a complex way. And there are many non-standard arrangements. Ground control uses a series of taxiway designators to direct flights to and from the runways, and the lighted signs at taxiway intersections show the crew where they are and which direction to go to get to the next assigned taxiway.

Answer 4

what you quoted is actually a ground transmission giving instructions to a plane on how to get to the runway from where theyre at. so to decode it, "taxi to the runway 22R" (2-2-Right this tells the direction the runway points, in this case 220 on a compass, and the right implies there is a second runway that faces 220 also, this distinguishes one from the other by saying left right or center/middle) then "using taxi way K5 K S B2" is basically just directions on how to get there (K5 or Kilo 5 is a taxi way and so is Kilo Siera and Bravo 2, you follow these instructions like you would directions from mapquest, follow K5 until you see K ad turn and follow K to S and so on, and if you follow them properly you will end holding short of runway 22R)