Extended Runways - suggestion

Ed N.

Ed N.

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When we select an airport and the info box pops up, the runway that's preferred for the current wind is shown in green. Wouldn't it be cool if that runway also had its extension colored green when extended runways are shown?
 
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I'm not a fan of that idea. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but maybe also technology can lead you into traps, and it's best to try to avoid designing those traps in the first place.

Winds change, and when you pop up the QuickView box and see that indication, that's an instantaneous indication of the preferred runway (and crosswind component) using the wind data available at the moment you tapped the airport.

ADSB wx info is good--certainly better than not having it. But it's only one piece of info in determining which runway to choose. Airports with weather updates every minute can inform you of changes to the winds up to several minutes before it reaches you via ADSB. Folks on the ground or in the pattern who can see a windsock may make decisions based on the winds right then that ADSB isn't aware of.

There are other reasons why a particular runway might be preferred. When I returned home yesterday, for instance, a student pilot was intentionally practicing crosswind touch-and-goes. Rather than insist on using the runway the wind favored, I just slotted in behind him and practiced my own crosswind landing. :)

I think it would be a disservice to the pilot for iFly to be "too insistent" that it knows which runway is best, and to promote that persistently in an overlay on the map. I think it would be too easy for a lazy pilot to stop there and "just fly the magenta line to the green arrow". Even a conscientious pilot might get distracted by a green arrow on the map that contradicts other data he's collecting to make a choice about which runway to use.

I like technology and automation. Tech that reduces workload is good. But technology that competes with thoughtfulness is insidious, and I think this is potentially one of those areas.
 
I disagree. It's simply an easy indication of a preference; whether the pilot chooses to accept the recommendation or not is up to him. It's no more "insistent" or a "trap" than the info box we can already pop up.

But... It could be implemented as an option, so folks who don't want it wouldn't have to use it. I'd prefer to have it, but you could certainly choose otherwise.
 
Yes to auto-extending for me. Even if you don't choose to use that runway, you'll immediately know which runway is most likely the preferred runway for other pilots so it can aid in your situational awareness of where other pilots might be. I think it's a great idea.
 
I haven't logged in for a while. The link to the poll doesn't work for me; did the poll close?
 
The link goes to the Beta users forum, it was more of a question and discussion type poll. Doesn't look to me like it's closed.
 
I agree with this request. It would be faster to see the preferred runway extension in green, without having to see the note in the pop-up, then review each runway to figure out which one is the one preferred. Here is Baker City in Oregon, I think this one really shows how a highlighted approach of the preferred runway would be very valuable:

Baker City.png
 
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