On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:18:06 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 23:42:58 on
Tue, 11 Oct 2011, Charles Ellson remarked:

So why does it have "08L" at the west end and "26R" at the east end? It
may not be a very good runway, but it IS a runway, and is shown as such
on pilots' charts.

It's best to describe it as an alternate runway, not a second runway.

Successive flights alternate between them ?

No. The "taxiway" runway is an alternative to the normal one when the
latter is closed for some reason.

So not alternate runways but primary and secondary.

In message , at 22:00:18 on
Wed, 12 Oct 2011, Charles Ellson remarked:

The "taxiway" runway is an alternative to the normal one when the
latter is closed for some reason.

So not alternate runways but primary and secondary.

Yes, the use alternates between the two. They are never *both* in use
(as runways) at the same time, which is what being a "single runway
airport" means.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 22:00:18 on
Wed, 12 Oct 2011, Charles Ellson remarked:

The "taxiway" runway is an alternative to the normal one when the
latter is closed for some reason.

So not alternate runways but primary and secondary.

Yes, the use alternates between the two.


Wrong. That wording suggests more or less equal use, when in fact the
emergency runway is rarely used. It serves only a subset of the
aircraft that use Gatwick, being too short for the rest, and can only
be used in a strictly limited range of conditions thanks to no ILS.

As the main taxiway is taken out of use when it is used as a runway
(let's not forget that it *is* the main taxiway) the airport becomes
barely functional because the capacity of the taxiway system is so
severely reduced.

In message , at 11:57:46 on
Thu, 13 Oct 2011, Bruce remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 22:00:18 on
Wed, 12 Oct 2011, Charles Ellson remarked:

The "taxiway" runway is an alternative to the normal one when the
latter is closed for some reason.

So not alternate runways but primary and secondary.

Yes, the use alternates between the two.

Wrong. That wording suggests more or less equal use, when in fact the
emergency runway is rarely used.

Perhaps I should have insisted on my original word: "alternative".
--
Roland Perry

On Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:41:08 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 11:57:46 on
Thu, 13 Oct 2011, Bruce remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 22:00:18 on
Wed, 12 Oct 2011, Charles Ellson remarked:

The "taxiway" runway is an alternative to the normal one when the
latter is closed for some reason.

So not alternate runways but primary and secondary.

Yes, the use alternates between the two.

Wrong. That wording suggests more or less equal use, when in fact the
emergency runway is rarely used.

Perhaps I should have insisted on my original word: "alternative".

Er, yes.