RUNWAY

In Aviation runway is a 'landstrip' for landing and takeoff of flights. According to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) runway is defined as a rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for landing and takeoff of flight.

SECTION OF RUNWAY

The area in yellow are called as the blast pads.They prevent the jet blast by eroding the soil thus keeping the ground in stable conditions. Blast pads are also called as overruns because they are mainly constructed to stop the planes that overrun the runway due to wrong  landing.

The arrowed part and the line stripes is the threshold.The threshold is the the start or end of the actual runway itself.

The lines next to the runway number is the touch down zone. The touch down zone is the target area for pilots to stick the wheels of their aircraft on to the runway.

RUNWAY LIGHTINGS

Runways lightings are very important in case of night flights.The airports uses standardized lighting for the pilot to visualize the runway long way before.To help the pilots in differentiating between airport runways and major roads, airports have rotating beacon lights.For a civilian airport green and white lights are used. While for a military airport red beacon lights are used.

Barcelona Airport

To identify the beginning of a runway, green threshold lights runs along the runway's edge.Red lights mark the ends of runways and refers to obstructions.Blue lights run along the taxiways.Runways have white or yellow marking their edges.All these lighting systems give a safety standard for all pilots to follow to have a good flight.

RUNWAY NUMBER

The compass direction of a runway is given as its number which is painted large at the beginning of each runway.

Nice Airport

For example a runway with marking "15" denotes that the runway is close to 150 degree that is a south east compass reading. Another example of a runway with 90 as its runway number is 190 degree in the south west direction.

Left or Right is denoted by "L" or "R". Example "28R" is the runway which is close to 280 degree northwest in the right direction of the runway next to it.

TYPES OF RUNWAYS

Single Runway

London City Airport

It is one runway which is located for prevailing winds,noise,land use and other determining factors.

Example: San Diego International is the busiest single-runway commercial airport in United States.

Cross Runway

Paris Le Bourget Airport

Two or more runways that cross each other are called as the cross runways or intersecting runways.

Example: Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai has cross runway.

Parallel Runway

London Gatwick Airport

Parallel runways are those which run close to each other. The differ only be the runway indication 'L' and 'R" being have the same runway number.

Example: In Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, there are five parallel runways.

LARGEST NUMBER OF RUNWAYS

Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport

Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) and Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) in U.S each have more than six runways and remains as the airport which have the largest number of runways.