What does runway direction mean?
Runway direction describes which runway direction an airport is likely to use. At Henderson Field, this means aircraft land from a certain compass direction and take off towards the matching runway direction.
The forecast for Henderson Field in Sand Island shows the likely direction aircraft land from and take off towards. Actual runway use can differ because of air traffic control, traffic, weather and local procedures.
What the forecast means and how it is calculated.
Runway direction describes which runway direction an airport is likely to use. At Henderson Field, this means aircraft land from a certain compass direction and take off towards the matching runway direction.
The calculation compares current wind direction with known runway headings. The runway with as much headwind and as little crosswind as possible is preferred.
Henderson Field is located near Sand Island in United States Minor Outlying Islands. The airport has 2 runways, the longest is about 2.409 m. Field elevation is about 4 m.
The actual decision is made by air traffic control. Closed runways, traffic, storm cells, noise abatement procedures or operational rules can make real runway use differ from the forecast.