4 ms·

Simple - you can only approach SJC airport from the north, not the south. SJC, while super convenient (I live in the South Bay) isn't a premier airport and wil

Simple - you can only approach SJC airport from the north, not the south. SJC, while super convenient (I live in the South Bay) isn't a premier airport and will never be. Half of it is old and needs remodeling. We need housing and density so much more than we need more flights out of SJC.

slededit 8y ago
Not that simple. Planes need to take off and land into the wind. Your “simple” rule would dramatically lower capacity of the runway.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
CaliforniaKarl 8y ago
I'm curious, which part needs remodeling? I live on the peninsula, and SJC is my preferred airport. I go through there at least once a year, and it's never felt particularly run-down to me.
- vkou 8y ago
  I've never flown OAK, but given the choice, I will always prefer SJC over SFO. It handles its current load much more gracefully.
  - bradknowles 8y ago
    I did a six month contract for Apple in Cupertino. I lived in a 1BR apartment right on the border of Cupertino and San Jose, on Stevens Creek Blvd just west of I-280. On one occasion, I flew via SFO. I vowed to never ever do that again. From that point forward, I always flew via SJC, and I was much, much happier. The airport was clean, reasonably up-to-date, and never had major traffic problems that I saw. I would be very unhappy if that airport got shut down or crippled just because some people want to build tall buildings in the area.
- crushcrashcrush 8y ago
  Terminal A is old. Terminal B is great!
Stratoscope 8y ago
> Simple - you can only approach SJC airport from the north, not the south. Obviously we also have to require aircraft to take off to the north, yes? Let's see how we can implement this proposal. SJC has two parallel runways: 30L/12R and 30R/12L. The runways are 700 feet apart. [1] [2] We could operate the airport like a two-way highway where you only drive on the right. We permanently close runways 30L and 12L, and allow takeoffs only on 30R and landings only on 12R. So you approach from the north and take off to the north. This will result in oncoming traffic 700 feet to your left, whether you are taking off or landing. Passengers may get used to seeing other jetliners zoom by them at 250-300 miles per hour. After all, we do something like that on the freeway every day. As a pilot, my worry is the wingtip vortices, affectionately called "wake turbulence". These are little cyclones that come off the end of each wing, travel with the wind, and can flip you upside down! The two-way traffic will assure plenty of opportunities to get caught in one of these. OTOH, the oncoming traffic and wingtip vortices may only be a problem on a very calm day. On many typical days of the year with moderate winds from the north-northwest, we may have to close the airport for landings and only allow takeoffs. Conversely, when the winds reverse due to weather, we will only allow landings and cancel all takeoffs. Perhaps this plan is not quite as simple as it first seemed. [1] Runways are numbered by their approximate compass heading divided by ten. A runway can be used in either direction depending on wind conditions, so it has two different designations that differ by 18, or 180 degrees. When an airport has parallel runways, they get an L or R suffix for left or right. So runway 30L and 12R are the same physical strip, at an approximate compass direction of 300 degrees if you are approaching from the southeast, or 120 degrees when approaching from the northwest. Similarly, the parallel strip is runway 30R and 12L. [2] SJC runway map: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/SJC_Airport_Diagram.svg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/SJC_Airp...
- masonic 8y ago
  So you approach from the north and take off to the north. are you unaware that both takeoffs and landings face into the prevailing wind direction?
  - Stratoscope 8y ago
everdev 8y ago
I'd much rather fly out of SJC than SFO. SJC has a good number of domestic and international flights and the parking, pickup and security is much faster and easier to navigate. Also, you approach based on the wind.
masonic 8y ago
you can only approach SJC airport from the north, not the south This makes no sense to me. The prevailing winds are from the North, so except for storms and early mornings, standard approach is from the south.

slededit 8y ago

Not that simple. Planes need to take off and land into the wind. Your “simple” rule would dramatically lower capacity of the runway.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

CaliforniaKarl 8y ago

I'm curious, which part needs remodeling? I live on the peninsula, and SJC is my preferred airport. I go through there at least once a year, and it's never felt particularly run-down to me.

vkou 8y ago
I've never flown OAK, but given the choice, I will always prefer SJC over SFO. It handles its current load much more gracefully.
- bradknowles 8y ago
  I did a six month contract for Apple in Cupertino. I lived in a 1BR apartment right on the border of Cupertino and San Jose, on Stevens Creek Blvd just west of I-280. On one occasion, I flew via SFO. I vowed to never ever do that again. From that point forward, I always flew via SJC, and I was much, much happier. The airport was clean, reasonably up-to-date, and never had major traffic problems that I saw. I would be very unhappy if that airport got shut down or crippled just because some people want to build tall buildings in the area.
crushcrashcrush 8y ago
Terminal A is old. Terminal B is great!

Stratoscope 8y ago

> Simple - you can only approach SJC airport from the north, not the south. Obviously we also have to require aircraft to take off to the north, yes? Let's see how we can implement this proposal. SJC has two parallel runways: 30L/12R and 30R/12L. The runways are 700 feet apart. [1] [2] We could operate the airport like a two-way highway where you only drive on the right. We permanently close runways 30L and 12L, and allow takeoffs only on 30R and landings only on 12R. So you approach from the north and take off to the north. This will result in oncoming traffic 700 feet to your left, whether you are taking off or landing. Passengers may get used to seeing other jetliners zoom by them at 250-300 miles per hour. After all, we do something like that on the freeway every day. As a pilot, my worry is the wingtip vortices, affectionately called "wake turbulence". These are little cyclones that come off the end of each wing, travel with the wind, and can flip you upside down! The two-way traffic will assure plenty of opportunities to get caught in one of these. OTOH, the oncoming traffic and wingtip vortices may only be a problem on a very calm day. On many typical days of the year with moderate winds from the north-northwest, we may have to close the airport for landings and only allow takeoffs. Conversely, when the winds reverse due to weather, we will only allow landings and cancel all takeoffs. Perhaps this plan is not quite as simple as it first seemed. [1] Runways are numbered by their approximate compass heading divided by ten. A runway can be used in either direction depending on wind conditions, so it has two different designations that differ by 18, or 180 degrees. When an airport has parallel runways, they get an L or R suffix for left or right. So runway 30L and 12R are the same physical strip, at an approximate compass direction of 300 degrees if you are approaching from the southeast, or 120 degrees when approaching from the northwest. Similarly, the parallel strip is runway 30R and 12L. [2] SJC runway map: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/SJC_Airport_Diagram.svg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/SJC_Airp...

masonic 8y ago
So you approach from the north and take off to the north. are you unaware that both takeoffs and landings face into the prevailing wind direction?
- Stratoscope 8y ago

everdev 8y ago

I'd much rather fly out of SJC than SFO. SJC has a good number of domestic and international flights and the parking, pickup and security is much faster and easier to navigate. Also, you approach based on the wind.

masonic 8y ago

you can only approach SJC airport from the north, not the south This makes no sense to me. The prevailing winds are from the North, so except for storms and early mornings, standard approach is from the south.