Quick Links More to it than you might think The significance of the Earth's magnetic pole to aviation Runway numbers and their use by the FAA Understanding airfield design and its contribution to runway layouts What if an airport has more than two runways? How are they differentiated? Pilots can see large numbers at the end of the runways when a plane comes to land. Do you know what they mean and how they are essential for pilots? More importantly, why would airports be changing these numbers? Airports worldwide need to change the numbers on runways due to the earth's magnetic field moving around 37 miles (60 kilometers) each year. More to it than you might think The earth's magnetic field moves approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) yearly, and if this affects an airport, international regulations require the runway numbers to be changed.
In international aviation, airports designate their runways with numbers to ensure that pilots approaching from various directions can follow the same logic. Large numbers are painted at each end of the runways and shown in the side panels. These numbers are used in communication with air traffic control and other international databases.
The numbers are based on the runway's magnetic bearing, which indicates its position in relation to the earth's magnetic pole. The Earth's magnetic pole and its discovery In 1831, a British explorer, Sir James Clark Ross, discovered the magnetic pole in northern Canada, which was around 1,000 miles (1,609 .
