# Intersecting runways?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intersecting-runways/330893>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 13, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intersecting-runways/330893 "2005-11-13T21:59:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intersecting-runways/330893/21 "2005-11-15T07:24:02Z")

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Oh yeah… what 141 said…

Also at some of the more interesting mountain runways, you land uphill and take off downhill period dot.

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**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intersecting-runways/330893/22 "2005-11-15T09:58:57Z")

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It’s true LAX has parallel runways, therefore no crossover conflict – but in the Valley, [Bob Hope Airport](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=bob+hope+airport&ll=34.202077,-118.354511&spn=0.016118,0.041096&t=k&hl=en) (formerly known as Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena Airport) has two intersecting runways. The N/S runway is mostly used for takeoffs, although planes do land on it sometimes. Most landings are on the E/W runway, always from the west. (Planes can’t land from the east, or take off in that direction, because there’s some bloody tall mountains just a couple miles away!)

Some years ago a Southwest plane landed too fast and ran off the end of the runway, crossing a busy road and missing a gas station by ten feet. Witnesses said it looked like a bad action movie. 🙂

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**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intersecting-runways/330893/23 "2005-11-16T00:36:53Z")

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> [@caligynephobia](#):
>
> To amplify, LAHSO (land and hold short operations) allow airports to use intersecting runways to increase traffic capacity and facilitate air traffic using runways that are convenient for traffic arrival/departure. A pilot cannot be forced to accept a LAHSO clearance, so if he or she wants to use the entire length of a runway to land, and that runway intersects with another active runway, the controller will have to find a way to accomodate this (pilot must of course let the controller know, preferably early).

The overall term for this type of situation is known as SIRO (pronounced “cy-rho”). It stands for (S)imultanious (I)ntersecting (R)unway (O)perations. Or at least it is here in Canada.

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