Find the active runway?

[Will]

In our new world of limitless access to data, someone should create an app or a widget that would let you enter the runway of your choice (KORD, VTCC, PHNL, VHHH, etc.) and then instantly give you the real-world runway that is currently in use.

I'm flying with RealTraffic every time now, and so I want to know what runway the real aircraft are using when I get to my destination.

I solve this problem by navigating to FlightRadar24 and seeing what's happening at the destination. This is a perfectly useful solution, but it's clicky... a click to favorites on the browser, a click to FlightRadar24, switch to the keyboard to enter the airport, click on search, click on Show on Map, and then you have your answer. That's a lot of clicks.

Note that it doesn't help to just know what the winds are, because sometimes all the real-world traffic is landing with a 5 kt tailwind for reasons of ATC operations.

Is there anything simpler than my FlightRadar24 solution?

[admin]

This should be doable using the API scripts and a moderate to low amount of program logic. It's harder to do this on a global scale for every airport though, but I can look into it.

With the API scripts, you'd retrieve the traffic for the airport of interest, filter out any traffic that's descending and say 1000ft above ground, and match the aircraft track to all known runways, and you would be able to deduce which runway is currently in use. Would take a little more logic for airports that have L/R/C runways.

I don't have enough hours in the day to write that at the moment, but perhaps somebody else feels up to the challenge?

[admin]

I've gone ahead an implemented this today as a python script. I'll send a newsletter in a bit with details.

Meanwhile, you can download the script as part of the RT API scripts available here: https://www.flyrealtraffic.com/RTAPI.zip
For those of you on windows, you'll need a python runtime installed, and then run the script from the command line:

Code: Select all

python3 API_active_runways.py -a EHAM

This starts tracking Amsterdam Schipol (EHAM) and will give you visibility of which runways are in use, with a summary of how many approaches were detected to each runway over the last 30 minutes, along with the head and cross wind components for each runway based on the current METAR.

See the screenshots below:

Screen Shot 2024-12-08 at 20.49.07 .png (260.95 KiB) Viewed 372 times

Screen Shot 2024-12-08 at 20.49.15 .png (135.71 KiB) Viewed 372 times

[Will]

I have never used Python before, so please excuse the beginner's question. I downloaded and installed Python 3 from the Microsoft store, and now checking versions I get this: Python version 3.13.1, and pip version 24.3.1.

But when I put "python3 API_active_runway.py -a EHAM" into the command line (without the quotes, obviously), I get this error:

C:\Users\will\RTAPI>python3 API_active_runway.py -a EHAM
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\will\RTAPI\API_active_runway.py", line 2, in <module>
import requests
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'requests'

Any thoughts?

[admin]

On that same command line type “pip install requests” and bobs you’re uncle.

[Will]

Got it running, thanks!

My output looks a little different than yours, just FYI:

Runway Analysis:
RWY HDG(T) HDG(M) Headwind Crosswind Approaches (30min)
--------------------------------------------------
←[31mRW04L 039° 042° -1.0 +5.9 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW04R 041° 044° -1.2 +5.9 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW09C 090° 093° -5.2 +3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW09L 090° 093° -5.2 +3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW09R 090° 093° -5.2 +3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW10C 090° 093° -5.2 +3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW10L 090° 093° -5.2 +3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[31mRW10R 090° 093° -5.2 +3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW22L 221° 224° +1.2 -5.9 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW22R 219° 222° +1.0 -5.9 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW27C 270° 273° +5.2 -3.0 2 (2 active: FDX3877,UAL1898)←[0m
←[0mRW27L 270° 273° +5.2 -3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW27R 270° 273° +5.2 -3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW28C 270° 273° +5.2 -3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW28L 270° 273° +5.2 -3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
←[0mRW28R 270° 273° +5.2 -3.0 0 (0 active: )←[0m
Traffic time: 2024-12-13 03:00:51 UTC

[admin]

Oh that's ugly, sorry!
Are you on windows 10 or 11? looks like it should on my windows 11 vm.

[Will]

I'm using Windows 10 here.

I didn't post this originally in the "feature request" section because I thought it was too far outside the scope of RealTraffic, and now I'm amazed that you put it together so fast. Thanks!

Now I will be bold and submit a real feature request: On the RealTraffic GUI, it would be great to just automatically display the active runway, for both departure and destination, without even having to request it. That would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks for considering it!

[admin]

Taking it on board, added to the feature requests.