You may have noticed the large painted numbers (or alphanumeric in some cases) on either end of the runways. Have you ever wondered what those represent and why there are a maximum of two numbers ...

Runway numbers are determined by the magnetic azimuth of the runway centerline, rounded to the nearest tenth, based on the World Magnetic Model (WMM). The Earth's magnetic field constantly shifts due ...

Runway numbers indicate magnetic heading (e.g., Runway 16 is 160 degrees magnetic) and can change due to Earth's magnetic field shifts. Runways are crowned for drainage and inspected daily for foreign ...

Magnetic north is always on the move. That caused the Rochester International Airport runway this week to blast off its painted name of Runway 2/20 to replace it with a new designation. Andrew Lyman, ...