Topic: Unknown airport tools & efficient airport design

[Fraoch]

Hello:
 
 In pak128, there are a few airport tools which don't seem to be documented and which I don't understand.  What do these do and why do you use them?
 
 - ALSF-2 DT stop
 
 - PAPI stop
 
 - wingbar-r stop
 
 - "+" runway tool (the icon seems to want to cross two runways but I can't get it to work)
 
 Attached is a screenshot of my current large hub airport.  There are multiple flights serving this airport, some with as many as 7 aircraft per flight.  I've attempted to have each flight use a separate stop wherever possible, with some spare stops as well.  Although this means I've never run out of stops, I definitely run out of runways, with aircraft circling in the air (as you see here) and queueing up to takeoff.
 
 Is there a more efficient way to place runways?  Would these special stops and runways listed above help?
 
 Thank you.
 

[DirrrtyDirk]

These airport tools are just eye candy (although most of them count as extension buildings for the airport stop, enhancing capacity, but nothing more. No hidden special functions, I'm afraid.) They only allow you to build an airport with all the correct lights and markings, just like in real life.

See this demo game here. (Saved with nightly version 111.3.1 r5836). To see the effects better, make sure you switch to night mode (the *-key on your numeric pad toggles day and night view manually, independent of the time of day in game)

Edit: Oh, and the cursor shows you where these items need to be placed correctly.

[Fraoch]

Aha.  That does look very cool at night!

Thanks for the demo file.

[longbowman]

Personally, I find the best way to design airports is to make each different terminal its own station, and to connect each terminal with buses/trams. This allows for extremely large regional airports with 3-7 terminals. Having different terminals is also useful for balancing incoming air traffic from connected airports

[benjad]

 

Attached is a screenshot of my current large hub airport.  There are multiple flights serving this airport, some with as many as 7 aircraft per flight.  I've attempted to have each flight use a separate stop wherever possible, with some spare stops as well. 

Aircraft use the 'available platform' method of picking a loading spot.  So, spreading the scheduled stops around won't do much good.  The aircraft will still pick the closest stop available to the landing point.

Although this means I've never run out of stops, I definitely run out of runways, with aircraft circling in the air (as you see here) and queueing up to takeoff.

Even though you have 3 runways, only one will be used.  The one with the shortest distance (the one closest to the gates).  Remove the center runway.  Also, move the hangar somewhere else.  Then, use one way signs to permit landing only on one runway, and take-off only on another run way.  (Watch how planes land and take off to choose which runway to arrive/depart at).
This way, both runways will be used.

[Masu]

I make a tutorial in spanish in youtube for airports with multiple runways and all functionals.

You can translate with subtitles in english with youtube options.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhCRMpsemPU#t=7m30s

[dom700]

Even though you have 3 runways, only one will be used.  The one with the shortest distance (the one closest to the gates).  Remove the center runway.  Also, move the hangar somewhere else.  Then, use one way signs to permit landing only on one runway, and take-off only on another run way.  (Watch how planes land and take off to choose which runway to arrive/depart at).
This way, both runways will be used.

This isnt correct. The plane chooses the runway closest to its destination (stop). This means you can actually have an airport with many runways and use them.

[benjad]

Cool, I never noticed that behavior.  Going to have to try a few different things now.

[scud47]

I also find it useful to only allow planes to take off from a longer runway while only letting them land on shorter runways; it helps to avoid unsightly and expensive holding patterns.