Sansai air traffic

[senoremac]

I've noticed an increasing number of planes flying over the Nongjom-Sansai area over the past month. I've been here for years and the sighting of a plane was a rare occurrence.

Has anyone else noticed this, has the airport changed the outbound flight patterns or are there just new routes?

Just curious if anyone knows of a recent change with the aviation authority lately.

[worgeordie]

Yes they fly over my house,but its not a problem,theres a very late one

that sounds like its landing at about 12-1, did not know the airport had

arrivals/departures that late.

regards Worgeordie

[junglechef]

I've occasionally had military flights going over but if you have an iPhone there is a great fun app called Flightradar24 (i'm sure there are others too) that you point your phone at a plane and it shows all sorts of info incl tracking it's flight course, actual live speed and elevation etc. and tells you the airline, flight number, registration of that particular plane and even will show you a photo of that exact plane! It also shows all the air traffic in the world at that time. Anytime my kids see a plane flying overhead they rush to the phone to check it all out. Also there is some new flights to Chiang Rai so perhaps it could be these, I'll keep my phone handy and report back if I see one.

Edited June 17, 2013 by junglechef

[bamboozled]

I'm in Santitham and I've been thinking the same thing for the last year, too (hmmm one's flying over right now!). I don't remember thinking about airplanes much in the past but now it is often on my mind as they pass overhead so frequently and it is very loud. And yes, there is a late one after midnight... Something must have changed.

[senoremac]

Answer to my question was provided recently by a MOT official who informed me that flights in and out of CNX have been steadily increasing over the years to such a degree that they are making future plans to build a new int'l airport outside of the city and relegate the current one to domestic traffic. Much like the bkk-svb setup in Bangkok.

[ovenman]

Another difference I have noticed while flying is that planes departing CNX these days more often than not take off to the north whereas they used to take off mostly to the south. That accounts for an increase in air traffic to the north of the city.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Wait for all the China bound flights to really get going.. That's to the North.

Currently though the increase could be due to the overall increase of take-offs and landings. If you have planes coming in from the South to land then maybe it's easier/safer to let a departing plane take off to the North, which maybe preferable to waiting for the inbound plane to land, then take off to the South.

In many places wind is a big factor too that determines the preferred take-off and landing direction. Not sure that's as big a deal here, as wind is mostly moderate anyway.

Edited August 19, 2013 by WinnieTheKhwai

[wolf5370]

I get them flying directly over my house. Seems to me they are getting later and later - a year ago the last flight seemed to be around 10pm - now they are still arriving at 3am, which is a real pain! What flights land at that time <deleted>!

[Johpa]

Another difference I have noticed while flying is that planes departing CNX these days more often than not take off to the north whereas they used to take off mostly to the south. That accounts for an increase in air traffic to the north of the city.

I am no aviator, but I seem to recall that airlines prefer taking off and landing against the prevailing wind to increase lift. Thus the presence of windsocks and most airports.

[ovenman]

Another difference I have noticed while flying is that planes departing CNX these days more often than not take off to the north whereas they used to take off mostly to the south. That accounts for an increase in air traffic to the north of the city.

I am no aviator, but I seem to recall that airlines prefer taking off and landing against the prevailing wind to increase lift. Thus the presence of windsocks and most airports.

They do and that's why runways are generally aligned east-west but the position of Doi Suthep relative to the airport precludes that in Chiang Mai (the runway is north-south).

[trainman34014]

Answer to my question was provided recently by a MOT official who informed me that flights in and out of CNX have been steadily increasing over the years to such a degree that they are making future plans to build a new int'l airport outside of the city and relegate the current one to domestic traffic. Much like the bkk-svb setup in Bangkok.

The new airport has been mooted for some time now but truth is the existing one is still far from anywhere near saturation point, so i believe it will be a good few years yet before we see a new airport built. Could be ready about the same time as the High Speed Railway....the ultimate fairy tale !

[taotoo]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/570269-cnx-flight-paths-have-they-changed/?p=5491666

[Ricardo]

Perhaps bad-weather to the South, or over the airport, means some flights prefer to gain-height further to the North of town before turning and heading down to BKK ?

The new airport has been mooted for a decade or more, meanwhile they already doubled the size of the terminals & extended the runway, but it's still relatively-quiet ( a few million pax p.a.) so it should be able to handle several-times the current traffic if need be, before a second runway prompts the building of a complete new airport.

Then again, perhaps influential-people have brought the land already, and can over-ride logic about when a new airport is to be built ?

[MESmith]

Perhaps bad-weather to the South, or over the airport, means some flights prefer to gain-height further to the North of town before turning and heading down to BKK ?

The new airport has been mooted for a decade or more, meanwhile they already doubled the size of the terminals & extended the runway, but it's still relatively-quiet ( a few million pax p.a.) so it should be able to handle several-times the current traffic if need be, before a second runway prompts the building of a complete new airport.

Then again, perhaps influential-people have brought the land already, and can over-ride logic about when a new airport is to be built ?

With the rate of development on the eastern side of the valley, I doubt whether there is space to build a bigger airport without compulsory purchase of villages.

[MESmith]

They do and that's why runways are generally aligned east-west but the position of Doi Suthep relative to the airport precludes that in Chiang Mai (the runway is north-south).

Prevailing winds here are either from south or north. East-west runway here would not be advisable I would have thought.