About RunwayFacts
RunwayFacts is an independent technical aviation reference platform and aerodrome data analysis project. Our mission is to provide aviation researchers, aerospace professionals, flight simulation enthusiasts, and travelers with transparent, structured, and auditable physical aerodrome specifications worldwide.
Our Origin & Philosophy
Aviation data is frequently scattered across dense governmental registers, proprietary systems, and inconsistent aeronautical information publications (AIPs). Comparing runway lengths, true elevation baselines, surface pavement classifications, and regional diversion thresholds often requires cross-referencing multiple disparate registries.
RunwayFacts was created to solve this fragmentation by normalizing global aerodrome metrics into a unified schema, applying DuckDB-powered verification transformations, and computing reproducible percentile rankings.
Data Lineage & Authoritative Sources
We strictly prioritize provenance and auditability. The physical aerodrome dimensions, coordinates, and runway inventories on RunwayFacts are derived from:
- OurAirports Open Aviation Registry: Community-curated, public domain (CC0) global airport and runway database, snapshot locked on 2026-09-01.
- FAA / ICAO Standards: Aeronautical classification criteria, surface pavement terminology, and standard airport identifiers (IATA and ICAO designators).
- Haversine Spatial Algorithms: Mathematical calculations for nearby diversion alternatives and regional runway density within a 100 NM radius.
Detailed transformation logic, cryptographic SHA-256 integrity checksums, and dataset ranking universes are documented in our Methodology & Verification Protocol.
Operational Notice & Disclaimer
RunwayFacts is intended strictly for informational, educational, and statistical research purposes. While we enforce automated checksums and validation gates, our data is never to be used for active flight planning, real-time aircraft navigation, or air traffic control operations. Pilots and flight dispatchers must always consult official Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP) and current NOTAMs issued by state aviation authorities.