Preferred Runways in Brazil

Hello, I hope you’re all well!

I believe that every airport in the world has a preferred runway, that is, the runway that best suits operations when ATC has the option to choose one or the other due to weather conditions (VRB or calm winds, for example). This is no different in Brazil.

However, I notice that in certain circumstances, with calm or variable winds, Simbrief sometimes indicates the non-preferred runway, resulting in the following: those familiar with the area go to the correct runway. Those unfamiliar with the area (or newbies) go to the runway Simbrief indicated. This causes conflicts in the online networks when ATC (VATSIM) is not available, and it certainly increases traffic taxi times, potentially sending them onto more complicated approaches with fewer resources for no apparent reason.

For this reason, I’d like to help you by informing you of the preferred runway for Brazil’s main airports. This way, when the wind is variable (VRB) or calm (00000KT), this should be the runway in use indicated:

SBGR: 10L for takeoff, 10R for landings

SBSP: 17R for takeoffs and landings (PER/A and PER/B aircraft use 17L)

SBKP: 15 for takeoffs and landings

SBGL: 10 for takeoff, 15 for landings

SBRJ: 20L for takeoffs and landings (20R-02L is being used for taxi)

SBCF: 16 for takeoffs and landings

SBBR: 11R and 11L for takeoffs and landings

SBCT: 15 for takeoffs and landings

SBFL: 14 for takeoffs and landings

SBPA: 11 for takeoffs and landings

SBVT: 02 for takeoffs and landings

SBSV: 10 for takeoffs and landings

This means the following: in Brasília (SBBR), for example, with calm (00000KT) or variable (VRB) wind, Simbrief must indicate 11R/11L for takeoff/landing instead of 29L/29R.

There are a few other factors, for example: at Guarulhos (SBGR) and Galeão (SBGL), because they have long runways, operations only switch to the opposite runway in the event of a strong tailwind (considering dry runway), typically exceeding 7 knots (and this can be even higher at SBGL due to the nearby SBRJ airport, which causes conflicts). For example: it’s common to have a dry runway with wind 280 degrees with 5 knots at SBGR and have RWY 10L/R in use. I don’t know if there’s a way to configure this parameter. If so, I can provide them for you based on real life AIP.

Best regards!

Hi, I have made the changes. Currently I have set the max tailwind values as follows, let me know if any need to be adjusted.

Airport Takeoff Runway Landing Runway Max Tailwind
SBBR 11R,11L 11R,11L 5
SBCF 16 16 7
SBCT 15 15 5
SBFL 14 14 5
SBGL 10 15 6
SBGR 10L 10R 6
SBSP 17R 17R 5
SBKP 15 15 7
SBPA 11 11 5
SBRJ 20L 20L 5
SBSV 10 10 5
SBVT 02 02 5

Best regards,

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Hello Derek! Thanks a lot for that!

About the maximum tailwind components:

SBRJ and SBSP are airports with extremely short runways, forcing aircraft like the B737 and A320 to operate at their limits. For this reason, these airports do not operate with any tailwind component. They only operate with a headwind. If the wind is calm (00000KT) or variable (VRB), the runways in use will be the preferred ones: 17R (SBSP) and 20L (SBRJ).

Regarding other airports and their maximum tailwind component allowed to operate the preferred runway (considering dry runway - without any “RA” on the METAR):

SBGR: maximum 6 kts for runway 10L/R

SBKP: maximum 7kts for runway 15

SBSP: 0 kts

SBGL: maximum 7kts for runway 10 (takeoff) and 15 (landing)

SBRJ: 0 kts

SBBR: maximum 7kts for runway 11L/R

SBCF: maximum 7kts for runway 16

SBCT: maximum 7kts for runway 15

If the runway is wet, the runway with a headwind component should be used, even if it is not the preferred runway (I don’t know if you can configure this, but it would be interesting).

For other airports such as SBSV, SBPA, SBVT and SBFL, there is no maximum tailwind limit specified for operation, although the preferred runways for these airports are clear and specified in the AIP. My suggestion is to leave 0 knots of tailwind at these airports as well.

There are other important airports with a defined preferred runway (in case or VRB or 00000KT), if you want to add them (these also do not have a maximum tailwind limit specified in the AIP, I recommend leaving it at 0kts):

SBPS: 10

SBRF: 18

SBFZ: 13

SBJP: 16

SBSG: 12

SBBE: 07

SBEG: 11

SBPJ: 14

SBGO: 14

SBFI: 14

Thanks in advance and best regards!

Hi, I have made updates based on the provided info.

Thanks!

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Thank you very much, Derek!

A question about Simbrief’s logic: since aircraft fly relative to magnetic north and the METAR wind direction is relative to true north, does Simbrief take magnetic declination of each country into account when determining the runway in use? Or only the standard wind direction indicated by the METAR (relative to true north)?

–Edit–

I have just noticed that when creating a flight plan to SBVT, Simbrief is by default indicating RWY 24 in use. SBVT operations occur primarily on runways 02-20. Runways 06-24 are only used when 02-20 is closed. Therefore, runway 20 must have priority over runway 24 and runway 02 must have priority over 06.

Best regards!

It’s because you had exceeded the tailwind for 02, so it reverted to all runways. I have now removed 06/24 even for tailwind situations.

We already have the true course of each runway in the database, so we use that to calculate the tailwind/crosswind components from the METAR true winds.

Best regards,

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That’s amazing! Thank you for your help and kindness as always, Derek!

Best regards!

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Hey Derek, how are you?

I have just noticed that when creating a flight plan from/to SBFL, Simbrief is by default indicating RWY 14 in use even with tailwind. I recommend leaving the maximum tailwind at 0kts (just like in SBSP and SBRJ) for airports like SBFL, SBPA, SBVT, SBPS, SBSV, SBFZ, SBJP, SBEG, SBGO and SBFI because there’s nothing on the AIP Brazil that indicates a maximum tailwind to operate at these airports. For example, IRL right now, SBFL is with RWY32 in use because of these 5kts:

Just to confirm: SBFL only operates RWY 14/32. RWY03/21 is not used.

Best regards!

Should be fixed now.

Best regards,

Hey Derek! Thanks for your support.

I checked now and it’s still not working. Do you have any idea?

In real life they are using RWY 32 also:

Because of that, I don’t think this is working at other airports either: I recommend leaving the maximum tailwind at 0kts (just like in SBSP and SBRJ) for airports like SBFL, SBPA, SBVT, SBPS, SBSV, SBFZ, SBJP, SBEG, SBRF, SBFZ, SBGO and SBFI because there’s nothing on the AIP Brazil that indicates a maximum tailwind to operate at these airports.

Best regards!

Hi again,

Luckily I was able to grab a screenshot from my phone shortly after you posted so I was able to see why this was happening:

If a controller is online for the airport in question (in this case SBFL) on VATSIM/IVAO/PilotEdge, or if a real-world ATIS is available (US airports only), SimBrief will use the runways on the ATIS.

The logic of course is that SimBrief’s info is incomplete for most airports, and it is assumed that an online controller has better knowledge of which runways are correct given the current weather and time.

When you posted earlier, there was an ATIS available on the IVAO network. See screenshot below:

I can’t speculate on why this controller chose runway 14 with the tailwind, but in this case the system worked as designed:

  • If an ATIS is online, SimBrief uses the runways from the ATIS (assuming the planned departure time is within a few hours from now).
  • If there is no ATIS, it reverts to the preferential runways and tailwind values we have programmed based on your info (based on METAR winds if departing soon, or the forecast TAF winds if departing many hours from now).

If you see some runway mismatches in the future, try clicking the cloud icon to bring up the full weather details and check if there are any current ATIS in there.

Hope this helps,

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Didn’t know of that. Nice feature to be honest.

Best regards and thank you again!

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