1- It is strange as it would be a very interesting addition. We understand that you aren't too much interested in it maybe because of technical reasons but if you want we help you with our own flight number database experience.
Thanks for the offer, but I don't need any help with flight routings :-)
2- Tks. Is there a departure only page (like the arrivals page)?
Not at present.
The database certainly does log departures in real time - in fact it's currently configured to send selected users an SMS/text message as soon as an interesting aircraft gets airborne. But the main flights table (which currently has just under 8.9 million records) has a default index on last transmission time, which is great for getting arrivals in order but not so good for sequencing departures. One day I'll get around to adding the required extra index.
3- "One is to monitor what runway is being used by other landing and departing traffic, which often will tell you the runway that must have been used."
Wouldn't work as sometimes the T/O runway could be used for landings, as an exception due to traffic.
Now you really should know better than to tell me what does and doesn't work :-)
I'm well aware of how TEAM (Tactically Enhanced Arrivals Mode) works at Heathrow, where the designated departure runway is sometimes used for arrivals. But:
a) this only happens at certain, strictly limited times of day (full "mixed-mode" is prohibited at Heathrow)
b) an aircraft won't be landing on the same runway as another is taking off from at the same time :-)
c) landings on the two runways are never simultaneous, for separation reasons - they are always staggered
"Another strategy, which works if an arriving aircraft is held at any of the 4 stacks, is to work out the position offset by detecting the start of the outbound turn (i.e. overhead the VOR)."
Couldn't work too as flight could be vectored without flying over the VOR...
There you go again :-) I didn't say it works for all flights, only those that actually fly the holding pattern.
