I agree with Mauri McGreal (Flight International, 1-7 January), on the subject of captains accepting runways as dictated by air traffic control, who are forced to base decisions on political requirements.
Sydney is a classic case, where runways with cross-wind and tailwind components are routinely advised, purely for the political expedient of "noise sharing".
It has been often written that most of the noise sensitive areas surrounding airports arrived after the airport. Councils should be required to place a caveat in the deeds reflecting that these are noisy areas and a would-be purchaser acknowledge or accepts this without any right of redress.
I routinely refuse the instruction that crosswind/tailwind landing is required at Sydney when there is a serviceable into-wind alternative. It is not good enough to say both we and the aircraft are capable of operating in these conditions and is not best practice.
We, as aircraft commanders, must always be the final arbiters of what is acceptable in any circumstance that has the potential to affect the passengers and crew for whom we are responsible.
Captain M Collins,
Sydney, Australia
Source: Flight International
