JIA runways get makeover thanks to magnetic pull

The runways at the Jacksonville International Airport are getting a new look thanks to the magnetic pull of the Earth.

The runways are numbered based on their compass degree. Runway number 32 for example, means 320 degrees.

The old number 31 was first painted when the airport opened in 1965.

The magnetic pull of the earth means the runway is now at about 316 degrees, so JIA is rounding that number up to 32.

"One of the ways you know you're going to the right airport and the right runway is to look down and see the number," says JIA operations Manager Terry Dlugos.

The two runways at JIA are getting the numbers at a cost of $20,000

JIA says the magnetic pull changes one degree every five years.

Source: http://bit.ly/trl6mu 

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