Anothergreatmystery of air travel is solved.
There’s a fascinating explanation for those giant numbers and letters you see on the ends of airport runways: They provide some very handy direction for pilots, as explained in the video above from Business Insider.
The numbers are always between 1 and 36, and the difference between the numbers on either end of the same runway is almost always 18. Sometimes, they’re followed by a letter with a meaning all its own, and sometimes, they change based on the earth’s magnetic north.
Watch above for the riveting rundown.
