Number of runways

Carrier decks were narrower than runways generally (I'm thinking of the escort carriers on convoy duty - perhaps?). When I have time, I'll have a shuftie through what little I have from Air Britain - might be a Ray Sturtivant article which refers to this.

Chris

May also be that the FAA did not routinely operate 4 engined types and simply had no need for a "normal" runway. I am by no means an expert so expect to burst into flames at my lack of knowledge on this subject

Don't worry about it kebecker - I'm in the same position mate!!

I hadn't considered the aircraft sizes operated by the FAA.

Chris

Everyone has raced down the FAA path on this one, Portreath and Predannack were both built as RAF airfields!
Also some FAA stations have three runways, including their premier stations Yeovilton and Culdrose.
I don't buy the pilots being used to carrier ops as to the reason of multitude runway direction and width either, I have spoken to many FAA pilots and never heard that mentioned. I do accept the more runways you can build into a certain space the better for all conditions landings. The Navy simply did things differently, look at their larger towers.

including their premier stations Yeovilton ..

Look closely at the VL image on Google - I can see at least 4 different runways - 2 of which are out of use .

If you search on PPrune there is in fact a thread about this where it is stated that the reasoning is because of the carrier landing into wind thginhg... found it late last night and should have saved it but didn't- sorry!

You're quite right, my bad, VL did have four runways.
My point though is that Predannack and Portreath were and are RAF stations!

Predannack and Portreath were and are RAF stations!

AFAIK Predannack is now administered by the Navy (since 1958) ? - no ideas about Portreath.

Perhaps someone who has a plan of Predannack as built can tell us if all 4 runways were there at the beginning.... 13/31 looks like it just might be later addition (Purely idle speculation after looking at GE)

I'm pretty sure Predannack is as it was built. I thought it was RAF owned (and used by RAF SERE and gliders), but ATC and satellite use by Navy. I know when ever I have visited the site it was by RAF grant.
Not withstanding, it was built and first used by RAF. Initial question of why some RAF airfields have more than three runways needs to be answered.

As far as I can fathom out they were both planned and built for RAF use, one for Fighter use the other for Ferry Command.