I have come across situations on VATSIM where there are conflicts when selecting departure runways at major airports when there are no controllers of any type available (or ATIS). For example, one pilot selects runway 7 and someone else runway 25…clearly a conflict. So here is a question.
Let’s say that weather and wind conditions are not a factor. What is the protocol for selecting a departure runway ?
Thanks
You coordinate with the other person to figure out a solution that works for both of you.
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Using local time to determine active runway gives no meaning. As pilots we do not fly according to actual time, as most flights then would be night operations - people do have jobs in day time and fly mostly in the evenings. On top of that we live in different time zones and thus have different times. We could use actual local time for the decitions, but then we might experience closure of the airport. Not every airport, not even larger ones, are open 24/7. If the airport is closed, there is no guideance as to which runways to use and you’re back to square one.
So this is a really good reason as to why you need to be on the correct CTAF - you need to talk to other pilots. Otherwise you might as well fly off line.
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The question was what to do if an airport was uncontrolled, so no need to call the controller with a request like the one you mention.
Pilots might swap runways at 1500lt, but nowhere in the CoC is mentioned a requirement to use local time for determining which runway to use - it is entirely up to the pilot. And that’s why communication is important - along with looking what other pilots in the area do. In other examples this is even more important that at EGLL you use in your example. Try Salzburg, where mountains put many contrains on the traffic and it is very common to land at rwy 15 and takeoff from rwy 33 - that really makes it important to communicate, not just in the air but also on the ground, where communication as to which taxiway to use needs coordination between pilots.
Do not use a controlled scenario when the question was asked for uncontrolled airports.
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I’m sorry - I think it is you , who is worked up. Would you please look at the headline of the topic: Runway Selection at Uncontrolled Airports
You ask me: Are you going to call the controller and say, sorry mate we are in day time in our sim can we get the day time config? NO naturally I would NOT. It’s for the atc to determine runway in use.
The advise you give is fine, but the reason I react is, that communication and situational awareness are much more important than anything else. A timetable of runway usage can be used (local procedure), but we’re in a simulated world, where the only setting common to all of us it (or should be) is the weather. But even here there might be issue on synchronizing the update, which might effect wind direction and thus rwy usage.
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Hello Zachary,
On the network an unmanned locations where wind direction may present ambiguity over which departure or landing runway to select, the best practice is to ensure you communicate your intentions on the advisory clearly, and observe other traffic on the ground and on approach. Short of knowing the specific real world procedures which may apply at the airport, you may find it useful to replicate what’s happening on Flightradar24. Also bear in mind that even in the real world bi directional landings and departures do occur depending on aircraft type, their destination and of course wind component. Hope that helps 
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It helps and this is kind of what I thought would be the answer but posted anyway in case there is some protocol of which I am unaware. When planning a takeoff, it seems to me that I am more focused on the common factor you mention, the weather, than some of my fellow pilots. In a recent flight, I selected a runway with headwinds and minimal cross winds, while at least two other aircraft were in the taxi/takeoff phase for runways with tail winds and some significant cross winds, and then one of them told me I was on the “wrong runway”.
It seems to me that the most practical and safest approach is to listen to what others are doing and join the flow as you and Torben suggest. Best practices for selecting a runway is secondary unless of course an incorrect runway selection presents a serious risk (the Salzburg example in Torben’s response).
Many thanks to you and Torben
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Oftentimes in the text pages of the airport charts (often not present in chartfox charts, but available with navigraph or also the msfs planner) have information on preferential runway configs dependant on the wind and most often for busy airports looking at flightradar is a good ressource, but as the others here have already said: on advisory there is no “wrong runway” as it is your decision