AN ACR CAPT IS CONCERNED THAT RWY 12R AT HOU IS NOW TOO SHORT; DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF A DISPLACED THRESHOLD SOME TIME IN THE LATE 80'S OR EARLY 90'S.

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HOUSTON HOBBY ARPT RWY 12R HAS A 1000 FT DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR LNDG; WHY? TO ME; IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE THRESHOLD NEEDS TO BE DISPLACED. I HAVE ASKED HOU TWR A COUPLE TIMES WHY. THEY DON'T KNOW WHY. I HAVE BEEN AT THIS COMPANY 22 YRS AND WHEN I FIRST STARTED FLYING HERE; IT WAS NOT DISPLACED 1000 FT. I BELIEVE IT WAS CHANGED IN THE LATE 80'S OR EARLY 90'S. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AREA LEADING UP TO THE APCH END OF RWY 12R; THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS; CERTAINLY NONE ANY CLOSER THAN MDW OR SAN. I WAS TOLD THERE ARE 2 THINGS THAT ARE NO GOOD TO A PLT; RWY BEHIND YOU AND SKY ABOVE YOU. HOUSTON'S RWY 12R ONLY HAS 5612 FT OF RWY AFTER GS TOUCHDOWN. OUR NEW PROCS CALL FOR NO DUCKING BELOW THE GS; WHICH MOST PLTS; I THINK; DO ON RWY 12R. BY DISPLACING THE THRESHOLD ON RWY 12R; THE RWY IS ABOUT AS SHORT AS MDW. I FEEL THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR GOING OFF THE END OF RWY 12R IF YOU ARE HVY; THE RWY IS WET; AND ONE LANDS A LITTLE LONG. (OUR PROCS CALL FOR A TOUCHDOWN 1000-1500 FT FROM THE RWY END AND I SEE MANY PLTS LAND MUCH LONGER THAN THAT.) COULD YOU PLEASE FIND OUT WHY HOUSTON'S RWY 12R IS DISPLACED 1000 FT? IF IT IS BECAUSE OF AN OBSTACLE; WHY NOT REMOVE IT? AND PLEASE GIVE US THE ENTIRE RWY BACK!