Extreme Runways

Yes, I think this is the one where you come in over a road in one direction.
There was a great picture of a plane landing, with vehicles on the road.
The link to the picture was posted here a while ago. It was just amazing.


"JohnMcGrew" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Scott Lowrey) writes:

Anybody have experience with truly bizarre runways (not including
carriers)?

St Barts, in the Carribean. The approach has you aiming about 50 feet agl
through a "saddle". (hills on both sides of you as you decend) After
crossing
to the other side, you dive to where you pick up the approach end of the
runway, with about 5%+ downslope. The usable part of the runway is less
than
2500 feet. Kill the lift asap, and hit the brakes. (The ****ters I
watched
there have the props in flat-pitch even before the wheels are on the
ground)
Departure is almost as interesting; taxi to the uphill side, and zip on
down
the hill. At the other end of the runway is a beach. After you're over
water,
you immediately turn left while climbing to avoid the raising terrain on
the
other side of the cove. As a reminder of the cost of failure here,
there's a
pile of about a half-dozen wrecks litterally stacked one on top of the
other.
(as usuable space is limited)

John

In article ,
"Les Gawlik" wrote:

Yes, I think this is the one where you come in over a road in one direction.
There was a great picture of a plane landing, with vehicles on the road.
The link to the picture was posted here a while ago. It was just amazing.


"JohnMcGrew" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Scott Lowrey) writes:

Anybody have experience with truly bizarre runways (not including
carriers)?

St Barts, in the Carribean. The approach has you aiming about 50 feet agl
through a "saddle". (hills on both sides of you as you decend) After
crossing
to the other side, you dive to where you pick up the approach end of the
runway, with about 5%+ downslope. The usable part of the runway is less
than
2500 feet. Kill the lift asap, and hit the brakes. (The ****ters I
watched
there have the props in flat-pitch even before the wheels are on the
ground)
Departure is almost as interesting; taxi to the uphill side, and zip on
down
the hill. At the other end of the runway is a beach. After you're over
water,
you immediately turn left while climbing to avoid the raising terrain on
the
other side of the cove. As a reminder of the cost of failure here,
there's a
pile of about a half-dozen wrecks litterally stacked one on top of the
other.
(as usuable space is limited)


I've visited St Barts (although I did not fly in) and can verify the
above. The approach is just ovet a prime intersection for the island,
with the planes 30 feet overhead.

I think that it would be especially dicey with a crosswind, as the
runway sits in a box canyon.

"Orval Fairbairn" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"Les Gawlik" wrote:

Yes, I think this is the one where you come in over a road in one
direction.
There was a great picture of a plane landing, with vehicles on the road.
The link to the picture was posted here a while ago. It was just
amazing.


"JohnMcGrew" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Scott Lowrey) writes:

Anybody have experience with truly bizarre runways (not including
carriers)?

St Barts, in the Carribean. The approach has you aiming about 50 feet
agl
through a "saddle". (hills on both sides of you as you decend) After
crossing
to the other side, you dive to where you pick up the approach end of
the
runway, with about 5%+ downslope. The usable part of the runway is
less
than
2500 feet. Kill the lift asap, and hit the brakes. (The ****ters I
watched
there have the props in flat-pitch even before the wheels are on the
ground)
Departure is almost as interesting; taxi to the uphill side, and zip
on
down
the hill. At the other end of the runway is a beach. After you're
over
water,
you immediately turn left while climbing to avoid the raising terrain
on
the
other side of the cove. As a reminder of the cost of failure here,
there's a
pile of about a half-dozen wrecks litterally stacked one on top of the
other.
(as usuable space is limited)


I've visited St Barts (although I did not fly in) and can verify the
above. The approach is just ovet a prime intersection for the island,
with the planes 30 feet overhead.

I think that it would be especially dicey with a crosswind, as the
runway sits in a box canyon.

The ultimate for tricky approaches, at least for the big iron, might be
Quito Ecuador. In a curved canyon, high steep sides, around 11,000 feet
elevation, and RIGHT in the middle of a city of 2 million. I heard you have
to serve as 1st officer for 1 year, flying in and out regularly, before they
will let you captain there. (at least for 1 Latin major)
--
Jim in NC

In article
, Orval
Fairbairn writes:

I think that it would be especially dicey with a crosswind, as the
runway sits in a box canyon.

The wind there is pretty constant, and except during extreme weather. The wind
is usually funnelled up the saddle.

John

In article , "Les Gawlik"
writes:

Yes, I think this is the one where you come in over a road in one direction.
There was a great picture of a plane landing, with vehicles on the road.
The link to the picture was posted here a while ago. It was just amazing.

Yes, I took one like that. What I missed out on was on a picture of me
standing in the middle of the saddle with my arms reached up appearing to touch
the gear of the approaching planes. It's rather a thrill standing there
watching the planes dive at you, and then pass over your head at less than 30
feet! You feel like you could jump up and spin their wheels.

John