Extreme Airports

[hawkeye52]

This coming Tuesday (July 20) the History Channel will air “Extreme Airports”. I do not know their criteria for “extreme”, but considering the trailer shows St. Maartin’s Princess Juliana, I’m wondering if “extreme” includes the experience of onlookers. The trailer also shows St. Barth’s, so they got that one right.

I have compiled a list of about 15 commercial airports based on difficulty-of-approach due to terrain and/or “resident” meteorological conditions; or provision of little or no overrun.

It would be interesting for us at SOH to compile a list of “extreme airports” and compare it to what the media-folk consider extreme.

Which are your candidates?

- H52

[Tom Clayton]

TNCS is even harder to get into than St. Barthelemy. If I remember right, it's closed to all traffic except specially certified crews because it's so short.

Others...
Lukla, stock or addon
Courchevel
Sion (not so much dangerous, but very scenic with a good Alps mesh installed)

I'll probably think of more later...

[Hurricane91]

VNST Simikot, Nepal is pretty extreme.

[hawkeye52]

Thanks Hurricane. Perhaps I should have emphasized that I was referring to real-life extreme airports. The real Simikot is not quite as bad as the FS9 version, but no walk-in-the-park either.
http://forum.ivao.aero/index.php?topic=132552.0
Be sure to view the video of a Do-228 landing (at bottom of page). :icon_eek:

OK, time to prime the pump. Here are a few from my list (that have not yet been mentioned):
MHTG Tegucigalpa-Toncontin (Honduras) :honduras:
LSMI Interlaken (Switzerland :switzerland:
BIIS Isafjordur (Iceland) :iceland:
ZUNZ Linzhi (Tibet) :tibet:

- H52

[adhockey]

That was a great show. 10 interesting A/Ps in beautiful 1080i.

Here was their list, and why:

10. San Diego KSAN: claimed as world's busiest single runway commercial airport, so "extreme" traffic, plus that parking garage just before RWY 27 begins... does anyone else see there's a displaced threshold there?!

9. Funchal LPMA: Winds, elevated runway.

8. Eagle/Vail KEGE: High elevation, rising terrain after takeoff.

7. Courchevel LFLJ: Short, sloped runway (duh!), altitude.

6. Kai Tak VHHH: IGS approach, low altitude turn to final, skyscrapers.

5. Giraltar LXGB: Wind off The Rock, airspace restrictions, and highway running across the runway.

4. Princess Juliana TNCM: Extreme for the spectators on the beach or at the fence during take offs and landings.

3. St Bathelemy TFFJ: Short, steep terrain on final (another duh!).

2. Toncontin MHTG: Short runway, terrain bowl; visual approach.

1. Lukla VNLK: Altitude, sloped runway, short runway, and weather.

I was surprised by the inclusion of KEGE (I would have swapped for CYCG or PADU), and KSAN seemed overrated. All the others were expected and delivered nicely.

They are rerunning it a lot this month, so catch it if you can.

[Terry]

I think the worst part about Lukla is that there is no go around. Once into approach you are commited to land or crash.

[bull494]

I was actually surprised of the inclusion of Gibraltar. I am aware of the highway that runs through the runway, but I did not give consideration of "the rock" itself that can create problems for air traffic. It seems like no matter how much one learns, there is always more.

James

[MaddogK]

Tried the princess Julianna to St. Barths run this weekend in a turboprop, seems the FS9 version has about a half mile (and a few houses/trees) at the end of the runway before the beach. I see why you have to be 'certified' for that airport- VERY hard especially in a turboprop.

[hawkeye52]

I had compiled a list 20 candidate airports which included all the History Channel’s except Gibraltar. But San Diego and Vail were at the bottom of my list. I was surprised that Saba’s TNCS was not featured among History’s Top Ten, perhaps because it is “…a non-commercial facility, (although) airlines are able to land there by obtaining waivers from the Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority.”

The others on my list which History chose to ignore:
LOWI Innsbruck Kranebitten (Austria)
LSMI Interlaken (Switzerland)
ZUNZ Linzhi Milin (Tibet)
All three feature long, weaving approaches below surrounding mountain summits.

ZUJZ Jiuzhai Huanglong (China) “located on the top of a mountain (11,311 ft) and surrounded by 13,000 foot-high peaks. Severe turbulence and wind shear are normal during most of the approach and especially on final.”

TVSM Mustique (St. Vincent & The Grenadines) similar to St. Barths, but with hills at both ends.

VNSB Syangboche (Nepal), little more than a plowed mountain top. It has an IATA code (SYH), but it is unclear if fixed-wing aircraft operate there.

SLLP El Alto (Bolivia) “At 13,325 ft ASL, it is generally considered the world’s highest international airport. The main runway is 13,123 ft.”

BIIS Isafjordur (Iceland) features a mountain-bowl approach similar to Honduras’ Toncontin.
BIVM Vestmannaeyjar (Iceland) infamous for downdrafts on final.

Btw, I thought this thread was dead! :icon_lol:


- H52

[srgalahad]

I was actually surprised of the inclusion of Gibraltar. I am aware of the highway that runs through the runway, but I did not give consideration of "the rock" itself that can create problems for air traffic. It seems like no matter how much one learns, there is always more.

James
Attached is a PDF of the Gib charts (814Kb). take a look at page 9 for charts depicting the wind patterns for various prevailing winds around the Rock.

PCPilot magazine did one of their training Missions from LXGB and there is some discussion there if you can find the back issue or CD

H25, I think KSAN was included more to have some 'American content" in a top 10 list, although the Rwy 27 approach can be challenging. It may not seem bad in a light a/c in the sim, but at 160Kts in 200,000 lbs of tin that parking garage is a deterrent. Easy to see why pilots would tend to fudge a bit high which then leads to a miss or a desire to stuff it in resulting in hard landings. Also, the prevailing sea breeze probably gets deflected in some situations to add to the fun.

As noted with Saba, the criteria for the rest probably included a requirement for sked service at a public airport which is why the fun places in Idaho, Washington, Alaska, etc. got left out too.

[bull494]

Thank you SrGalahad. The charts definitely show the story. Once again, there is always something to learn. It shows that even with a 15 knot wind, things can get a bit on the nail biting side of things. The airport certainly has gained a new found respect from me.

James

[hawkeye52]

...I think KSAN was included more to have some 'American content" in a top 10 list..."

That was my thought as well; ditto for Vail.

I flew into KSAN twice: in '66 aboard an AA B707 and again in '93 on an AA B767 and I hafta concede, those downtown buildings on the port side (and the ground) seem awfully close on short final, especially when the let-down is a bit "bumpy" :icon_eek:

Thanks for the Jeppesen on LXGB: I would not have thought it particularly naughty.

- H52

[Motormouse]

I've always thought Cordova Municipal (not Mudhole Smith) is a bit tricky..
----> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CKU-c.jpg

ttfn

Pete