Page 50 - World Airnews Magazine January 2020 Edition

P. 50

AIRPORTS

ends of the runway and strong vertical turbulence during winter 3. A ROCK AND A ROAD AT GIBRALTAR
months caused by the mountain winds. I have flown into this The runway at Gibraltar’s airport crosses the main road in and

airport many times and it is for sure a white-knuckle experience. out of the British Overseas Territory. Traffic is stopped around 15

Other dangerous airport landings not included in this list include; times per day to allow aircraft to land and take-off. The resultant

Alexandros Papadiamantis airport on the Greek island of Skiathos, traffic jams have led to the construction of a new airport bypass

MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Damascus International Airport, Aspen that includes a tunnel under the runway, but the project has been
Airport, St. Bart’s and many others. plagued by delays and is still not complete.

However, highway crossing isn’t the main issue for pilots. Abnormal

6. THE SHORT RUNWAY OF SKIATHOS wind effects, turbulence and wind shear caused by the famous Rock of

Gibraltar can make the final approach a hazardous one. Diversions and go-
arounds are common, especially with southerly winds. In February 2019,
several onlookers caught a British Airways Airbus A320 on film being

violently rocked by the strong winds during its final descent. The pilots GPS 175 and GNX 375 GPS Navigators

aborted the attempt and diverted to Malaga, 60 miles away in Spain.

2. NAVIGATION TROUBLES AT SVALBARD Pilots receive the bene ts of high-integrity WAAS/SBAS GPS
guidance in a compact, (6.25-inches wide by 2-inches tall)
minimally intrusive design that is both cost-e ective and easy to
The notorious Princess Juliana Airport on the Caribbean island
of Saint Martin is famous around the world for its low landings incorporate into an existing avionics stack.
over a beach. But there’s a similar, lesser-known, experience
to be found on the Greek island of Skiathos. The runway’s
proximity to a beach at one end and a public road at the other
draw plane spotters from across the continent. Many Greek
islands are home to short, narrow runways due to the uneven GPS 175 is a stand-alone certi ed IFR navigator and GNX 375 adds

terrain. The only way to build a runway on Skiathos was to An engineering marvel, the runway on Norway’s Arctic archipelago
reclaim the land between it and a neighbouring island. At 5,341 Svalbard is built on permafrost and insulated against the ground to

feet, the runway is just long enough to take fully-loaded jets full prevent melting during the warmer summer months. While the runway 1090 ES ADS-B “Out” as well as dual-link ADS-B “In”.

of tourists. at Svalbard is reasonably safe, the general location of the world’s north-

A landing can be a noisy affair, as pilots often use reverse ernmost airport with regularly scheduled flights can prove challenging.

thrust to slow the plane as quickly as possible after touchdown. Inclement weather conditions and the proximity to the magnetic north

Meanwhile, flights leaving the island often have to take off with pole can create visibility and navigational difficulties for pilots.
near-empty fuel tanks to keep the plane light enough so that The worst air accident in Norwegian history occurred here in 1996. All GTX 335D and GTX 345D

it can get airborne before running out of runway. Many depart- 141 passengers and crew lost their lives when a flight bound for Long-

ing flights touch-down minutes later in nearby Thessaloniki yearbyen crashed into a mountain, having been more than two miles off
to refuel. its approach centreline. The cause was found to be pilot error. Diversity Transponders with ADS-B “Out” and Optional ADS-B “In”

5. LANDING ON A BEACH AT BARRA 1. A WINDY APPROACH TO MADEIRA

Most airport runways are available for use round-the-clock. Not so The remarkable runway bridge at Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo airport GTX 335D o ers ADS-B “Out “, while the GTX 345D

on the Scottish island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, where planes (formerly known as Funchal) may look precarious but the award-win-

can only land at low tide. That’s because the mile-long beach at ning construction has actually improved safety. It’s the approach to provides ADS-B “Out” as well as dual-link ADS-B “In”
Traigh Mhòr bay serves a dual purpose as the airport runway. the Portuguese island that tests even experienced pilots, who require
Scottish airline Loganair ferries passengers between the scenic special training in order to be granted permission to land here. They

airport and the city of Glasgow on tiny Twin Otter planes. Because first have to cross the mountain massif of the exposed coastline and tra c and weather for display on compatible avionics

of the popularity of the airport among plane spotters, Loganair then line-up perfectly with the narrow runway often in high winds.

frequently offers special day trip deals. Despite the difficult approach, there has only been one fatal
For pilots, the unusual and unpredictable sandy surface and the accident at Madeira. 131 of the 164 people onboard TAP Flight 425 and mobile devices.

relatively short length of the runway presents a challenge. Before died when the Boeing 727 fell off the end of the runway and onto

landing, it’s common practice for pilots to fly over the runway first the beach below in 1977. The accident led directly to the construc-

to check the exact tide level and landing conditions. tion of the runway extension bridge. Remote-mount versions are also available.

Article courtesy: https://www3.forbes.com/business
4. DEEP IN A VALLEY AT INNSBRUCK
The spectacular peaks of the Austrian Alps surround Innsbruck. But

those same peaks that attract planes full of skiers every winter are
one of Europe’s greatest challenges for pilots. In fact, only captains

are permitted to land planes at Innsbruck, located deep in a valley.
The already challenging manoeuvring required within the valley +27 11 701 3244
is often made even harder by low-level wind shear. Depending

on wind conditions, the pilot must also sometimes make a tight salesadmin1@centuryavionics.co.za

turn during the final approach. To top things off, there is a limited

possibility for a missed approach given the high altitude peaks that www.centuryavionics.co.za | Hangar M1, Lanseria Int Airport

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