Saturday, May 16, 2009
World's Most Dangerous Airports..........3
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport.
(IATA: SAB, ICAO: TNCS) is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba, in the Netherlands Antilles. It is well known among experienced fliers for the way in which airplanes must approach or take off from the airport.
Information.
Some aviation experts are of the general opinion that the airport is one of the most dangerous in the world, even though no major tragedies have happened at the facility. The airport's sole runway is marked with an X at each end, to indicate to commercial pilots that the airport is closed for commercial aviation.
The danger arises from the airport's physical position. It is flanked on one side by high hills, and on the other side and at both ends of the runway by cliffs dropping into the sea. This creates the possibility that an airplane might overshoot the runway during landing or takeoff and end up in the sea or on the cliffs.
Although the airport is marked as a non-commercial facility, airlines are able to land there by obtaining waivers from the Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority.
Yrausquin Airport can be seen from some places in Saint Martin.
Facilities.
Large jet aircraft are unable to land at the airport, because the runway is too short (approx. 1,300 ft or 396 m. However, smaller airplanes (DHC-6, BN-2 and helicopters) are common sights there. There is a small ramp and terminal on the south side of the runway. The ramp also has a designated helipad. The terminal building houses offices for Winair, immigration and security, a fire department with one fire truck and a tower. The tower is an advisory service only and does not provide air traffic control. Aviation fuel is not available on the island of Saba.
Airlines and Destinations.
WinAir (St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts).
The only airline currently serving Yrausquin airport is locally owned Windward Islands Airways, which operates daily flights to St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and St. Kitts aboard a DHC-6 Twin Otter. The flight to St. Maarten takes about twelve minutes. Windward Express Airways also provides charter service to Saba aboard a BN-2 Islander.
(IATA: SAB, ICAO: TNCS) is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba, in the Netherlands Antilles. It is well known among experienced fliers for the way in which airplanes must approach or take off from the airport.
Information.Some aviation experts are of the general opinion that the airport is one of the most dangerous in the world, even though no major tragedies have happened at the facility. The airport's sole runway is marked with an X at each end, to indicate to commercial pilots that the airport is closed for commercial aviation.
The danger arises from the airport's physical position. It is flanked on one side by high hills, and on the other side and at both ends of the runway by cliffs dropping into the sea. This creates the possibility that an airplane might overshoot the runway during landing or takeoff and end up in the sea or on the cliffs.
Although the airport is marked as a non-commercial facility, airlines are able to land there by obtaining waivers from the Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority.
Yrausquin Airport can be seen from some places in Saint Martin.
Facilities.Large jet aircraft are unable to land at the airport, because the runway is too short (approx. 1,300 ft or 396 m. However, smaller airplanes (DHC-6, BN-2 and helicopters) are common sights there. There is a small ramp and terminal on the south side of the runway. The ramp also has a designated helipad. The terminal building houses offices for Winair, immigration and security, a fire department with one fire truck and a tower. The tower is an advisory service only and does not provide air traffic control. Aviation fuel is not available on the island of Saba.
Airlines and Destinations.WinAir (St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts).
The only airline currently serving Yrausquin airport is locally owned Windward Islands Airways, which operates daily flights to St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and St. Kitts aboard a DHC-6 Twin Otter. The flight to St. Maarten takes about twelve minutes. Windward Express Airways also provides charter service to Saba aboard a BN-2 Islander.
Friday, May 8, 2009
World's Most Dangerous Airports........2
Courchevel, France.
Courchevel is the name of a ski area located in the French Alps, the largest linked ski area in the world. It's airport has a certain degree of infamy in the aviation industry as home to a relatively short runway, with a length of 525 m (1,722 ft) and a gradient of 18.5%. It's so short that you have to land on an inclined strip to slow down and take off on a decline to pick up enough speed.
Who gets to land here? Well, Pierce Brosnan made the short list. This was the airport used in the opening seen of Tomorrow Never Dies. For the rest of us, private plane, helicopter, or charter are the only ways to go, and your pilot is going to need some serious training before he or she is allowed to land at CVF. 
World's Most Dangerous Airports......1
Princess Juliana International Airport (Saint Martin).
Princess Juliana International Airport serves Saint Maarten, the Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin. It is the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. The airport is famous for its short landing strip — only 2,180 metres/7,152 ft, which is barely enough for heavy jets. Because of this, the planes approach the island flying extremely low, right over Maho Beach. Countless photos of large jets flying at 10--20 m/30-60 ft over relaxing tourists at the beach have been dismissed as fakes many times, but are nevertheless real. For this reason as well it has become a favourite for planespotters. Despite the difficulties in approach, there has been no records of major aviation incidents at the airport.
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