Short Runway ?

[Phil Perry]

Still don't know what the location is though. . . .

 

 

 

[yampy]

Phil , that’s Saba Airport in the Dutch Caribbean . IATA code SAB . Looks like it needs an arrestor cable .

 

Dave

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil , that’s Saba Airport in the Dutch Caribbean . IATA code SAB . Looks like it needs an arrestor cable .Dave

Thanks Mate !. . . I just KNEW one of you intelligent lads would look it up ( ! ) Agree on the Carrier cable too . . . .

 

 

[facthunter]

Not needed . He didn't use all of what's there for the landing anyhow. Nev.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Patrick and Paddy, two airline pilots were flying in to a new airport, and realised, while on final that it was much shorter than any they had previously landed at.

 

They put the aircraft down right at the edge and furiously worked to slow the aircraft down, finally pulling up just metres from the fence.

 

After a short silence Patrick said : "Joisus! that runway was SHORT!"

 

"To be fair" replied Paddy "it was the widest we've ever seen though"

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

Saba is 400m. The farm strip here is 550m but with stockyards at one end and scrub at the other. I've given up on landing there and now operate from the Edenhope airfield, 1000m .

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Still don't know what the location is though. . . .

 

 

 

 

Looks like it's little different to landing on a carrier: headwind required...and you're in the drink if you stuff up.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Looks like it's little different to landing on a carrier: headwind required...and you're in the drink if you stuff up.

I guess at least with a carrier, there's always a headwind straight down the strip...

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Saba is 400m. The farm strip here is 550m but with stockyards at one end and scrub at the other. I've given up on landing there and now operate from the Edenhope airfield, 1000m .

Very little Jab time Bruce. . . .only about 6-7 hours 10 years ago Me. . . . But if the strip is that marginal then it looks to me that you made a very sensible decision Sir.

 

An old friend had a Rans S6 582, which he used to keep on his own land. But when he flogged it and bought his Sport Cruiser, he did the same thing and positioned it at a strip 15 miles away, which was still grass, but 780 metres. His home field only had 380. . . .The Sport Cruiser, ( Now dumped by Piper ) is a lot heavier, and needs a bit more room. We have one at our airfield, but it is uses all of our longest strips, ( 420 & 450m ) and in Nil wind condx, none of the 4 man syndicate fly it.. . . It seems a little Under-Powered with a 912S Rotax, could do with maybe another 20-30 HP.

 

But that is my non - expert opinion.

 

They are considering ugrading to a higher powered engine, A 916is, I think they said. . . but One out of the four owners says he can't justify the additional expense since he only flies 25 hours a year. . . .. . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I guess at least with a carrier, there's always a headwind straight down the strip...

I saw this carrier landing yesterday Marty. . . wrong thread possibly, but it's 'Sort Of' following the thread drift ( ! )

 

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

My problem is having trained at Gawler ( ex ww2 bomber field with cross-strip) then shorter stuff scares me. Others who have always operated from short strips don't have a problem, in fact there is a guy in South Australia who works on Jabiru engines who said his shortest strip was 250m! People are welcome to fly in there but I went by car.

 

At Gawler, I rarely use more than 250m ground runs but gosh it feels good to have the rest there.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

My problem is having trained at Gawler ( ex ww2 bomber field with cross-strip) then shorter stuff scares me. Others who have always operated from short strips don't have a problem, in fact there is a guy in South Australia who works on Jabiru engines who said his shortest strip was 250m! People are welcome to fly in there but I went by car.At Gawler, I rarely use more than 250m ground runs but gosh it feels good to have the rest there.

Don't sweat it Bruce. . . . there's Nowt wrong with leaving yourself a decent margin for error / Mechanical failure mate. . . . I am lucky in that I've only ever run out of strip 4 times in my entire aviation experience,. . .but fortunately there was nothing nasty and hard at the end in each case. . . and the only real damage was to me imaginary street cred. . . .

 

The worst experience was an engine problem whilst ferrying a friend's aircraft, I diverted to RNAS Yeovilton ( Navy Station ) and when almost over head, the engine quit completely. nd Yes,. . the Great Phil Perry Fecked up a landing on a huge runway, used by fighter Jets by misreading the instructions from ATC. I ran off the end of the delineated runway, onto the bit marked with White 'X' signals. ( It was still as smooth as a Billiard table )

 

You WOULD NOT BELEIVE the Bollocking I received from a very Stern Lady naval officer when I was finally towed off to dispersal. . . Lots of words I couldn't repeat on a family site like this. . .many references to my parentage. . .but the WORST Barb was that I was a 'Weekend Toy Flyer' and a general menace to the Military And the Public.

 

On reflection,. . .I WISH that the Lady Officer was our Prime Minister. . . .

 

 

[facthunter]

Starting out on short strips shapes your attitude to them. You don't float down 1/2 of it. You get spoiled by having excess landing distance and fall into bad habits. Like carrying a bit more speed . Which IS safer BUT not a good habit to get into. A precautionary approach is usually done with power. Similar in some ways. Nev

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Starting out on short strips shapes your attitude to them. You don't float down 1/2 of it. You get spoiled by having excess landing distance and fall into bad habits. Like carrying a bit more speed . Which IS safer BUT not a good habit to get into. A precautionary approach is usually done with power. Similar in some ways. Nev

I find it a little odd, that our CFI does NOT teach his students sideslipping at all. I know, I've flown with quite a few of them.. . .Far be it from me to criticize, but I think that his is a VITAL addition to Any pilot's toolbox. . .. . .might even save your life in an outlanding. And I KNOW that the type is't placarded against this useful manouvre.. . . .

 

Very strange that. But I realise that I'm on thin Ice when criticiisng Qualified mentors.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's pointless with very draggy beasts as just diving them steeply and double flaring does just as good a job. . Without much keel surface it doesn't work well either and it is uncomfortable/ alarming for some passengers. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Double flaring?

 

 

[turboplanner]

Double flaring?

I think it’s what he used to do in the 727s; slam it on the ground then flare again after the bounce!

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Nothing to do with bifocals, then?

 

 

[Marty_d]

It's when you're just about to touch down when you realise it's the taxiway...

 

 

[turboplanner]

It's when you're just about to touch down when you realise it's the taxiway...

Should have gone to Specsavers. They must look across and say "I wonder what that big wide lane is over there?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Should have gone to Specsavers. They must look across and say "I wonder what that big wide lane is over there?

Like Han Solo?

 

 

[WayneL]

Like to see another video of the twin otter landing and taking off in no wind conditions.

 

Wayne

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Like to see another video of the twin otter landing and taking off in no wind conditions.Wayne

The Turboprop Otters in the Maldive Islands get off in around 600 metres on floats !. . .according to one of the pilots who kindly allowed me to sit in the right seat on our way from Mali to Sun Island a few years ago. . .Don't think that they would really have much difficulty getting of in nil wind on Tarmac at Saba either. . .depending upon loading Obvs.

 

 

[silvercity]

Loganair used to operate Twin Otters into Unst in the Shetlands, 640 metres. They did it with ease, great aircraft.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Loganair used to operate Twin Otters into Unst in the Shetlands, 640 metres. They did it with ease, great aircraft.Cheers.

They're still operating something resembling Otters into Uist. . .onto the Beach. . .can't recall if thats Uist, or South Uist. . .Ma memry 'O Sco Lan' is nae as guid as it waz Jimmy. . .