World's shortest runway

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DA900
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World's shortest runway

Post by DA900 »

Watch this amazing video of Twin-Otters landing and taking off at Saba in the Netherlands Antilles. There is no rejecting here. The plane doesn't even gets airborne it just falls off the runway. The don't pay enough for that job!


http://www.flightlevel350.com/public_vi ... 5&pic=3324

PS. Sometimes the video will be sound only just close it and open again.
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JigglyBus
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Post by JigglyBus »

It is short.

I wouldn't say it's the world's shortest, but perhaps 'one of the shortest with commercial scheduled traffic'.

It all depends what you consider a runway. It is the shortest one that I've ever seen all prettied up, with pavement and paint etc.

Cat Cay in the Bahamas (MYCC) is shorter in my opinion. I think the book says 1100ft, but I think they must have meant from water to water. It has commercial scheduled traffic aswell, but it isn't as well developed, just some oil covered compacted sand.

I'm sure there are some 'runways' up north that make this one look like Edward's Airforce Base.

I think that twin otter guy might have been 'hammin' it up a little. Shouldn't need all 1300 to get airborne, unless the wind was unfavourable.
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Post by Rowdy »

Pretty neat! I like how the runway just ends! Like ya said the airplane more or less falls off the runway!

Have seen Twotters do some pretty crazy things before :) Anyone else with neat clips?
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Post by Airtids »

Can't be too short. Look at the windsock- downwind. :roll:
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Post by slowflight »

I have a good twotter flick from last week if someone can guide me through the process of posting a digital home video.

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Post by MAFer »

Image

No, this is one of the shortest runways.

Edited By 'I is Birddawg' to enhance your viewing pleasure
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Post by just curious »

I wasn't near a runway that big all day.
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Post by MAFer »

Image

You could probably make it into the strip that I showed you if you use the Twin Otter from the attached photo!

Again..'I are Birddog' on the edit campaign for better viewing
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Post by Cat Driver »

" I wasn't near a runway that big all day. "

Runway?????

What the hell is a runway JC ?, back in the good old days there was no such thing in the Arctic...at least not many....but we had trillions of square miles of snow in the winter and trillions of eskers in the summer.

He, he, he..

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Post by just curious »

Okay. I call them runways, mainly 'cause when I take off from them they have rocks marking the roughly four corners we use.

I will get off my ass and post videos for a couple of places that we routinely fly into.

I will give Winair credit for the develpment of Saba. It is the only level bit of the island useable. The drivers do not have a significant amount of time flying into little tiny strips. They do not do the MPS training at Flight Safety. Without the training and practice to proficiency, it would be a real adventure.

Watching the video, they don't land full flap, they don't depart 20 flap. I don't remember if there is an obstacle at the other endd of the runway, which would justify the downwind takeoff. I think there is.

Flying into SABA requires a company blessing on each individual pilot. In the Arctic, 1200 feet is just a day at the office.
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Post by Cat Driver »

" Flying into SABA requires a company blessing on each individual pilot. In the Arctic, 1200 feet is just a day at the office. "

Yup, the last tour I took based in Johnston Point we were using GNS and two radar altimiters and shooting approaches onto " runways " ploughed out on the ice by bulldozers in a sismic cat train. Sometimes we were lucky to have a two hundred foot ceiling......

...but a 1200 foot strip looks just like a 10,000 foot using reverse to stop the thing.....just pure white....

How long are you going to fly in the Arctic JC?...not that there is anything wrong with it, as long as the pay is good. :smt003

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Post by KAG »

It was pretty short, but not the shortest a twin otter can do by any stretch

JC post some offstrip videos. Although some might not recognize what there seeing - no lights/pavement and all. It would be funny seeing a 400 foot certified strip though :lol:


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Post by MAFer »

Image

Try landing your Twin Otter on this strip. I don't think so.


"Je Suis Chien d'oiseau" has another job you know?!....yeash :roll: ...again for the 3rd time...edited to enhance the picture. :wink:
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Post by Mig29 »

very interesting video and those link...although I gotta say some of those places should not be called RUNWAYS :lol: ...thats a friggin logging road:)

I got a video from a uddy down south who flies twotters for Winair. He sent me a clip of a cockpit view landing in Saba. Just awsome!

if someone knows how to post it here, pm me, and I'll do my best :D
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Saba's Runway

Post by twotterdriver »

I think Saba is called the "shortest runway with scheduled traffic".

I flew out of there (with Winair) in '98-2000. If I remember right, it is 1342 feet from cliff to cliff. The runway painted on it is about 1100 feet. On a 35C day, no wind, 18 pax and full bags, it IS a short strip. We actually had a chart listing no. of pax based on winds (or lack thereof). All landings were full flap - always used 20 flap (if I remember right) on take off (for those I confused)

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Last edited by twotterdriver on Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Juggs »

All landings were full flap - always used 20 flap
Are you trying to brag, or do you really think that full flap is 20 degrees? Full flap is 37.5 degrees on the flap selector.
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Post by JigglyBus »

Pretty sure he meant all landings were full, all t/o's were 20.

Seemed obvious to me.
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Post by Gand »

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Post by just curious »

Okay, the approach is intimidating. You could tell, simply by watching the video and watching the captain select the landing lights. Four times.

But this is an airport that is marveled at simply because people seem to fly in to Saba after flying on large AC to get to Winair's base.

There are, I'm sure, people up north who are rolling their eyes over this video, and runway claim.

The Video forum is upgrading, and not accepting new posts right now. When it does, I'll tack on one or two of our normal destinations. I'll even put out marker drums to give viewers the percption they would lack otherwise.

To simulate the 'world's shortest runway', I've been having FO's land after the first , but stopping before the second runway at our home drome. Full flaps of course, and reverse, but no brakes, just to keep them honest. Our lowest time FO can do SABA. They aren't superhuman, just trained and current.
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Post by DA900 »

People some of you have to relax I was just using the title as an attention getter. It seems that anybody who has operated out of a short strip has taken issue with it. I know some people have flown out of smaller ones then this. I just thought it was a cool video!
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Post by Mig29 »

although there are shorter runways out there, I gotta admit that this 'carrier' approach is a bit intimidating for the first few trips if you are sitting up front! Thats way maybe it can not be compared to some of the places up north. Because lets face it...if you dont get enough 'lift' before that runway ends, or your engine goes dead at the bad time, it can be a hairy ride down the 200' drop!

Now, I am not putting down the guys/gals up north, because you all deserve a credit for flying in some of these places, I just think that its a definit 'adrenaline pumping' ride into Saba... which we'll all agree is always good for your heart :lol:
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Post by hz2p »

From reading the above, we can clearly see why many pilots think you must be male to fly an aircraft, because comparison of (penis) length is an integral part of aviation, and if you fly up north, apparently shorter is better :lol:
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Post by MAFer »

Try landing on this strip - one way, 800 feet long, 10 degree slope!

Image


You know who! :wink:
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Post by hz2p »

Any of you prop heroes want to try landing a fighter jet in ONE SECOND in THREE HUNDRED feet? Sounds difficult?
Join the United States Navy and land at night on a heaving, pitching carrier deck with howling winds in IMC wx.
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Post by MAFer »

hz2p wrote:Any of you prop heroes want to try landing a fighter jet in ONE SECOND in THREE HUNDRED feet? Sounds difficult?
Join the United States Navy and land at night on a heaving, pitching carrier deck with howling winds in IMC wx.
But how many of those landing have you performed?
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