Simon Williamson
Flight was a great addition to the way people moved around the world. However, suddenly we needed somewhere to land the darn aeroplanes. As planes became bigger and air travel grew commercially, airports needed a lot more space, and that wasn't always possible. Sometimes cities were so high that the logistics of taking off and landing became trickier. Sometimes the conditions facilitated a need to do things differently.
Well, some airports managed to adapt to what was required, and here are five of them:
1) Gibraltar Airport
As Gibraltar is nestled on a tiny piece of land, squashed between Spain and the sea, space is at a premium. It is because of this that the main road through Gibraltar, Winston Churchill Avenue, has to cross the runway. Yep, when planes land, the traffic along Gibraltar's main road comes to a complete standstill.
Image from xcitefun.net
2) The Ice Runway - Antarctica
Naturally, the weather conditions make landing an aircraft in Antarctica somewhat tricky, and only specific aircraft can do it. Planes which are too heavy can break the ice, or become submerged in snow.
Image from airport-technology.com
3) Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan)
Due to the sky-high population density of many Japanese cities, space is at a serious premium. In Osaka, this necessitated the creation of an airport outside the city... in the sea. About 5km offshore sits a manmade island containing Kensai International Airport, and since 1994, full size commercial aircraft have been able to land there safely. However, global warming could pose a serious threat to this airport's future.
Image from pref.osaka.jp
4) Qamdo Bangda Airport (Tibet)
What makes Qamdo Bangda Airport unique is its altitude. At over 4 200m above sea level, the thin air makes it more difficult to stop an aircraft landing. An expert named Schreckengast says, "At sea level, where your approach speed is 150mph (about 240kph), it may take 5 000ft (about 1500m) of runway to stop. At 14 000 feet your approach speed is still 150mph, but maybe it takes 10 000ft (3 000m) to stop." This is why the runway here is over 5.5km.
Image form wingsmagazine.com
5) Princess Juliana International Airport, Saint Maarten
This is a famous runway as the approach to it goes right over a well-frequented beach before landing - in fact, damn close to it! Experts reckon that cars driving along the road between the beach and the apron are more at risk than the sunbathers, should an accident ever happen.
Image from vacationideas.me
User Comments
Qambo Bangda Airport TibetSubmitted by Richard on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 05:46. |
The indicated Airspeed might be 150mph but the true airspeed could be over 200mph |
PgBFBqzqGiVSubmitted by Skip on Sun, 07/17/2011 - 17:50. |
Great hammer of Thor, that is powerfully helfpul! |
answerSubmitted by loans on Sat, 07/16/2011 - 10:07. |
If you are willing to buy real estate, you will have to receive the personal loans. Moreover, my brother all the time takes a commercial loan, which supposes to be the most reliable. |
In Utah This Week | Events schedule, photos, dining, nightlife,Submitted by superga on Sun, 06/26/2011 - 14:10. |
Wow I really love it. |
What makes Bangda AirportSubmitted by feliz aniversario on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 15:50. |
What makes Bangda Airport Qamdo unique is its height. In more than 4 200 meters above sea level, the air makes it harder to stop a landing aircraft. |
InaccurateSubmitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/02/2011 - 19:53. |
Wow, what a lot of bulldust. Firstly, when you land at a higher airport, your indicated Airspeed stays for instance 150kts. Princess Juliana in not dangerous.. Can you quote an accident report to prove? Erich |
strange airportsSubmitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 10:33. |
I find it ammusing that no mention was made to st barth and nevis in the carribean. Their airports are downright dangerous and way more interesteing than any of the airports mentioned in this article with the exception of princess juliana. |
Again...Submitted by anamarie on Thu, 12/30/2010 - 13:58. |
Wow, the same article again for the 3rd time this year... YAWN........ Creativity withdrawl symptoms over at GoTravel?? |
Sanrail Or TamboSubmitted by Suiram on Thu, 12/30/2010 - 11:29. |
Soon Sanrail will demand toll fees when aircraft use the runway........ |
Life is wonderfulSubmitted by Coert on Fri, 09/17/2010 - 15:27. |
Thanx for info - keep on telling us all the things we don't know |
Schipol AmsterdamSubmitted by Jason on Wed, 09/15/2010 - 11:51. |
This airport is 2 meters below sea level! Thought I's through that in the mix! Great article! |
Dulles International AirportSubmitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/14/2010 - 14:29. |
You left out Dulles International Airport near Washington DC. Mobile lounges drive up to the aircraft, rise up to let you walk into a carpetted area, you sit down in comfortable cloth seats, and then you ride to the terminal after it is lowered back down. The reverse happens when you are departing the airport. The main terminal building is an architectural wonder of the Dane Eero Saarinen, (way beyond it's time when built in the 1960's) in reinforced concrete with no internal pillars to hold up the roof. check it out. |
Old Hong KongSubmitted by senor neek on Tue, 09/14/2010 - 12:19. |
That was one scary airport to land at, with the hills on approach, the flats on either side on landing and the bloody ocean at the end of the runway... Even more frightening is that the pilots landing are at the maximum allowable flight time when arriving from Jhb, which means they are exhausted as well! |
Princess JulianaSubmitted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/10/2010 - 15:54. |
Princess Juliana International Airport is awful. OMG what a bad place for an airport! A beach on one side and huge hill tops on the other, it must be a pilot's nightmare. search on pdf files |
There is no way that i amSubmitted by inter4522@24.com on Sun, 08/08/2010 - 21:01. |
There is no way that i am landing on a ice runway. This has to be the scariest thing to do. There is no way around it but i would not do it. This is so crazy. accutane |
Simon Williamson's briefSubmitted by Jharana on Sun, 05/09/2010 - 19:18. |
Simon Williamson's brief accounts of airports, runways and other technicalities of aviation is worth reading. It is also very interesting to learn that even runways cris-cross with road ways. What a prudent use of those premium spaces. And also to avoid congestion airways on seas, how interesting it is. I hope such details will help promote tourism in a big way. Very interesting work, I would like reading more such travel accounts. Thanks. best business cards |
Male, MaldivesSubmitted by ashk on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 07:40. |
Another airport in the sea. Having landed there, you need to catch a boat to your destination, including the capital, Male. |
Strange AirportsSubmitted by Pat Kirk on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 04:20. |
Enjoy |
St. Barts air stripSubmitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 17:56. |
If ever you want to experience a take off and landing be my guest. |
Approach speed QB airport TibetSubmitted by plane crazy on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 16:44. |
@Author & anon the 150mph quoted relates to airspeed or rather relative airspeed- measured by pitot tube (manometer) in aircraft's nose/ wing tip/ tialplane tip etc.- anywhere where the relative airpressure caused by the forward motion of the aircraft can be measure in undisturbed airflow. In the lower air pressure @ higher altitudes a relative airspeed of 150mph will relate to a much higher ground speed- lower air pressure, less air molecules to press against sensor inside pitot tube, higher ground speed needed to measure same relative airspeed... Also been to Gibraltar airport- nice in a weird way |
Re: Qamdo Bangda AirportSubmitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 14:24. |
..."14 000 feet your approach speed is still 150mph"... Beg to differ. Due to the low air density the approach speed will be much higher than sea level, to ensure the plane does not stall. I would say around 220mph for that one. That's why the runway is so long: high approach (and take-off) speed and lower drag. |
in south africaSubmitted by salim on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 13:12. |
couldnt be as the same as gibraltar as the plane would get hijacked or bumped by a taxi |
So Funny!Submitted by TumiM on Fri, 02/26/2010 - 11:17. |
I had such a great laugh when I read the two comments: one commenting about a 747 jumbo jet dodging potholes and another commenting about taxis ducking and diving aircraft. I can just imagine!!! Only in South Africa, hey.....that is why government is pending so much on airplanes because an airport ala Gibralta Airport just won't work in South Africa. Thanks you guys, keep laughing at yourselves - it makes South Africa much more fun to live in!! |
Check this scary airport outSubmitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/26/2010 - 10:42. |
http://www.paylessbg.com/images/Madeira.jpg |
Weird AirportsSubmitted by Chantal on Fri, 02/26/2010 - 08:45. |
How cool is this |
Awesome!!!Submitted by Boerboel on Fri, 02/26/2010 - 07:31. |
Fascinating indeed! Do more articles like this in the future, please. |
STRANGE AIRPORTSSubmitted by Gabriel Melim on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 16:15. |
Amazing to read. Can we have more similar features of less-known facts. |
@ davyddSubmitted by Robert on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 14:31. |
Do you visit www.airliners.net ? Great website for plane nerds :-) I'm sure you will enjoy like I do... |
@ davyddSubmitted by Robert on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 14:25. |
Yeah I am a keen plane spotter as well and it is awesome to stand there when that beautiful A340 came in to land... I couldn't really tell if it was a 200, 300 or 400, becuase I had goosebumps, also the experience is over pretty quickly :-( Although so was my 250ml Heineken :-) BTW the beach is not very big either, very narrow. I expected to see a much bigger beach... |
Awesome articleSubmitted by Anonymous on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 10:35. |
More of these please - fascinating! |
Airports !!?? ( Hehe funny)Submitted by Johann Havenga on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 08:02. |
Besides the taxis , imagine a Jumbo 747 dodging potholes!!! Close your eyes and imagine it..... I am sure you`ll have a silent chuckle! haha |
It isSubmitted by Boom drukker on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 07:55. |
It is very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very,very interesting, would like to fly to all those airports in a WW1 Sopwith Camel. ;-) |
@ RobertSubmitted by davydd on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 17:37. |
I'm a self confessed plane-spotter and aircraft nerd. I'm dying to spend a holiday in St Martin just by the runway at Princess Juliana. It's the plane spotters Mecca for obvious reasons. You do get quite close at Heathrow, but it's not quite the same I guess, although the planes are quite frequent (one landing every +- 90 seconds). The frequency is a pain if you live in south west London like we do. This morning I heard a few flying over us just after 4.30! That's just not on is it - no respect for the poor sods tring to sleep under the flight path! I guess London is maybe a bit unusual like that - the flight path approach is over the middle of the city, from the east to the west on most days depending on wind direction - which is why the NIMBY's are freaking out about the third runway idea. |
Airports !!??Submitted by Collitjies on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 12:48. |
Just imagine if we had runways crossing intersections and other roads here. Taxis never stop at stop streets or robots, it would be fun to see them trying to dodge huge aircraft landing and taking off. |
Kai TakSubmitted by William on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 12:12. |
Here is the link to Kai Tak "extreme landing." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMOCAfSMnqQ |
Kai TakSubmitted by William on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 12:03. |
I was gobsmacked when I watched a video of a landing at Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong.In the video the pilot seems to overcompenstate and the left wing comes scarily close to the runway.Try googling it, there are a few available, am not sure which video it is but it is worth the watch. My cousin (flies Airbus A340-400) tells me that the airport has been replaced (in 1998)but the sharp banking into approach at Kai Tak did"get ones palms moist." |
old HKSubmitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 11:47. |
Old Hong Kong airport was pretty cool...landing in amongst the apartments and as you land, another plane takes off behind you. Maputo is also cool, cos they have all those super cool Hind-24 heli's lining the runway...once inside, though, it's like you're back in 1955... |
SeychellesSubmitted by Nick on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 11:23. |
The airport on Praslin in the Seychelles is similar to the one in Gibraltar. When a plane lands, there is a traffic light that has to stop all the traffic. The landing experience on Praslin is also a hair raising one, you can see the runway and the end of the island as you come in to land at a 45 degree angle (well feels like it anyway)! |
bora boraSubmitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 10:57. |
Another cool airport is the one in ibiza. Bora Bora is in the flight parth of all incoming flights. It's an awesome experince. |
GibraltarSubmitted by Simon on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 10:48. |
I was stuck in a bus, dead still for 15 mins and went to the driver to complain that we weren't moving when all of a sudden a BA plane landed right in front of us. I have never got suck a fright in my life. Rest of the bus thought it was hilarious. |
I've stood on PrincessSubmitted by Robert on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 10:26. |
I've stood on Princess Juliana when an Air France Airbus A340 has landed - totally awesome and deafening... Only problem is that they sell these Heineken beers of 250ml... I mean 250ml...!!! |
