Barra Airport, in the Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland. Yes,
it is a beach for take-off and landing. At least it’s only for daytime
flights.
Photo: calflier001
Water, water, Chubu Centrair International Airport, water, water.Tokoname, Japan.
Photo: Kyodo News/AP
Approaching the Congonhas Airport in the middle of Sao Paulo, Brazil is highly challenging for pilots.
Photo: Joao Carlos Medau
Another risky beach airport: the Copalis State Airport’s Grays
Harbor County, Washington runway is located between the Copalis River
delta and a barrier of rocks.
Photo: Alex Derr
The mountain runway at Courchevel Airport (France) is just 545m
long. As if that’s not scary enough, it’s also got a gradient of 18.5%
and a vertical drop at the end.
Photo: Peter Robinett
Gibraltar Airport is located between a bustling city and a
crashtastic mountain. Moreover, its 1800m long short runway intersects
the Winston Churchill Avenue, Gibraltar’s busiest road, which has to be
closed every time a plane lands or departs.
Photo: kimhollingshead
This is the Gustaf III Airport aka Saint Barthélemy Airport on the
Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. The short airstrip starts with a
slope and ends on the beach.
Photo: John M
Kai Tak International Airport, famous and hated for its
heart-stopping approach low over Hong Kong, ended its 73-year reign of
terror in 1998.
Photo: Vincent Yu/AP
Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan. Approaching this feels like your pilot is about to land on water.
Photo: mrhayata
Between mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, on the island cliffs, waits the frightening Madeira Airport (Portugal).
Photo: Thilo Hilberer
Look at the horrifying Matekane Air Strip in Lesotho (Africa). 400m, and then nothing.
Photo: Tom Claytor
Narsarsuaq Airport, Greenland. Severe turbulences and winds from the
surrounding fjords make this airport a hard task for pilots. Only
daytime take-offs and landings allowed, thankfully.
Photo: Jim Stewart
Paro International Airport, the home of the Royal Bhutan Airlines,
is located at an altitude of 2236m and surrounded by over
5000m-high-peaks of the Himalayas. Night or foggy landings are strictly
prohibited.
Photo: Gelay Jamtsho
Pegasus White Ice Runway, Antarctica, the southernmost of three
airfields serving McMurdo Station. Believe it or not, aircraft take off
and land here all year long.
Photo: Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo/U.S. Air Force
Because of the short (2300m) runway at Princess Juliana
International Airport (St. Maarten), large planes fly right over the
tourists’ head on Maho Beach. It’s a spectacular sight from the
ground.
A densely populated neighbourhood, a cramped runway, active
volcanoes, and frequent fog make Quito’s high-altitude airport a threat
for only a little longer; Ecuador’s main airport is going to be moved to
an agricultural setting 12 miles (20km) northeast of the city.
Photo: Dolores Ochoa/AP
Svalbard Airport in Longyearbyen on the Norwegian archipelago
Svalbard in the Barents Sea was built upon a layer of permafrost in
1975. Continuous repaving makes it a hard landing place, literally and
figuratively.
Photo: rune Petter Ness/AP
The Tenzing-Hillary Airport (Lukla, Nepal) is located 2860m above sea level, and its runway is only a few hundred meters long.
Photo: Alex Smith
Toncontín International Airport has an extremely short runway and a mountainous surrounding in Honduras.
Photo: Enrique Galeano Morales
Toronto Islands Airport Ontairo, Canada is another pinpoint landing site. And there’s a nude beach close to the runway, which I’m sure isn’t the least bit distracting.
Photo: John Steadman
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba. This Caribbean landing site is
surrounded by high hills, and both ends of the runway drop into the sea.
Photo: Patrick Hawks
Wellington, New Zealand: short runway, hilly landscape, strong crosswinds, turbulent landings.
Photo: Phillip Capper
Williams Field, Antarctica, has two snow runways limited to
ski-equipped aircraft during the summer season. aeroplanes land on 8m of
compacted snow, lying on top of 80m of ice, floating over 550m of
water. Must be a blood-chilling experience.
Photo: U.S. Air Force
