Would you land on this airstrip?
Stoke Medway (R. Thames) is closer to home & has massive power line towers running close alongside on the wing tip & it's a banana shape too. Yet it's used for training on microlights.
Chap who landed at my home base with a C172 said he'd been in there.
Now I can't post pictures here off my own files, but who says Ripe/Deanland is tight ? Clear approaches too.
In 2005 the Vickers Vimy transatlantic replica came in a few days after doing the Atlantic flight !
mike hallam,
Chap who landed at my home base with a C172 said he'd been in there.
Now I can't post pictures here off my own files, but who says Ripe/Deanland is tight ? Clear approaches too.
In 2005 the Vickers Vimy transatlantic replica came in a few days after doing the Atlantic flight !
mike hallam,
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Hi,
a pretty good picture of the runway which kind of started this thread appeared recently, have a look:
Photos: AeroAndina MXP-800 Fantasy Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Cheers,
###Ultra Long Hauler###
a pretty good picture of the runway which kind of started this thread appeared recently, have a look:
Photos: AeroAndina MXP-800 Fantasy Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Cheers,
###Ultra Long Hauler###
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The length/width of runway is only relevant to the plane you're flying and the capability of the aircraft & pilot. The Ikarus C42 with 100 horses will go in and out of 100 metres in nil wind, width unimportant... that all changes with conditions and ability.
Certain pilots who fly out of long wide runways always have trouble on smaller strips, I for one will not allow a person to land on my 480m x 6m strip (I considered it a long strip) if I have any inkling that they are not capable or doing so. Here in Ireland we have multitude of very narrow and short strips that are used regularly by pilots with capable (and sometimes not so capable!) aircraft.
As I say, its all relevant to the individual/aircraft.
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Certain pilots who fly out of long wide runways always have trouble on smaller strips, I for one will not allow a person to land on my 480m x 6m strip (I considered it a long strip) if I have any inkling that they are not capable or doing so. Here in Ireland we have multitude of very narrow and short strips that are used regularly by pilots with capable (and sometimes not so capable!) aircraft.
As I say, its all relevant to the individual/aircraft.
____________________________________
www.RuskeyAirfield.com
Last edited by jonkil; 29th Jun 2012 at 09:05.
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Not too long ago I was at a municipal runway in a small beach town where one of these "monsters" came in.........very large relative to the surroundings!
###Ultra Long Hauler###
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That jungle road strip doesnt look too bad from that angle... You'd fire a 182 etc in there just wing clearance wouldn't suit a low wing. The microlight guys can fly in an out of amazing small spaces. There are a few biggies that make the difference, inertia (double the weight 4 times the intertia) and ground pressure of the heavier weight. Where a microlight can approach at 40mph, and have 0.7 of a ton to stop then that's no a huge amount of inertia. The tires wont cut in and leave you stuck there in most cases.
Consider a C401 etc going into that same grass field at 90mph having to stop 3.4 ton on smallish tires and no reverse thrust. There are guy's able to throw those big planes into short, narrow grass strips with full loads. The skill factor for that is way higher than you'd ever realise until you weigh it up. Was looking at the strip in the middle of Haydock with the tree's, narrow markers each side and TV screen's to avoid - it surely must be tricky to land light twins in there.
The STOL thing is really a function of touchdown speed/inertia/ability to stop coupled ability to control all those factors precisely. If you wanted to get red hot at it, well it just takes lots of practice. When it all goes wrong then... pull the mixture and make a funny face!
Consider a C401 etc going into that same grass field at 90mph having to stop 3.4 ton on smallish tires and no reverse thrust. There are guy's able to throw those big planes into short, narrow grass strips with full loads. The skill factor for that is way higher than you'd ever realise until you weigh it up. Was looking at the strip in the middle of Haydock with the tree's, narrow markers each side and TV screen's to avoid - it surely must be tricky to land light twins in there.
The STOL thing is really a function of touchdown speed/inertia/ability to stop coupled ability to control all those factors precisely. If you wanted to get red hot at it, well it just takes lots of practice. When it all goes wrong then... pull the mixture and make a funny face!
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It teaches you to be accurate, and the decision to "commit" to a landing is something you learn to not take too lightheartedly, with only very limited ways of escape on the other end.
Not to say that my landings are brilliant on bigger strips, far from! (I wish).
But it does give me confidence to have such a wide stretch of asphalt to play with, right there in front of me!
###Ultra Long Hauler###
Nice photos preceding, chaps. Tightest I can ever remember was at Out Skerries in Shetland Islands at, officially IIRC, 381m. Took an Archer in many years ago. It was a bit tight, not least because it is far from flat and the takeoff run available depended on how large a boulder you were prepared to trample at the easternmost shore end ! 
Dunno if it has been tarmaced yet ... ?
Dunno if it has been tarmaced yet ... ?
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Don't apologise, Adam. The video of the Grand Caravan landing on that ministrip at Coonagh is worth watching again! Skill to respect!
And I didn't realise any aircraft could go backwards...! remarkable.
And I didn't realise any aircraft could go backwards...! remarkable.
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I guess we all agree that it depends on the A/C ... and of course, the pilot (won't distinguish between guts and madness for this here). For an old rivet tin can of 172 my personal "comfort zone" is all above 1.000ft long and 30ft wide, which is the size of a friends gras airstrip, where we frequently barbecue. Shortest strip I departed was a tit over 600ft long, but you have to have perfect conditions for such. 500m is plenty of space for most GA machines.
Narrowest landing, St.Ferdinand in Quebec - track is 6m wide (but grass either side much wider).
Shortest takeoff was from the apron in Ubari, Libya. About 50m with a Maule (it was blowing a Hooley 90 degrees crosswind to the runway). I don't think the controller understood my request, and just said 'clear take off'!
Cheers, Sam.
Shortest takeoff was from the apron in Ubari, Libya. About 50m with a Maule (it was blowing a Hooley 90 degrees crosswind to the runway). I don't think the controller understood my request, and just said 'clear take off'!
Cheers, Sam.
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Sam, that looks like LF7333 Tignes - Le Palet to me. If so, the departure is not quite as constrained as it looks in that photo. There's lower ground to the left, after clearing a few ski lift wires.
