Dear Friends
The decision on air access to this last outpost is getting closer. A very good summary of the struggle is to be found on
www.shelco.sh which was last updated on 18th October. Well worth a read before it is updated! St Helena is the island of Napoleon's last imprisonment and is S15 57 W05 39 and in terms of having an interesting historical past and sub-tropical climate is very like Norfolk Island in D&G. But far, far more remote. Alas in all the dithering and pontificating the brilliant idea of Shelco's engineers to build a twin runway, single-use configuration is probably now too expensive. The shorter runway with a clear approach and a manageable cross-wind component would have been landing only; the longer runway direct into the trade winds would have been take-off only. If there is to be an airport at all there will have to be a compromise (can't allow these business chappies to put one over on Whitehall, now can we!) necessitating massive RESAs at either end, bigger than anywhere else even though the trade winds blow in only one direction and thus blowing the costs through the roof. As an ETOPs destination it will be serviceable only by B737 & A319 types fitted with extra tanks a la BBJ/ACJ in lieu of full cargo space and therefore 50-100 seats. But it can be done and at last Shelco is being treated as an inward investor building on St Helena's unique tourist attractions. And no longer (if the airport does get built) will islanders in urgent need of major surgery simply have to grin and die. Thanks very much to Captain Chambo and Ozexpat who might now realise why a St Helenian Aussie has been pestering them awhiles!
Regards
enicalyth