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Old 22nd Aug 2011, 01:49
  #36 (permalink)  
ST27
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: USA
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I have a question for you: why do these remote Arctic locations have to have gravel strips? Is it economics?

Seems like a paved strip would open that airport up to modern, perhaps smaller jet airplanes. Seems like a state-of-the-art, dense seating Gulfstream jet would make a lot more sense if the pax load is typically small.
Maintaining a paved runway on permafrost is quite difficult due to frost heaves. It's easier to maintain a gravel strip, particularly for only occasional use. Resolute is a community of only about 200 people, but is the jumping-off point for any northern exploration, so they do get more flights than the size of the community implies.

Keep in mind also that this flight was a cargo charter using a 737 combi. As such, it could have had as few as 12 seats in it, depending on the number of pallets they were carrying on the main deck.

First Air's scheduled flights into Resolute are performed using an ATR 42 or 72. They can also be set up for various amounts of freight. This airline is the lifeline into these northern communities, since they are frozen in during much of the winter, and can only get supplies by air.
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