Laurence we always took off away from the rising ground at the NW end of Saiq, regardless of the wind. There used to be a very short Single Pioneer strip (300yds) inside the Sultan's Armed Forces Camp at Nizwa, where we were normally accommodated during Saiq lifts. A high cliff at one end meant you had to land towards it and take off away from it and there was no room for a go around! It needed very fine judgement, a scorching thirst and strong nerves to land a Twin Pioneer on it, but once the Imam's men started mining the five miles of dirt track between the landing strips at Firq and Nizwa it became a much more attractive proposition at the end of a hard day's flying.