Going through alternates ex-Hawaii and I stumble across
Johnson Atoll.
Apparently the aerodrome/runway closed in 2004 and Google Earth shows it (in seemingly reasonable nick) with x's all over it and all the buildings demolished.
Which isn't surprising considering since the 50's it had been a secret US nuclear, chemical and biological weapon test, storage and ultimately disposal site. I found an interesting story about its 'secret' nature in an article by a Malibu pilot who diverted there with a fuel leak
Secrets Of Johnston Island | PlaneAndPilotMag.com , and in another contemporary
article which states, in part
Johnston Island, only slightly larger than the runway down its middle, is 1330 kilometres (825 miles) south-west of Hawaii. Continental Air Micronesia flights from Honolulu to Majuro, in the Marshall Islands, land there, but while planes are re-fuelled passengers remain on board and armed guards surround the plane. A factory and bunkers line the south side of the runway, while 1,200 personal live to the north.
The Mystery? According to Wikipedia (not referenced and seemingly nowhere else on the internet)..
There were many times when the runway was needed for emergency landings for both civil and military aircraft, including one landing by a Qantas Boeing 747
Now, I can't find any history of this or have never heard anything about it (in 20 years in the industry). Can anyone here shed any light on this, or is it just an old wives tale?
This isn't 'Qantas bashing', I'm just interested in the story..