knobbygb
7th Apr 2006, 14:47
Just moved to Greece and was looking at which aircraft are used on the domestic routes around the islands. My local airport is Paros and at (approx.) 2330ft is one of the shortest airfields served in the region (about the same length as the grass strip I learned to fly from actually). When I was here several years ago Olympic used Dornier 228’s for this and some of the other services but these have since been replaced by larger Dash8-100’s. Other fields of around 2600ft are also served exclusively by Dash8’s while the neighbouring Naxos at 2900ish ft regularly sees ATR42’s.
Just wondered what the typical performance of the shorter Dash8 is compared to the Do228 and, for example, to the ATR42’s and 72’s which Olympic operate in larger numbers? I’m assuming that the ATR’s aren’t viable into this sort of runway length or surely they’d have standardised on the equipment they already operated. What other turboprops, if any, could operate into such a small airfields in hot weather (typically 30 to 35 degrees throughout the summer) if future growth required a larger capacity? Just curious really to understand my local air services, what the technical limitations are and what the future might hold.
Just wondered what the typical performance of the shorter Dash8 is compared to the Do228 and, for example, to the ATR42’s and 72’s which Olympic operate in larger numbers? I’m assuming that the ATR’s aren’t viable into this sort of runway length or surely they’d have standardised on the equipment they already operated. What other turboprops, if any, could operate into such a small airfields in hot weather (typically 30 to 35 degrees throughout the summer) if future growth required a larger capacity? Just curious really to understand my local air services, what the technical limitations are and what the future might hold.