Funchal airport - how about ILS?

[baigar]

Hi,
for holiday I was on Madeira island and I was astonished about Funchal airport (FNC). Very short runway 050. If wind comes from the east (as it did when we approached with a 757-200), the aircraft has to fly a sharp right turn immediately before touchdown. This is because the village of Gaul and the mountain it is sitting on blocks the direct approach.
My question is: Is an approach in instrument landing conditions possible in this situation? There is essentially no space for aligning with the runway.
Big aircraft like 757-200 or A321 (are bigger ones landing in Funchal, too?) have to deccelerate very fast after having touched down. For takeoff the aircraft has to taxi on the runway to the very end (no room for taxiways: water on 2.5 sides, mountains on the other 1.5 sides ;) ) and there is a flat area where you turn around to have the full length of the runway available for takeoff.
BTW: A nice spotting point can be reached by leaving the only highway on Madeira driving from funchal towards the airport at the second exit to Gaula and than continue towards Gaula. A road is leading uphill where you will find a picnic table with two parking places on the left hand side. From there you have an excellent view on the airport. You are face to face with the pilots during the final right turn before touchdown...
Regards,
Erik.

[Conan the Librarian]

Did a jump seat trip into Funchal as my first actual jet flight. Those cliffs had the sphincter spasming a bit I can tell you - they certainly appeared appeared to be above us! All followed by a visit to the tower and a very relaxed turnaround before setting off for somewhere about 25 miles away (Porto Santo?) for some motion lotion and then off to sunny Manchester for a crew curry and some wonderful Macclesfield hospitality.

Still think fondly of it some 30 odd years later. This was just after the TAP 727 went off the end and of the inadvertant barrell roll in same type by a US operator. Memorable...

Conan

[reverserunlocked]

I think you'll find this big...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1033399

[RealFish]

Not wishing to brag, but I think mine's bigger !
The 742 ws there to commemorate the runway extension. No pax if I remember correctly, just for show .
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0525210&size=L

[Newforest]

Well, there is only one bigger to go!:ok:

[Hartington]

Many (many) years ago I need to get about 80/90 people UK/Gibraltar/UK with about a dozen motorcycles. Scheduled couldn't help so I started looking for charters. Ended up as a choice between a Vanguard and a DC10-30! We took the Vanguard but I was always amazed that the 10 was even a possibility. The big jets can be amazingly agile when they need to be.

The approach to GIB was the only one I can remember where we accelerated towards the runway on finals (because of the downdraft over the rock). And taking off in the dark knowing the rock was immediately on your left as you made a sharp left turn to avoid Spanish airspace concentrated the mind.

[longarm]

Don't think the runway could be described as short. When it was short (prior to the extension and re alignment) it used to be real fun!

[A2QFI]

Time was when the runway was a lot shorter and I think one had to do a number of supervised approaches to be cleared as captain. Many aircraft took off and did the short hope to Porto Santo, or a longer one to Lisbon, to refuel en route to UK. Now they just take off and go direct. I don't know if night landings are permitted now? Some years ago I was due to fly out in the afternoon and the flight was delayed and couldn't get to Funchal before sunset. We were put in a hotel and woken up at about 01.30 - off to the airport and landed at Funchal 1 minute after the sun appeared! Had breakfast in our designated hotel and took the holiday on from there!

[BOAC]

To confirm Funchal plenty big enough now, and ILS out of the question at both ends due to terrain.

Off there today so will check it has not got shorter.:)