View Full Version : Interesting airstrips
Riding the Goat
2nd Oct 2006, 11:34
After seeing a pic of the strip below in another forum (Katchana, WA) I was wondering what other interesting locations pilots are asked to fly to for work. I know the PNG guys will beat us hands down for locations, but this is not a mines shorter then yours or harder, more interested in none standard strips, ie; might have a hill at one end (milford sound), cliffs, big bump in the middle, on a small island, bend in the middle, etc. Details of location, length, pics would be great.
http://file021.bebo.com/13/large/2006/10/02/02/2156555332a2156563309b796222922l.jpg
OK wish I had the pics to contrinute, but I would like to know where your example was, love the bend and the ruts at one end!:eek:
J:ok:
Riding the Goat
2nd Oct 2006, 12:39
That pic was contributed by low orbit in the "Aircraft bent at El Questro" thread. Apparently its at Katchana in the Kimberly, WA. Will have to check the country airstrip guide at work tomorrow to see if it rates a mention.
Here is another one I saw a few years ago, about 500m, dip in middle, dune at one end, the drink at the other and a few good coral buondies to test the undercarriage. Again in WA at the Abrolhos islands, there were two other strips that where shorter and rougher, but don't have any pics.
That didn't seem to work, might be size of image file. Will try again later.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1260/6767123/13010486/192385446.jpg
B767MAD
2nd Oct 2006, 22:58
Some Ive been too ;
Cockatoo Island - Northwest WA about 900m from memory left to right see the first big dip , then into another smaller one. Mainly land left to right unless wind is too strong to accept tailwind. 206 is good 210 is alright .....
http://photoproxy.tickle.com/image/153/8/6/RM/153862833RM103840118.jpg
Kooland Island - 600m (useable) they've done a bit of work now so its a little longer than what you see here. Again a one-way strip unless its blowing a gale! Land towards the camera and takeoff the cliff. Large dip in the middle.
206 great C208 even better 210 ... thanking your lucky stars!
http://photoproxy.tickle.com/image/153/8/6/RM/153862932RM814555002.jpg
18-Wheeler
3rd Oct 2006, 03:14
A few from my travels around the globe.
http://www.billzilla.org/guasopa.jpg
Guasopa in PNG, in the Citation. An old WW2 strip.
http://www.billzilla.org/ononge.jpg
Ononge in PNG, a Twotter strip.
http://www.billzilla.org/tapini.jpg
Tapini also in PNG, also a Twotter strip. (Don't turn left off there!)
http://www.billzilla.org/fane.jpg
Fane in PNG. 14deg slope of nastiness!
http://www.billzilla.org/rabaulvolcano.jpg
The view out the windscreen on downwind into Tokua, PNG, near Rabaul. Couldn't go too much further, the rocks were too big!
:)
18-Wheeler
3rd Oct 2006, 03:16
And for no particular reason, here's a video of me taking the 747 into Dubai.
http://www.billzilla.org/747.wmv
28.4 megs.
Diatryma
3rd Oct 2006, 03:53
Link to Russell Lee's strip at Ceres, Australia
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1010581/M/
Russell was tragically killed in a crash on approach to Mt. Hotham on 8th July 2005. RIP Russell.
Di
Bevan666
3rd Oct 2006, 05:13
And for no particular reason, here's a video of me taking the 747 into Dubai.
http://www.billzilla.org/747.wmv
28.4 megs.
Umm.. did you really need to point out where the gear handle was to the FO. :eek:
Bevan..
Yeh I noticed that too :eek:
I think it was more that the FO couldn't understand when Bill asked for 'gear down'.
Stranger things have happened though.. Bill any comment?
cleatus
3rd Oct 2006, 05:52
For interesting strips, aside from PNG, the Torres Straits had some special places 5-6 years ago prior to being sealed Boigu in the wet reduced to 450-500m, Maubiag 400m grass water at both ends rising terrain either side & Murray Island 500m grass, drop off at either end. Many challenging strips but a great place to learn skills & provide interesting stories.
18-Wheeler
3rd Oct 2006, 07:08
Yeh I noticed that too :eek:
I think it was more that the FO couldn't understand when Bill asked for 'gear down'.
Stranger things have happened though.. Bill any comment?
In our mob, we have over twenty different nationalities.
I've flown with guys that hardly speak or understand English at all. Now that makes for a fun flight ...
I think the guy might've been a bit asleep of something, as that's when we normally put the gear down. NFI what else he was going to do at that point.
OK wish I had the pics to contrinute, but I would like to know where your example was, love the bend and the ruts at one end!:eek:
J:ok:After seeing a pic of the strip below in another forum (Katchana, WA) I was wondering what other interesting locations pilots are asked to fly to for work.
hehehehe you boys crack me up.....thats not the worst the kimberley has to offer...one suggestion: spell it corectly Kachana....:cool:
PPRuNeUser0182
4th Oct 2006, 01:07
I recall reading an article a while back about some of the strips in Bass Strait presenting some exciting flying, particularly one called Swan Island (?). Can anyone share some stories from those parts?
Charlie:O
Woomera
4th Oct 2006, 06:38
How's this for butt pucker factor!!! :E
Mission strip, Eastern Highlands, PNG:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Woomera/NiceRunway.jpg
:} :} :}
18 Wheeler. Fane is 14 degrees but Omkalai was a 16 degree slope!
Sunny Woomera
Ultralights
4th Oct 2006, 07:51
and while on the topic of pointless aviation vids,
Me taking a friend on a quick trip down the V1 from Hoxton Pk.
http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-7418506300732543678
tobzalp
4th Oct 2006, 11:56
and while on the topic of pointless aviation vids,
Me taking a friend on a quick trip down the V1 from Hoxton Pk.
http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-7418506300732543678
This is officially the best non NAS related post I have seen on pprune ever with 18wheeler's in a close second.
Wanderin_dave
7th Oct 2006, 04:04
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k46/wanderin_dave/ladyelliot.jpg
Lady Elliot Island
Torres
7th Oct 2006, 04:43
Hydraulic cushions at both ends? :}
Led Zep
7th Oct 2006, 05:47
C206 job or what......:}
On floats at high tide. :}
Delta
12th Oct 2006, 16:34
On floats at high tide. :}
yer or try the new c-VTOL.........:}
moreorless
13th Oct 2006, 07:50
Lady Elliot Island
At least the water is warm.
Tinstaafl
13th Oct 2006, 15:02
Out Skerries, Shetland Islands, UK. Taken from the lighthouse which lies directly on final for RWY 27 (381m) so the image is equivalent to a short-ish but early final. Usually I turned final at the lighthouse about level with its light, staying downwind of it so the often gale-force wind wouldn't push me into the tower. Used to fly at night into here for air ambulance flights. They only had gooseneck flares when I started with the company.
The runway is visible just above the rocky island in the foreground. I think the photographer has used a wide-ish angle lens - the strip doesn't really look that small at this distance.
http://www.charles-tait.co.uk/library/shetland/islands/skerries/images/skerries37936_600_jpg.jpg
Out Skerries (http://www.charles-tait.co.uk/library/shetland/islands/skerries/pages/skerries37936_600_jpg.htm).
...and from or near the threshold looking in the opposite direction:
http://www.charles-tait.co.uk/library/shetland/islands/skerries/images/skerries37934_600_jpg.jpg
towards lighthouse from upwind end of Rwy 09 (http://www.charles-tait.co.uk/library/shetland/islands/skerries/pages/skerries37934_600_jpg.htm)
Image source: www.charles-tait.co.uk. Used with permission.
pressed_on
13th Oct 2006, 20:20
The grass strip with no explanation on the first page is good ol Tangahoe.
About 20nm west of National Park Village,:confused: Nth Is, NZ.
One way 400m. Land at the camera and up the two rises to the top. Roll from the top and run down towards the camera. If your light you can be airborne from the first bump (bout 30m) Behind the camera it drops of considerabley into a valley. If you miss the sheep, deer and pigs your half way home and once you pop into the valley you're home and hosed.
No sweat for the dirty DOV! even with Dave and his travelling band of B.O bandits.
Its got nothing on those PNG strips, hats off to you:D but still it's a pretty cool tiger country mission.:ok:
Towering Q
14th Oct 2006, 14:36
Great photos Tinstaafl, surely the blue skies would be a rarity.
Tinstaafl
14th Oct 2006, 16:09
Yeah. One of the few. Every so often there'd be a run of a week or so. In summer it was a heatwave if the temp. broke 20 deg C. Nearly always windy! Lost track of the >40kt days I flew into these strips. Weirdest thing was the 'Har' - a fog bank from the North Sea that would roll in with a 20 or 30 kt breeze. Quite strange to stand & watch a wall of fog roll over the top of you & then stream past at 20+ kts. Had a few moments where I had to race it to an airstrip.
Out Skerries was the shortest but by no means the most difficult. Two other strips were ~450m but had cliffs or other rock forms that would render them unuseable above 15 or 20 kts if the wind was from the wrong direction. Really nasty vortices would form & roll over the strips or their appr./dept. paths.