Bait al Falagh Old Muscat Airfield

[kaikohe76]

Hi Folks,

I just wondered if there is anybody out there, who has any photographs of the old airfield at Bait Al Falagh in Muscat. I remember it from 1967 when on the Andovers at Sharjah & I remember the rather interesting & senic approach quite well.
Be nice to get hold of the odd images from those long gone days,if anybody has any lying about & can help at all.
Cheers & thanks.

[OKOC]

Google images produced this: http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/6/2/4/0190426.jpg

[parabellum]

Somewhere with in the realms of PPRuNe there is an extensive thread about aviation in the Oman, try the search function using Miltary Aviation+Oman to start with, I do believe it is all out there.

[brakedwell]

kaikohe76
This is the only photo I have. Taken in 1960 when I was on 152.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/12345.jpg

[kaikohe76]

Many thanks Guys for your responses, long time ago for all of us I suppose, but still nice to recall those days & great flying too.
Regards & thanks again.

[JW411]

I have been into Bait many a time on the Argosy. We called it Bait al Falaj (a falaj being an underground irrigation ditch).

As long as you are not in a hurry, send me a PM with your email address and I'll see what I can find for you. I am in the process of converting hundreds of colour slides that I took in the Middle East between 1966 and 1971 and I know that I have some taken whilst in the circuit at Bait.

[Compass Call]

These any good?

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j216/Compass123/BaytAl-Falaj1970.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j216/Compass123/BaytAl-Falaj1986.jpg

Before and after!

CC

[4PON4PIN]

Is my memory hazy, or would others agree that the approach into Bait Al Falaj was not too dissimilar to the approach onto 13 at Kai Tak?

JENKINS pse give me a bell. Retirees need company!!!:)

[JW411]

As far as I can recall the strip was orientated 33/15. It was originally about 4000 feet long and about 60 feet wide with a gravel surface. Before my first visit in January, 1968 both ends had been concreted in the touch down area for about 500 feet.

When SOAF ordered Strikemasters it was decided to concrete the whole length. Sadly, they started from both ends towards the middle and it was discovered that the two teams weren't on the same heading so they ended up with a two degree dog leg in the middle!

The approach to 15 was quite straightforward as there was a convenient wadi leading to the threshold from the sea but a go around with an engine failure would have been pretty interesting due to the terrain at the other end.

The approach to 33 was much more interesting. High ground on either side was joined together by a "V" shaped saddle which was about 1500 feet at its lowest point. The technique was to drop everything (gear and flaps) at the saddle and come back to flight idle whilst keeping the left wing close to the jebel on the left.

Unfortunately, the jebel was orientated such that a 20 degree right turn had to be made on to finals and that was not possible until at a height of 100 - 150 feet above the threshold. Considering that there was usually a crosswind and the strip was only 60 feet wide, it was quite an interesting experience.

The late Archie Coutts, who was a bit of a wine buff, described Bait as "a cheeky little strip possessed of a certain boldness!"

[sycamore]

And a trifle more difficult now...