Topcat450 - dead right about 36 at Netherthorpe. Just about impossible in a C150 without a stiff headwind with two up unless the fuel tanks are very low! Not to mention the wooded area on the climbout making things interestingly bumpy.

Even more challenging (my opinion) is landing on the reverse runway. Dumping it down quickly onto 18 after clearing the trees certainly makes it interesting - and very important to land 'on the numbers'.

I remember an instructor taking me up from runway 18 with no flap set at takeoff, just to prove that the aircraft would 'only just clear the hedge'. He was right... we did.... just.....

Fly quite a bit from Rochester - EFATO on any runway wouldn't be fun.

On my first solo, after training at Manston (went to Rochester for solo, 16th birthday). During the circuits pre solo, was told to "go for the runway, with the traffic" if something went wrong.

Great fun! :rolleyes:

tKF

Well 20 has a mandatory full backtrack reckon you could make the carpark in the factory - its usually empty at weekends, you may even make the runway to land on. As someone said there is a railway line to land on if on 02 and there are a few small fields. As always I hope it dosent happen but I do think about what I would do If it did. Staverton has houses off of one of their runways so it isnt much better.

Everyone mentioned EFATOS - not sure if that was strictly the only original question just more demanding runways.

My thoughts would be the Scilly Isles - the first time I thought the hump presents a very unusual profile and Alderney on a windy day when the down draughts getting you working hard.

Big Al,

Interested that you prefer landing 36 at Netherthorpe (to landing 18), because I prefer exactly the opposite. I prefer 36 for t/o but find landing 18 even easier than landing 06. Probably depends on whether your aircraft has flaps or not.
nb. For anyone not familiar with Netherthorpe, its all down to the slopes, and all the runways are short by the standards of other airfields.

To get back to the original topic, my list of difficult fields would include Lundy Island, Oxenhope, and for interest; Nayland. A lot of microlight strips are quite a challenge in a flapless group A aircraft However, they can let you get much closer to your destination. I know a helicopter would be better, but I've never even sat in one of those.

EFATOs was on my mind when I posted, but anything goes... I think the sentiment was the things regularly that make you think 'eek' despite the fact you are doing 'ordinary' flying.

My home field is Wellesbourne. The main runway, nice and long, means you are either doing an approach over high ground all trees or, you are climbing out over them.

The approach can be dealt with if you are ok with being high - full flap, power idle and you can basically pile it in 'from above'. Climb out though is a bit of a clock watch though... just looking for that comforting 6-700 :suspect:

Difficult Fields
 

Keef,

I agree with you about Avalon - Catalina Island, as that sheerr cliff, and the hump in the runway make it mighty strange.....together with sink/curl-over in the final stages! Its easy to discover the colour of adrenalin!

Another one for fun is Big Bear, which is about 7,000 amsl (AFAIR) and is accessed from the west by having to climb to about 11,000 amsl.....I had never been so high in a light single before, and rates of climb were down to about 150fpm with full power....and that was in an Arrow!

The Take off to go back to Long Beach was also a sphincter testing experience, as we seemed to eat up LOADS of runway and had about 90kts on the clock before we lifted off.......


I cant wait to go and do it again.


:D

Helen D, your comment re EGHI ..."20 has a mandatory full back-track" .....

I've not heard of any ATC mandated instruction to that effect, so is that a club rule? I only fly rarely from EGHI nowadays, with friends who have private a/c based there.

Slip