would be more interesting for everyone from pilots to pax and spectators to arm them with dive brakes and bomb sights :E

Many years ago when we still had an Air Force worth talking about we were returning to base across the North Sea, routing from Manston to coast in in the Netherlands. Having foolishly been suckered in by the Met man’s reasonable forecast, we found ourselves being forced down lower and lower by freezing cloud and snow, in which our helicopter was prohibited from flying. About two thirds of the way across we were at less than 100’ in very poor visibility when a very large ship loomed out of the mist very close ahead. It was much taller than our transit height. We missed it but not by much. I reckon he should have given way but we broke hard right to avoid anyway. We learned about flying AND shipping from that.

Aveiro
 

Aveiro / LPAV in Portugal has a shipping channel right in front of the rwy 35 threshold. Landed there once (many years ago) and sure enough - a container ship was about to cross in front of us. Extended the downwind a bit but the ship's wake was noticeable on short final. Has to be said, though, that I was flying a Cessna.

Lonewolf - it's not just boats and rich people. For my high power rocketry, we require clear airspace above us to a significant altitude. Last weekend we had a launch in central Oregon - we had a 'standing' waiver to 25k (~20,800 AGL), with 'windows' to 40k. With large rockets readily capable of flights over 30k (and no directional control after the button is pushed), it's important to keep the airspace clear to prevent a collision between an aircraft and a rocket (based on what a bird can do, I don't want to even imagine the damage a 50 or 100 pound rocket could do in a high speed collision).
That being said, we still monitor for encroaching aircraft before launching - last weekend we had at least four small aircraft encroach on our airspace, forcing a temporary halt to operations. Apparently some pilots think NOTAM means "there is something interesting going on, let's go take a look". And lest you think it's only GA pilots that don't follow the NOTAM, a few years back it was a 747-8 headed south (presumably headed to the Boeing facility in Texas) at maybe 10k (certainly lower than our 25k waiver) - it was low enough that I could readily identify that it was a definitely a 747-8, not a different model :sad:

Well, well, wondered how they did that, thanks for the detail - everyday is a school day, ....

From another perspective -
I was in the Merchant Navy in the early 1970's, and on one occasion we were sailing past Copenhagen north bound. This was an old ship, which still had 2 100ft masts with deck floodlights about three-quarters of the way up. As the ship electrician, I'd been hoisted up in a bosun's chair to repair one of these lights. It was a lovely day, and I had a great view from up there. Suddenly I saw a rather large aircraft approaching at what appeared to me to be a VERY low level. As it got closer and bigger, with wheels and everything else hanging out, I thought to myself "This is going to be ******* close". The aircraft passed directly over my head, and there was at least a couple of hundred feet of clearance over the mast. Definitely a ar$e twitching moment though!

Many years ago there was an exercise occurring around the north of Scotland with lots of NATO navies taking part. Sumburgh was landing on 27 and weather was less than optimal visibility wise. All of a sudden a primary target appeared on a 5 mile final moving very slowly and then speeding off to the north followed by several more. The landing ATP was given traffic to which he reported in sight and happy to continue visually. Asked what it was and the reply was "An aircraft carrier launching Harriers!". Turned out it was a Spanish carrier hiding by the Shetland mainland and sneaking aircraft off without being seen. As this was in The Sumburgh CTZ a phone call was made to the man at the ministry and the ship moved off.

Apart from the length, Ryanair never took advantage of the short runway because it is closed and disused, and has been for many many years. Trains hold for arriving flights, departing flights hold for trains. On a departing flight if you had to hold for a train it only added 2-3 mins max. The Derry - Belfast railway line only has an hourly service in each direction, and that is a very recent upgrade (last few years?), I believe it used to be every other hour before. On the basis that Pre-COVID there was barely 5 daily flights to LDY total, this was hardly ever an issue

RAF Cosford museum has had a few final flights that needed careful coordination with the railway timetable. https://www.pprune.org/questions/144...irfield-5.html
Among the aircraft that have made one way trips are VC10, B707, and Vulcan.

Some of the aircraft at Duxford museum were flown in shortly before the runway was shortened when the M11 was completed.

There was also the Red Arrow that crashed into a 44 foot yacht mast near Brighton https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/55501

Toronto City (Island) Airport has the Toronto Harbour on the approach path to runway 26, the most commonly used runway. In years past, it was common to have to spot and dodge leisure sailboat masts off the end of the runway. I've adjusted my approach a few times for these. Since Porter Airlines started operating , a boat exclusion zone is bouyed off the approach end of 26. Google Earth tells me that the exclusion zone extends 1380 feet back from the threshold to 26, and this seems to do the trick. Though large, lake freighters also use the harbour, they seem to stay only on the east end, a few miles from the airport, so it's only the recreational boaters which have the potential to cause conflict - though recreational boaters can also be the most unaware too!

I recall while on a family cruise of the Caribbean, we spent a day in San Juan. The maneuvering area for cruise ships is quite close to the approach end of runway 09. I recall having a really close view of a landing Cessna Caravan!

Hong Kong has protected zones at the each end of the airport. The zones vary depending on the height of the boat.

Trains
 

Back in the day, I flew once or twice into Le Touquet in northern France where they had a light rall line crossing the runway and apron. AFAIR it was built for passengers of Silver City Airways flying from Lympne (long defunct).
Railway Herald :: Imaging Centre :: at Le Touquet airport

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....788a46035b.jpg
Trains had the right-of-way across the runway at Ballykelly.

Had to do a go around at Aruba due to a cruiseship crossing finals.finals.
It's not uncommon on those islands.

Was going into BOS some years ago, lots of vectoring around the airfield, eventually asked if there was a problem as we were fast approaching commit time. Reply came back that there was shipping in the channel so this was delaying action. Thin layer of 8/8 Sc at ~1,000’, clear above.

After the vectors, we broke cloud at around 900’ for 04R to see a huge ship passing by the threshold, which were definitely on a collision course for. ATC instructed a GA, repositioned for another go. I don’t think I could have arranged that if I tried, we had a good laugh about it...

Ships vs Aircraft
 

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....aa1faa4459.jpg
Gibraltar Airport looking at the West end
We usually "park "in lower bottom of the shot where you can see the blue hulled yacht docked stern to, in the case above we would have to come around the cruse ship and the dredger that is usually moored or working there which sometimes brings us further out towards the end of the runway. The port pilots always check with the control tower if their are any arrivals and departures, and plenty of times we have to wait for our "slot" so we can manouver into the marina and berth. Most times we have to turn at the end of the runway, and then back down the channel as it is very shallow and difficult to turn her round and then go stern to. If you are wondering what I am talking about, this was "her"....

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....857302a4a6.jpg

I like a few of the people above spent my first NATS posting in Sumburgh late 80's early 90's and had a few aircraft/ship conflicts landing 27 or heli 24 and ships going in/out Grutness! One memorable one was during a half mile SRA to 27 with a BAF VC8 in really crap weather at the end of my spiel the pilot announced he had just gone around due large ship between him and the runway! We sent a fireman out to investigate and found a large three masted schooner docking in Grutness! Aviation and the sea were very close in the shetlands what with 'submarine watch' and rescue helicopter Oscar Charlie! Never mind the Russian Destroyer we found sheltering off Sumburgh head one morning as it got light! Happy days......

Ballykelly is reputed to be the only aerodrome in the world where there has been an instance of a cow being killed on the runway by a train.

Just beat me to it Lancman! Apparently, A Shackleton called turning finals and was told by ATC to "Go Around - steam roller on the runway!
Shackleton replies "Going Around. Whats a steam roller doing on the runway?"
ATC "Rolling!"

Dave. You just beat me replying ref Ballykelly. I believe it caused a go-around as well.