I hope this post takes off

Nov 22, 2015 9:48 PM

OhLookThisAgain

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Gisborne Airport, New Zealand

This North Island airport is one of the few in the world that has a railway line running through its runway. Both the railway and the airport are active, so lets hope they are precise about their scheduling.

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba Island

Blink and you might miss it. With only 400m in length, this Caribbean island has the shortest commercial air strip on the planet.
Obviously, this tiny runway is only suitable for small aircraft.

Courchevel Altiport, France

This airfield high in the French Alps is a convenient yet treacherous drop-off point for wealthy skiers at the chi-chi Courchevel slopes.
In fact, there are ski runs no far from the 1,762 ft (537 m) mountaintop runway. Frequent fog, snow, ice and low clouds make it even more extreme. You’ll want to make sure your small plane or helicopter pilot is well trained.

Don Mueang Airport, Thailand

There aren’t many airports in the world that have an 18 hole golf course right amongst the runways. Fore!

Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal

If you’re planning on trekking to Mount Everest, chances are you’ll arrive via this small Nepalese airport in Lukla. It has a short runway with a 9,334 feet (2900 meter) drop off the edge. Not for the faint of heart.

Agatti Aerodrome, Lakshadweep, India

This 4000 feet long island runway doesn’t leave much margin for error. A few more inches, and passengers are going to be swimming sooner than they bargained for.

Barra International Airport, Scotland

Barra International Airport, on a remote northern island in Scotland, has the only beach runway for scheduled flights in the world. At high tide, some of the runways are underwater.

Gibraltar International Airport

Winston Churchill Avenue, a major thoroughfare, intersects the airport runway in Gibraltar. This is one red light you don’t want to run.

Gustaf III Airport, Saint-Barthélemy

This runway is so tiny, only planes with a maximum of 20 people can land here. That helps keep St. Barts an exclusive
upscale Caribbean haven for the rich and famous.

Kansai International Airport, Japan

With land at a premium in Japan, they decided to build this major airport on an artificial island offshore in Osaka Bay. If its ocean setting doesn’t give you chills, its also regularly subjected to earthquakes, typhoons and storm surges. Oh, and the island is also sinking. This airport’s construction and constant reinforcement makes it the most expensive civil works project in modern history.

Madeira Airport, Portugal

The previous airport on this Portuguese archipelago was notoriously challenging due to its short runway surrounded by high mountains and the ocean. So, they extended it with an impressive – yet frightening – platform supported by 180 columns off the edge of the land.

Narsarsuaq Airport, Greenland

This runway is short and sweet whether you’re coming or going. It is considered one of the world’s most challenging approaches. Pilots have to fly up a fjord known for its turbulence and wind gusts.

Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport

A pair of grave makers are embedded into Runway 10 at this airport, in remembrance to the Dotson Family who use to own the land.
One of the graves dates back to 1857. The law states that next of kin need to authorize the moving of family graves, and when they couldn’t be located, the airport engineers let them be.

Wellington Airport, New Zealand

This airport in New Zealand’s capital city has a short runway, so only smaller aircraft can land there. It’s known for turbulent landings due to the channeling effect of the Cook Strait creating gusty winds.

Princess Juliana International Airport, Saint Maarten

This beachside airport on the Dutch side of Saint Martin is right across the street from Maho Beach. It is known for its extremely low-altitude flyover landing approach, and tourists flock here to experience the rush of the planes overhead. Definitely one of the craziest airport runways you got to see to believe.

Ice Camp Barneo, North Pole

This snowy strip not far from the North Pole is open for just 4 weeks per year. Built on a drifting ice base, it’s a fully functional runwaysuitable for cargo planes like the Antonov AN-74. Perhaps Santa Claus uses it too.

Looks like I've landed on something cool in user sub

11 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Today I saw an helicopter pilot land at the crash barrier so I think landing at the second airstrip is doable.

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

That title .. +1

11 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

#5 looks like the airport in Far Cry 4

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Wellington airport is crazy awesome when you land . It's like a roller coaster.

11 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

I did the lazy Nepal trip to Tenzing and as it was very cloudy, the landing was dramatically aborted twice as to allow for a better approach

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I hope it takes off too, OP. Love stuff like this. Doze graves tho!

11 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Hate to say it, but some of the figures are wrong. Lukla runway in Nepal, is only 530m long. And I have the shitty undead wear to prove it.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Undead underwear? A zombie on the wing? Nice typo.

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You can land and take off a 747-400 jumbo at Wellington but it cant be full due to the short take off

11 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

So neat to watch when they do. Also, hi fellow Wellingtonian.

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

hello there fellow wellingtonian

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Hi

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Can confirm the Saint Maarten airport is crazy, the whole approach looks like you're going to land in the water and then suddenly, land!

11 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Neat

11 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

The FOD :|

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Would add Skiathos airport in Greece. The runway's so short, planes have to take off with empty tanks before heading to Athens to fuel up.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

+1 for the Savannah airport fact - grew up around there and had never heard about that

11 years ago | Likes 38 Dislikes 0

Just flew out of that airport yesterday, didn't know till now, next landed definitely looking for it

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I'm flying out of there tomorrow!

11 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Me to! *high fives*

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I love that airport.

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

That's just plane interesting

11 years ago | Likes 39 Dislikes 1

I don't have time to think of a super witty pun like you, so I guess I'll just have to wing it.

11 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

You can land and take off a 747-400 jumbo at Wellington but it cant be full due to the short take off

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Fuck yeah airports! This excites me way more than it should

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Fascinating read. I just couldn't, put her down.

11 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Isn't that French airport in goldeneye?

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

this is just. fascinating. straight up and down. would love to hear from a pilot that had landed on some of these

11 years ago | Likes 69 Dislikes 1

he's still changing his underwear

11 years ago | Likes 36 Dislikes 0

I've not landed on any of these yet, but did land on a frozen lake in New Hampshire. Don't touch the brakes!

11 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

Oh, they have their ups and downs.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I've been a passenger on the lakshadweep island... scary as duck

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The old approach to Tegucigalpa, Honduras was a little hairy https://youtu.be/v_z5HtME9n8> Also Kai Tak https://youtu.be/Dr6cKTv0E7Q

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Thank you! As an airline pilot, I was all "where the fuck is Kai Tak and Tegu?!

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

That France one looks like level 2 from Goldeneye

11 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

It is the one from the movie, yes.

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

You are correct it's the same one as the film

11 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

I think that's what the developers based it off.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

*film makers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ZrFwvobUc

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Wait. There is a Goldeneye movie too!

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I was thinking the same thing, it may be the same one from the movie

11 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Come on, @OP. Give credit where credit is due. http://www.destinationtips.com/air-travel/16-craziest-airport-runways-in-the-world/

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

We have now reached a cruisin' altitude of steady upvotes, final destination Front Page, estimated arrival time: Like, whenever.

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Really well put together and interesting.

11 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

I wish i had pictures of some of the airstrips I landed on in Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. Often thought "why are we landing rn

11 years ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 0

I've flown into the dirt strips in Botswana.. watch out for wildlife! And the lakshadweep one too... scary as duck

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I live so close to Wellington airport that I hear the planes coming in to land. 747s can't come to Welly, except (once) in an emergency.

11 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Hello my fellow Miramar inhabitant! Nice to know there are other imgurians here. P.s f**k the beaver haters

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Oh btw, ZOMGNO is putting together a Kiwi imgur gathering over the summer, has she contacted you?

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

A fellow Wellingtonian :)

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Hallooo :)

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Btw have you heard about the Kiwi imgur gathering this summer? ZOMGNO is putting it together.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yup! I've joined the FB group etc. Hopefully I'll be able to make it. Nice to do something out of the ordinary.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Awesome :D Have fun!

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

We'll ain't that just neat.

11 years ago | Likes 129 Dislikes 5

looks like the airport on FarCry 4

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Zang

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

How neat is that?

11 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

That's pretty neat!!

11 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

We'll

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Neat.

11 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Neat.

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Why does nobody notice ruffcats posts?? It's ok man. I'm paying attention to you.

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Hey, congrats on making top comment!

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

blast from the past! loveyo u long time!!!

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Zang

11 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Nepal airport: you forgot to show the scary end of the runway. http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/files/2013/07/runway.jpg No aborted landings!

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

If you fuck up the landing... http://walkwithyeti.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Sita-air.jpg

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Another good view: http://i.stack.imgur.com/Yx9m0.jpg

11 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0