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.
MuddyRat
Looks like I've landed on something cool in user sub
XthaKung
Today I saw an helicopter pilot land at the crash barrier so I think landing at the second airstrip is doable.
tyrrant25
That title .. +1
justin35f
#5 looks like the airport in Far Cry 4
misspinata
Wellington airport is crazy awesome when you land . It's like a roller coaster.
Supermutantvirus
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
Metalhead47
I hope it takes off too, OP. Love stuff like this. Doze graves tho!
Digitalrev
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.
HarbourMistress
Undead underwear? A zombie on the wing? Nice typo.
batemada
You can land and take off a 747-400 jumbo at Wellington but it cant be full due to the short take off
nzreefie
So neat to watch when they do. Also, hi fellow Wellingtonian.
batemada
hello there fellow wellingtonian
WolfOfMay
Hi
ajourneyinthedark
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!
AnusMaximusConquerorofAnus
Neat
thisistheusernamethatneverendsitgoesonandonmyfriend
+1 for title
Hiroyami
The FOD :|
johnnya10
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.
morrissimo
+1 for the Savannah airport fact - grew up around there and had never heard about that
ddspill
Just flew out of that airport yesterday, didn't know till now, next landed definitely looking for it
ElectroshockedFox
I'm flying out of there tomorrow!
heyheynaynay
Me to! *high fives*
Magster2004
I love that airport.
ProMaxwell
That's just plane interesting
DeusCaritasEst
I don't have time to think of a super witty pun like you, so I guess I'll just have to wing it.
batemada
You can land and take off a 747-400 jumbo at Wellington but it cant be full due to the short take off
JarOfOlives
Fuck yeah airports! This excites me way more than it should
Kromerag
Fascinating read. I just couldn't, put her down.
breakfastburner
Isn't that French airport in goldeneye?
yummmmm
this is just. fascinating. straight up and down. would love to hear from a pilot that had landed on some of these
myassstinks
he's still changing his underwear
Katamarino
I've not landed on any of these yet, but did land on a frozen lake in New Hampshire. Don't touch the brakes!
samsonguy920
Oh, they have their ups and downs.
mountainofpuppies
I've been a passenger on the lakshadweep island... scary as duck
wandergeist
The old approach to Tegucigalpa, Honduras was a little hairy https://youtu.be/v_z5HtME9n8> Also Kai Tak https://youtu.be/Dr6cKTv0E7Q
FisterMantastic
Thank you! As an airline pilot, I was all "where the fuck is Kai Tak and Tegu?!
YouHaveBeenWaylaidByEnemiesAndMustDefendYourself
That France one looks like level 2 from Goldeneye
grishnakah
It is the one from the movie, yes.
Mashedpotatoed
You are correct it's the same one as the film
stealthnt
I think that's what the developers based it off.
BrotherEstapol
*film makers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ZrFwvobUc
Burritoheart
Wait. There is a Goldeneye movie too!
lpooptoomuch
I was thinking the same thing, it may be the same one from the movie
HitlersFather
Come on, @OP. Give credit where credit is due. http://www.destinationtips.com/air-travel/16-craziest-airport-runways-in-the-world/
queenelizabeth
We have now reached a cruisin' altitude of steady upvotes, final destination Front Page, estimated arrival time: Like, whenever.
SaltyDitchDr
Really well put together and interesting.
FreebasedDingus
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
mountainofpuppies
I've flown into the dirt strips in Botswana.. watch out for wildlife! And the lakshadweep one too... scary as duck
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
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.
jakethekiwi
Hello my fellow Miramar inhabitant! Nice to know there are other imgurians here. P.s f**k the beaver haters
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Oh btw, ZOMGNO is putting together a Kiwi imgur gathering over the summer, has she contacted you?
nzreefie
A fellow Wellingtonian :)
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Hallooo :)
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Btw have you heard about the Kiwi imgur gathering this summer? ZOMGNO is putting it together.
nzreefie
Yup! I've joined the FB group etc. Hopefully I'll be able to make it. Nice to do something out of the ordinary.
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Awesome :D Have fun!
limetime
We'll ain't that just neat.
spoodermon
stxahoy
Zang
StatisticallyInsignificantCanadian
TicoMachi
How neat is that?
IamCommanderShepardAndThisIsMyFavouriteStoreOnTheCitadel
Just.
Chunky4life
That's pretty neat!!
SirBozlington
We'll
halyeahboy
Neat.
ruffcats
Neat.
Letmeeatyourassplz
Why does nobody notice ruffcats posts?? It's ok man. I'm paying attention to you.
ABlastFromYourPast
Hey, congrats on making top comment!
limetime
blast from the past! loveyo u long time!!!
TheCrabOfTheTree
stxahoy
Zang
StatisticallyInsignificantCanadian
djmaskell
Nepal airport: you forgot to show the scary end of the runway. http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/files/2013/07/runway.jpg No aborted landings!
djmaskell
If you fuck up the landing... http://walkwithyeti.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Sita-air.jpg
djmaskell
Another good view: http://i.stack.imgur.com/Yx9m0.jpg