[Travel] Unusual airports

[Saltydog]

Airport in Madeira is hairy to say the least.

It’s okay though as they regularly shave the runway

 

[Algernon]

Although I've never actually flown into there myself, I've stood and watched planes land and take off. That 'jump' is for slowing them down when they land



It's particularly popular with certain trout lipped, walnut skinned, fur and jewellery encrusted Russian women. Hop on the Skidoo and a few hundred metres down to your chalet. I would imagine it beats the airports, coaches, minibuses and cars that I usually have to endure

When I was last there, about 4 or 5 years ago, the restaurant by the airport was doing a bowl of pasta for one at the bargain price of 45 Euros

We decided to lunch elsewhere

Only last week the landing didn't go according to plan.
https://www.rt.com/news/451011-plane-courchevel-hard-landing/

 

[Mexican Seagull]

No thats at La Paz which is over 4000 meters up (they also oxygen tanks ready as you get off the plane. The old Quito airport was fun, had an aborted landing there once due to too much ash from the Volcano Pichincha....

 

[boik]

Jodhpur, is a tiny airforce base, so no photos, they tell you on arrival that your bags can be collected from carousel 1...... it only has 1

This is baggage reclaim at Barra.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Only last week the landing didn't go according to plan.
https://www.rt.com/news/451011-plane-courchevel-hard-landing/

Have to say, I'm not surprised. Maybe I'll stick to coaches/minibusses. Hope they are all OK.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

No, I wasn't flying Delta.

I’ll put a word into my bosses.

Make sure it happens more.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Yes, I’ve done that one a couple of times, both extremely bumpy but you get free coca leaves at the airport for altitude sickness.

I didn’t see the free leaves! I just went to bed light headed and woke up fine. It definitely felt weird though

 

[raymondo]

In the early 90s took off from Biggin Hill in a Gulfstream (or Learjet) on way to Westchester, NY. Had to land at St John's, Newfoundland, on way to refuel as jet couldn't take enough fuel for the trip East to West (ok from NY to UK). St John's in winter had 1.5 meters of snow each side of the runway.

 

[AZ Gull]

Nothing too unusual about the actual airport but enjoyed flying out of Flagstaff, AZ when security was all closed up and we were told we'd have to wait 30 minutes because the TSA had "gone out for burritos"

Talking of Flagstaff - they thrashed their daily record for most snowfall on Thursday, with 35.9 inches falling, breaking the previous mark from 1915 of 31 inches - Flagstaff, Arizona, sets all-time snow record as major snowstorm buries southwestern US

 

[Raphael Meade]

Talking of Flagstaff - they thrashed their daily record for most snowfall on Thursday, with 35.9 inches falling, breaking the previous mark from 1915 of 31 inches - Flagstaff, Arizona, sets all-time snow record as major snowstorm buries southwestern US

Jesus that's impressive. Snowed here in LA for about 3 minutes yesterday too.. first snow at 'home' since I left Sussex!

 

[Lethargic]

I don’t know. I’ve not kept up with recent Bond films. But the way Couchevel has gone in recent years it is now like Little Russia.

The most famous Bond ski scene in the alps was filmed on the Schilthorn in Switzerland which I have snowboarded. And Entering into the spirit of things I had two martinis on top of the lunch time wine and snowboarded all the way from the top. I recall I did most of it on my arse.

Only part of the ski run was filmed on the shilthorn bit at the top close to the restaurant the rest was filmed elsewhere with a bobsliegh run. As you say though the black run down is rather challenging

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Comrade Sam]

Tomteland airport in Sweden was odd, all the staff dress as Elves. Can't find a picture though. Arriving at La Paz at midnight is hard on the bladder.

 

[Chicken Run]

Talking of Flagstaff - they thrashed their daily record for most snowfall on Thursday, with 35.9 inches falling, breaking the previous mark from 1915 of 31 inches - Flagstaff, Arizona, sets all-time snow record as major snowstorm buries southwestern US

Having now read up a little on Flagstaff it is definitely a place I would like to live [emoji106]

 

[ferring seagull]

It has a bridge being built from Male to the island which i think is near completion now .

Thanks, It is a fair few years since I was there

 

[Hampster Gull]

It’s improved since I used to go here when I was a kid
View attachment 3690AD36-980A-4443-AE79-47B2CC477982.jpeg

 

[pasty]

Not been anywhere quite as exotic or scary as some on this thread, but flew into Montpellier last year and we got just a tad low over the sea before hitting tarmac. Judging from the sound on this clip, just about 100 feet above the sea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sywCM8w8CRo

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Nice is very much like that too.

I was there a couple of years back, you're probably right but buggered if I can remember!

 

[Sussex Nomad]

When you stroll across this Gibraltar runway adjacent to the traffic, you can see the natural 'hump' in the runway, following the earth's curvature I suppose, but I was surprised how bumpy the surface was. Can't say that I have seen the middle of any other runways this close, though.

Exiting Basel/Basle airport was interesting - turn left for German, turn right for Switzerland.

Waiting for the planes to land at Gib is just a little worse than waiting for the trains at the Roundstone crossing in EP.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

In the 1970s we once flew Dan Dare from a grass airfield somewhere in Kent. Possibly Maidstone or even Biggin Hill. Tally Ho and chocks away!

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Munich airport has its own brewery and beer garden. And damned tasty beers they are too.

Not been through for a few years but it was the only airport I have flown through that had its own duty free 'Adult' shop selling a full range of toys, outfits, DVDs etc. Must make life interesting if things shift in the overhead locker when a giant dildo falls out on someone's head!

I flew into Quito, Ecuador last week. Apparently they moved the airport six years ago as the previous one was too dangerous. It's still surrounded by volcanoes and glaciers as you fly in, and is 2,850m above sea level so the planes performance is apparently less reliable... and you do tend to feel quite light headed when you get off the plane. It's a cracking journey into the city though - stunning views.

When I was flying into Denver last year, I was looking at the Sky Map thinking, we look a lot lower than 8000ft - forgetting that the city is at 5280ft. Not quite as bad as Quito but you do notice how much thinner the air is.

Exiting Basel/Basle airport was interesting - turn left for German, turn right for Switzerland.

But no instructions for France which also shares the Airport. Not a great airport if you need anything to eat before your flight home. I often fly into Zurich and until recently, it was well known amongst cabin crew for having one of the bumpiest runways in Europe. If you end up in the satellite terminal, there is a transit to the man terminal which plays cow noises as you travel.