Airports that Challenge Your Pilot (and Quite Possibly Scare Him)
What better way to close out a month of tragic Airport experiences than with a handful of the most jaw-dropping runways on the planet? The next time you’ve arrived at the airport from a slightly turbulent flight, and you’ve “had it up to here”…think of these airports, these runways, the fact that actual pilots and actual passengers survive these Airports every day.
You may now thank your pilots.
5 of the World’s Most Astonishing Airport Runways
Princess Juliana International Airport (St. Maarten)
In the video below, you’ll see a normal spectacle along the beach of St. Maarten. The Princess Juliana International Airport is the second-busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. Because of this, overly large and heavy jetliners like Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s are seen on the regular. What’s the big deal? These gigantic airplanes fly supremely low over Maho Beach, just skimming over the perimeter fence as they make their way to or from the airport.
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (Saba Island)
“The shortest commercial landing strip in the world.”
Need we say more? Cliffs, hills and the shortest commercial landing strip in the world (that is also surrounded by water). Yikes.
Barra International Airport (Hebrides, Scotland)
What you’ll find to notice about this Scotland airport…is that the runway is actually a beach.
No sunbathing or romantic walks here, please.
Gibraltar Airport (Gibraltar)
And this airport’s runway…runs straight through the roads.
Railroad crossing? Nope: There’s an airplane causing traffic jams.
Courchevel Airport (France)
To wrap this list up, consider the intelligence and skill level it takes to actually land your plane safely. Your pilot usually has to line up the plane with the runway—a straight line to match a straight line. What happens when your runway isn’t flat? Well, just ask the brave souls that land on this runway in France.
We weren’t prepared for slopes, Captain.