The World's 5 Craziest Airport Runways

[mfcorey1]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hoppercom/the-worlds-5-craziest-airport-runways_b_6802002.html

That moment when the landing gear begins to rumble, the pilot signals for the cabin crew to strap in, and the fuselage of the plane begins to drop between the clouds towards the glowing runways in the distance, is arguably one of the most nerve-wracking of flying overall. But when that runway is perched high betwixt precipitous mountains, nestled just meters away from a rolling ocean, or strewn out across a busy roadway, then it's a whole different ball game and even the most experienced travelers will find themselves perched on the edge of their seats!

Check out this list of the world's most nail-biting, hair-raising, heart-thumping and crazy airport runways, which range from soaring strips on the edge of Mount Everest, to terrifying tarmacs on the Caribbean isles. Sometimes, getting there is part of the adventure. Hopper did some research to find the world's craziest airport runways, and you may be surprised by where they are!

[Blue_Tires]

1. Narita didn't make the list?

[Capt.Rocky300]

3. Why NRT?

Long runways and no terrain close to the airport. Other than gusty winds now and then it is pretty straight forward. It has been 5 years since I was there so maybe something has changed?

[Blue_Tires]

4. I thought they had that housing development from the land dispute

and they had to build the taxiway around it?

[Capt.Rocky300]

9. True, but it is more of an inconvenience..........

than a safety issue.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. There's no problem with Narita

I've used that airport dozens of times.　I've never seen them taxiing around a housing development.

[Blue_Tires]

21. Maybe not a 'development'...But this is what I was referring to:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/04/24/national/naritas-second-runway-marks-10-contentious-years/#.VP5rHPnF_Ec

[Art_from_Ark]

22. OK, the article explains a few things

The runway my flights always use is the A runway so I wouldn't have noticed the other runway.

[Ryano42]

2. Now Closed...Hong Kong Kai Tak!

[Brigid]

12. I heard about that one.

Pilots basically had to do aerial acrobatics with a 747 full of passengers.

[Capt.Rocky300]

13. I miss it......

it was a fun approach to fly in decent weather. Not sure passengers felt the same way.

[hifiguy]

15. I heard stories about that one.

Shoot a huge plane between the mountains and then pray for an actual landing as you dropped the bird out of the sky like a bag of wet cement to hit the runway. Never flew into it though.

[panader0]

18. I looked for that one on the list. I landed there in '66. I was 16.

I had flown quite a bit by then, but that one was scary. I did like the Tiger Balm Gardens though.

[NV Whino]

5. I'd pit Burbank against most of those.

Except maybe the Gibraltar airport.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

6. This one was a little unsettling, in a "where the fuck are we?" sort of way

[Initech]

7. How could Funchal / Madiera not make the list?

[Lurks Often]

8. Video of Tenzing-Hillary Airport

Take off:

&feature=related

and landing:

[2naSalit]

23. Good Grief!

I think that experience would certainly cure me of flying.

At least for takeoff there seem to be a situation where there could be rotors (updraft) at the edge to help with lift once you run out of tarmac.

[geek tragedy]

10. No Tegucigalpa? And LGA deserves at least an honorable mention nt

[phylny]

25. We always knew what "disabled plane on the runway" meant

at LGA

[Capt.Rocky300]

11. Leaving San Diego's Lindbergh off.........

is a mystery. A non-precision approach over downtown filled with high rise buildings to a shortened runway (displaced threshold) so the airplanes can clear the parking garage. It truly is crazy. At least the GPS approach has reduced the risk somewhat.

[Major Nikon]

16. At least it has an approach

I've landed at GA airports at night that only had runway lights and nothing else. No PAPI/VASI, and no approach of any kind. I landed at one that had no lights on the taxiway, so getting back to the runway after refueling was a pretty good trick. I tend to avoid those these days, regardless of how cheap the fuel is. Now my requirement for landing at night is a precision approach (which for me means an ILS) and/or a PAPI/VASI.

[2naSalit]

24. I used to fly in and out of

Lindbergh a lot back in the 70s. I also never liked being at the corner of PCH and Laural Street unless it was after curfew.

Did they turn Convair into a parking lot? I remember one night when it was too foggy to land and we made three attempts only to realize that we were about to set down on top of the Convair complex each time. the pilot finally bailed and we ended up in Phoenix late at night, had to wait for over and hour for a voucher for a cheap room where I vibrated for an hour before I had to get up and get shuttled back to the airport, put on a different airline and finally made it home that afternoon. Meanwhile the folks at Lindbergh told our friends and relatives waiting for our arrival that they sent us to LAX. My ride was going to drive up there to get me but I'm glad they didn't. I was coming in from BOS and it was an all day journey with a tech delay in PIT... it was a very long day in transit. Ugh!

I heard that pilots once had a little inside contest to see who could leave rubber closest to the intersection at PCH and Laural Street.

[Brigid]

14. Saint Maarten didn't make the list?

[brooklynite]

19. St. Maarten is an easy airport to land at...

....may not be an easy airport to visit the beach at...

[panader0]

20. Must see--Water landing in Costa Rica--What'll those damn surfers do next for fun?