B747 lands on 49 foot wide runway

[Traumahawk]

I guess. It's all in perspective.....
A few years ago I was in Lake City, FL, on a fire. A DC-9 was just being made ready to go back on the line, and when the crew departed, they started their turn somewhere between two and four hundred feet, and banked about thirty degrees as they turned on course. Someone associated with their operation nearby whistled, and said something to the effect of, "Those boys really know how to play when they're not being watched, don't they? Wow."

If life ever gets to the point where that represents excitement and something unusual, just kill me.

It's all perspective.

I think I've been in your shoes during the same conversation....Couldn't have said it better myself. It's all relative.

I teach in a Stearman with a gentleman quite often because he wants to remain proficient. He's all over the place when the runway is wide, and right on the money when the strip is narrow.

Go Figure. :O)

T-Hawk

P.S. It's not always out of the norm to fly an airplane to the limits of what it can truly give you. You can do it regularly, and safely whether it's a cub or a 747...opens up a hell of a lot more opportunities as well.

 

[C601]

There is a Video in the Net somewhere, of that 747 landing at that airport, i've see it.....

 

[Cat Driver]

Just to take some of the heat off Avbug I'll jump in here and comment on this topic.

I have landed many times on that runway at Rand Airport and it is just another narrow runway, no more, no less.

And on the ramp were parked all kinds of stuff from Russian airplanes to DC6's ...and of course the Cat that I was flying.

Cat Driver

 

[sandman2122]

And that European pilot (from Denmanrk?) recently couldn't land that little Citation on that 2,800' runway! Guess they wanted to go for a swim.

 

[TurboS7]

Stratocruiser

 

[avbug]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!


See! I'm not the only one!

 

[inline]

I guess. It's all in perspective. We regularly used narrow small runways for large airplanes doing fire operations. Regardless of the runway, we generally used all of it. The idea of putting a large airpalne into a small place isn't earth shattering...taking off again is a whole lot more interesting...especially when the climb gradient that interests you isn't measured in degrees, but in whatever takes to clear powerlines and television antennaes, and keep clear of them on the way to the fire. It's all in the perspective.

At least in a tanker you can salvo your load if you get in trouble on departure.

 

[avbug]

At least you can try.

But that's the general idea, yes. Then again, you try dropping a load in someone's living room and see how smooth your life goes after the fact.

I know an individual who feathered out the load after an engine failure in cruise when a prop wouldn't feather...a group of boy scouts were doing a canoe trip down below. The t-shirts still abound out there commemorating the event.

Then again, it's not so simple as squeezing the trigger or pressing the drop button. The airplane I presently fly on fires will stall in a heartbeat if I go punching it off just off the ground, and has a fifteen knot window between uncontrollable pitching on the drop, and stalling...takeoff puts the airplane squarely at the bottom of that window.

Disposable load is part of the safety net, if you will, but I know more than a few pilots, myself included, who have squeezed the trigger or pushed the button only to find that the airplane didn't react at all, and the load stayed comfortably right where it was. Anybody who makes that takeoff with reliance on getting rid of the load for success or survival is an eventual bloody statistic.

 

[inline]

At least you can try.

But that's the general idea, yes. Then again, you try dropping a load in someone's living room and see how smooth your life goes after the fact.

I know an individual who feathered out the load after an engine failure in cruise when a prop wouldn't feather...a group of boy scouts were doing a canoe trip down below. The t-shirts still abound out there commemorating the event.

Then again, it's not so simple as squeezing the trigger or pressing the drop button. The airplane I presently fly on fires will stall in a heartbeat if I go punching it off just off the ground, and has a fifteen knot window between uncontrollable pitching on the drop, and stalling...takeoff puts the airplane squarely at the bottom of that window.

Disposable load is part of the safety net, if you will, but I know more than a few pilots, myself included, who have squeezed the trigger or pushed the button only to find that the airplane didn't react at all, and the load stayed comfortably right where it was. Anybody who makes that takeoff with reliance on getting rid of the load for success or survival is an eventual bloody statistic.

If you're dealing with an emergency on takeoff you use all your available resources and if someone's living room gets a red paint job, so be it.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Just like all of us dung out here who aren't worth spit on a pig to find landing a 747 on a 49' strip impressive. How dare we not check in to see what is and what is not impressive in the world of aviation according to AVBug. Talk about consistency...What a prick.

 

[Traumahawk]

Hey Hugh,
I will say it looks cool as Sh*t!!

We just need to expand on this and offer heavy jet service from more regional level and unpaved airports

 

[Steveair]

This is a pretty interesting little article.

Lets see the A380 do that! I'm betting it'd have the same result as doing low passes.....

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Lets see the A380 do that! I'm betting it'd have the same result as doing low passes.....

If it did, would us dung beetles be allowed to be impressed?

 

[avbug]

If it did, would us dung beetles be allowed to be impressed?

You've come a long way, hugh. The first step is always admitting it.

 

[Daveman]

We're off to see the Avbug,...

"Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz" err, Avbug.

Hey I'm not knocking your experience or knowledge, but your arrogant attitude and your belittling posts have you come across a crotchety old man.

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain".