Longest Runways

[B-J-J Fighter]

Where is the longest runway in the US both civil and mil? What about the world?

 

[DougCorp-9]

I would guess in the USA it would be the shuttle landing facility which is about 15000 feet long and 300 feet wide. Some of the high altitude airports in mexico and sputh america are up around 14000 feet also.

 

[Bill Mostellar]

Where is the longest runway in the US both civil and mil? What about the world?

The DOD IFR Suppelment lists the NASA Landing Facility in Florida and Vandenberg AFB, CA at 15,000 x 300.

I don't have any pubs, but I seem to remember from (91-92)runways in Saudi being in the same range.

I wish you success!

 

[crash-proof]

They just inaugurated a 16,000ft (i think) runway to test Embraer planes in Brazil.

Supposedly the longest in S. America.

 

[Eagleflip]

4/22 at Edwards has 15K by 300 with another 4 miles or so of dry lakebed beyond that.

If you can't deadstick your UFO on to that, you ain't much of an alien threat...

 

[Traumahawk]

Groom Lake's older runway enxtended over 20,000ft into the lakebed but was said to always be flooded if it did rain.

--T-hawk

 

[B52GUNNER]

Clinton Sherman OK is the 3rd largest. Old B-52 base. 13503'

Dry lakebeds dont count as runways. Come on gotta be concreted or asphalted over man.

 

[Low Timer]

Another long runway:

Salina, KS - 13,337' x 200'

Low Timer.

 

[WrightAvia]

KSAW is pretty big...and civilian!

Plus it has a Final Approach Fix named after a submachine gun...

SUOMI!

http://img.airnav.com/ap/02606

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSAW

 

[Swass]

The Salina runway is also an alternative for the shuttle if needed. It's fun to land there, I bet you could almost do two short field takeoff's/lands on the thing with a Maule.

 

[JBcrjca]

Vandenberg AFB, near Santa Maria CA has one runway...15000 feet long. I believe it's also used as an alternate Shuttle landing facility.

 

[ArcticFlier]

Re: Re: Longest Runways

The DOD IFR Suppelment lists the NASA Landing Facility in Florida and Vandenberg AFB, CA at 15,000 x 300.

I don't have any pubs, but I seem to remember from (91-92)runways in Saudi being in the same range.

I wish you success!

What were you doing in Saudi Arabia? I was there from '79-'86. Dad flew for Saudia.

AF

 

[LearLove]

As for the east coast

being from the northeast, here is a list of the longer paved (not that we have lakebeds here or anything) in the northeast starting north and goin south. From the top of my head.

Bangor ME - old buff base at 11,400

Plattsburg NY (PBG) - old buff base at 11,700

Griffis NY, Rome AFB, (RME) Air Force Base still open, mostly radar research I think, but no mil a/c based there. Open to public with an 11,800 runway. Another old buff base also had the last active F-106 unit.

Pease NH - old SAC base, F-111's and I think Buffs, now reg airport with an ANG KC-135 unit also PAN AM III based here. Runway is 11,300

BOS has one over 10000

Kennedy JFK - longest commercial on east coast at just under 15000 its 31L/13R along the bay shore line.

Also on Long Island NY is Calverton the old Grumman Plant, 33/15 at over 10000 may be longer than 11000 but not sure off the top of my head.

PIT and PHL both have greater than 10000 footers

Mcguire AFB in NJ (cargo and tanker) has on at 11000

NAES Lakehurst has a test runway that runs nw/se with cable and catapult luanching stuff on it. Its not shown on the current WASH sectional b/c nobody land on it. Lakehurst is shown with 2 5000 ft runways the long one I'm talking about is just to the west of the main complex on the Mcguire AFB side.

ACY at 10000 FAA test center and last ANG F-106 unit based there now F-16

Dover AFB, DE at 12,900 C-5's active, guard and reserve

BWI and Dulles (IAD) both have over 10000 with IAD having one at 11,500

Pax River the Navy's edwards has 6/24 at 12,800

Oceana VA the Navy's new top gun place has 12000 feet on its east Parallel

Langley VA - F-15's active air force, at 10000

South of here I can't support (gee, you can tell I fly for Allegheny) off the top of my head but I'm sure Shaw AFB and SJ are long along with Eglin and others like Atlanta and SAV (old AFB)
the old JAX NAS is long too but the mother on the east coast is the Shuttle Landing Runway at 15000 plus from what I remember.

 

[LearLove]

Here is a cool site for this stuff....

This guy has all kinds of pics and info do a yahoo search for

"Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields"

or try:

http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/index.htm

but it may not work its worth checking out, alot of history there.

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

anyone have al list of the shuttle alternates in order?

I heard if they cant make florida or edwards, then they goto Lincoln, Ne...but then why did they goto white sands in 82? and if Lincoln is an alternate, why would salina be? they are less then 100 miles apart.

 

[trip]

Add NAS Fallon, NV to the list over- 14,000 feet! Shuttle alt. as well.

 

[ex208driver]

Amarillo, TX has a huge one i believe 13,500 x 300. Roswell,NM also has one over 13,000. I had heard Denver International was going to put one in at 16,000 but I think it has been delayed. White Sands has a bunch of landing strips in it that are long but nothing is charted.

 

[flywithruss]

To my knowledge the longest civilian runway in the US is JFK's 13R/31L at 14572x150. The NASA SLF in Florida is 15000x300. When it opens, the new 16R/34L at Denver will be 16000x200. I think that will trump anything in this country ... civilian, military, or NASA.

17R/35L at DFW is 13401' in length and they just extended 18L/36R to that same length. 14R/32L at ORD is 13000' and 9R/27L at MIA is 13000'.

There's another long one at Wichita Falls, TX ... Sheppard AFB (SPS). Can't remember the length but it is 300' wide ... 15R/33L I believe. I think 8/26 at ABQ is 13000' or a little better. Amarillo TX has a long one ... 13000 and change I think.

In the northeast, the old Westover AFB is another shuttle alternate with a big runway ... near Springfield, MA.

I think the longest runway in the world is somewhere in South Africa but that's just something I might have heard once ... I have no evidence of any kind.

In response to the shuttle question, I once read that their preferences are KSC, Edwards, then White Sands. If those weren't serviceable, they would look to any number of these other spots (AFBs or civil facilities) folks have mentioned.

How much time do I have on my hands to remember all this stuff?? Hope somebody finds the trivia educational ... or maybe entertaining.

R

 

[B190Captain]

Bangda airport in southeastern Tibet has a 5,500m (18,045-foot) runway.

 

[LearLove]

Crap I forgot........

yeah Flywithruss got Westover AFB at 11,800 its a C-5 reserve base and I also forgot Stewey/Newburg (SWF) aka HOOKERVILLE at 11,800 its a civ field with Marine KC-130's and ANG C-5's also a big BBJ finishing center and citation service center.