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Your shortest ever runway?

Let me start – Wangen Lachen LSPV

It was about 500m.

TB20 runway performance – OK but not a huge margin.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I think mine was LETF / Villamartin in Spain, 560m. That said, my former ‘home’ field LEAX has a displaced threshold with an LDA of around 500m.

In any case, the length is only one part of the equation. Surface and altitude are equally (or more) important. In this respect my most challenging was probably FYEF / Epupa Falls in Namibia. Elevation 2500 ft, around 900 m long and deep sand (!!). Was ‘interesting’ with a C182.

I’ve been in and out of Colonsay EGEY a few times: 500m but the surface is excellent and there are no limiting obstacles. The biggest issue is the normal crosswind of about 15kt, across some hills so the turbulence hits you at 50ft.

The most limiting I have departed from is Spa EBSP – on an ISA +18 day with low pressure, density altitude over 3000ft, the trees are quite unnerving.

I’ve flown a PA28 into Wangen and Bad Ragaz on a hot day – that was … Interesting. My record density altitude was around 8000ft at Samedan on the same trip.

In the TB10, we are always limited on departure, landing in 300m is no problem – even 150 is doable with practice at light weight.

Last Edited by jwoolard at 22 Oct 10:32
EGEO

Framlingham/Parham at 460m was sporting in the Aztec. I used to start the take-off run round the corner on a bit of disused runway and play chicken with how fast I could be when turning onto the runway.

Sadly now lost to development.

EGKB Biggin Hill

400 Meters with the Piper Warrior, one was only 380m, but I was alone and it was cold.

550 m with the SR22. My next goal is to land on Helgoland, the german island in the Northern Sea, rway is 480 Meters. I know it’s possible because Bosco (and some other SR22 pilots) have been there. Also there’s no obstructions (other than an aoccasional tourist on the beach ;-))

Never anything shorter than 400 m in a certified acft. It was Sejerø (www.flyvepladsen.dk/) and I used a Piper PA-28-180.
For a period I frequented 500-m-long Gyldensteen (near Bogense, Funen) with a ’67 Mooney Executive. That was before anybody had told me that Mooneys do not like short grass fields. That particular acft was happy enough there, and I never felt that I cut on margins.
My first flying machine was an ultralight motorglider with a stall speed below 50 km/h. Some of the fields I flew to were shorter than 300 m. It required an obstacle free departure as the engine was only 24 hp.

huv
EKRK, Denmark

Think I’ll not respond – 400-500 metres is a LONG runway for me…
Those interested can look up EBNE Neerpelt for a REAL short runway with, as a bonus, pine forest at one end.

Link

Last Edited by at 22 Oct 11:06
EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

With a SEP, I learned to fly a M20J here: 520 meters
http://www.flugplatz-aachen.de/02_FLUGPLATZ/02_flugplatzdaten.htm

EBST

Depends on what and how, I would say…

My most memorable combination of factors has been Lognes (700m) snow covered with a fully loaded Cessna 340. One of the most stupid things I ever did in aviation.

EDDS - Stuttgart

Schönberg private strip in Upper Bavaria with 340m in a C182 and in a Morane.
With trailer (glider towing) 520m in EDQR

Last Edited by mdoerr at 22 Oct 12:15
United Kingdom
45 Posts
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