sooty
Full Member
Posts: 87 
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Post by sooty on Sept 10, 2016 13:13:08 GMT
The runway isn't long enough for tankers to operate from there. The flight down to the FI can't land there and that's the only scheduled flight in and out of asi.
Although this is all a bit moot as the chances of there being issues from Argentina is pretty slim for at least 10 years. They've no end of problems.
I can't think of any other reason apart from tourism. People always want to go somewhere new.
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Post by bromptonaut on Sept 11, 2016 11:35:18 GMT
An alternate if Ascension is weather-bound. Both about 6000kms from Stanley. Good staging post for tankers. Because I can see no other reason to build an airport there. The RMS St Helena is a very undersubscribed vessel as it is. Tourism? Apart from Bonapartists, and naturalists, not much. Nothing I've seen either on the PPRUNE thread or elsewhere has suggested any rationale other than improving access. I guess that as well as facilitating tourism there is again for those islanders working away in SA etc. Also of course evacuation of medical emergencies. The runway is marginal for the proposed operation by franchise Comair's 737s. Payload limitations varying according to 737 version and powerplant. The (notionally overpowered) 757 might be a better option. Proposed tourist flight from Europe via (IIRC) Banjul would have used a TUI 757. As it stands way too short for the RAF's Airbus tankers or the civilian planes operating the troop transfer shuttles from Brize Norton to FI. |
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Post by iancapetown on Sept 11, 2016 13:45:56 GMT
Thanks Bromp.
The problem is that the haps have to have enough juice to get back to an alternate, so they land heavy.
The weather there can change in an hour... so when you scoot out of JHB, you don't know hat to expect at SHE.
If it is too dodgy, then the nearest alternate in Walvis.
Maybe slamdowns with C-130s would work, but hardly tourist friendly, is it?
I'm awaiting a story from a chap... I'll post it here ... about an RE engineer's report circa 1984. Apparently that was ignored.
All in all, sounds like a complete bollocks of plan, which cost too much squids.
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