Wednesday, November 23, 2011

WORLD'S STRANGEST AIRPORTS

1. Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan)


Background:

Land is a scarce resource in Japan, so engineers headed roughly 3 miles offshore into Osaka Bay to build this colossal structure. Work on the manmade island started in 1987, and by 1994 jumbo jets were touching down. Travelers can get from the airport to the main island of Honshu via car, railroad or even a high-speed ferry.

Why It's Unique:

Kansai's artificial island is 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide—so large that it's visible from space. Earthquakes, dangerous cyclones, an unstable seabed, and sabotage attempts from protestors are just some of the variables engineers were forced to account for. As impressive as the airport is, Stewart Schreckengast, a professor of aviation technology at Purdue University and a former aviation consultant with MITRE, cautions that climate change and rising sea levels pose a very real threat to the airport's existence. "When this was built, [engineers] probably didn't account for global warming," he says. "In 50 years or so, this might be underwater."


2. Gibraltar Airport (Gibraltar)



Background:

Between Morocco and Spain sits the tiny British territory of Gibraltar. Construction of the airport dates back to World War II, and it continues to serve as a base for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, though commercial flights land on a daily basis.

Why It's Unique:

Winston Churchill Avenue, Gibraltar's busiest road, cuts directly across the runway. Railroad-style crossing gates hold cars back every time a plane lands or departs. "There's essentially a mountain on one side of the island and a town on the other," Schreckengast says. "The runway goes from side to side on the island because it's the only flat space there, so it's the best they can do. It's a fairly safe operation as far as keeping people away," he says, "It just happens to be the best place to land, so sometimes it's a road and sometimes it's a runway."

3. Madeira International Airport (Madeira, Portugal)

Background:

Madeira is a small island far off the coast of Portugal, which makes an airport that is capable of landing commercial-size aircraft vital to its development. This airport's original runway was only about 5000 feet long, posing a huge risk to even the most experienced pilots and limiting imports and tourism.

Why It's Unique:

Engineers extended the runway to more than 9000 feet by building a massive girder bridge atop about 200 pillars. The bridge, which itself is over 3000 feet long and 590 feet wide, is strong enough to handle the weight of 747s and similar jets. In 2004, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering selected the expansion project for its Outstanding Structure Award, noting that the design and construction was both "sensitive to environmental and aesthetic considerations."

4. Don Mueang International Airport (Bangkok, Thailand)


Background:

From a distance Don Mueang International looks like any other midsize airport. However, smack-dab in the middle of the two runways is an 18-hole golf course.

Why It's Unique:

Schreckengast, who has worked on consulting projects at this airport, says one of the major problems is that the only taxiways were located at the end of the runways. "We recommended that they build an additional taxiway in the middle, from side to side, and they said ‘absolutely not, that will take out a green and one fairway.'" The airport and the course were originally an all-military operation, but have since opened up to commercial traffic. Security threats, however, have limited the public's access to the greens.

5. Ice Runway (Antarctica)


Background:

The Ice Runway is one of three major airstrips used to haul supplies and researchers to Antarctica's McMurdo Station. As its name implies, there are no paved runways here—just long stretches of ice and snow that are meticulously groomed.

Why It's Unique:

There is no shortage of space on the Ice Runway, so super-size aircraft like the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III can land with relative ease. The real challenge is making sure that the weight of the aircraft and cargo doesn't bust the ice or get the plane stuck in soft snow. As the ice of the runway begins to break up, planes are redirected to Pegasus Field or Williams Field, the two other airstrips servicing the continent.

6. Congonhas Airport (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Background:

Most major cities have an airport, but rarely are they built just 5 miles from the city center, especially in metropolises like Sao Paulo. Congonhas' close proximity to downtown can be attributed in part to the fact that it was completed in 1936, with the city experiencing rapid development in the following decades.

Why It's Unique:

While having an airport only 5 miles from the city center may be a convenience for commuters, it places a strain on both pilots and air traffic control crews. "It becomes a challenge in terms of safety to just get the plane in there," Schreckengast says. "Then you throw on noise restrictions and these terribly awkward arrival and departure routes that are needed to minimize your noise-print and it becomes quite challenging for pilots." Fortunately, Sao Paulo's many high-rise buildings are far enough away from the airport that they aren't an immediate obstacle for pilots landing or taking off.

7. Courchevel International Airport (Courchevel, France)


Background:

Getting to the iconic ski resort of Courchevel requires navigating the formidable French Alps before making a hair-raising landing at Courchevel International Airport. The runway is about 1700 feet long, but the real surprise is the large hill toward the middle of the strip.

Why It's Unique:

"You take off downhill and you land going uphill," Schreckengast says. He adds that the hill, which has an 18.5 percent grade, is so steep that small planes could probably gain enough momentum rolling down it with no engines to safely glide off the edge. Landing at Courchevel is obviously no easy task, so pilots are required to obtain certification before attempting to conquer the dangerous runway.

21 comments:

Joyful said...

Wow! This is all so interesting.

Rajesh said...

Great to see all of them together in one place. I had heard of only one in Japan before.

Anonymous said...

It's really unique and interesting post... it is also informative post...

thanks for your data collection about these airports...

BK Chowla, said...

Very very nice and informative.
Incidentally, Dlhi and Bangalore are amongst the first 10 best airports in the world

Ankita said...

awesome!

:)

Ankita said...

and very informing as well

Jeevan said...

Wow! Its simple amazing... Can’t distinguish the greater challenge lies among these airports... Each one is an engineering marvel in their own ways and surprises immense without fails. Apt to the title of the blog, Thanks a lot for the details to feed our knowledge babli!

Rakesh Kumar said...

Your post is very much informative and so interesting that I have to
come on this post again and again.

Thank you very much for presenting such a nice post.

डॉ. मोनिका शर्मा said...

awesome...

Ramya Ranganathan said...

very unique and interesting post... Thank you for sharing this.

Anonymous said...

wow! that's awesome buildup and among these the Courchevel airport is very interesting at ground level. Thanks a lot for this informative post buddy!

रजनीश तिवारी said...

very interesting !

P.N. Subramanian said...

Nice that you brought them together. They are real marvels. Thanks for sharing.

kalaiselvisblog said...

very nice post buddy... wonderful information & lovely snaps..

Tomz said...

ooh such giant airports..from where did u have this compilation?

My Unfinished Life said...

indeed strange!!!

http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.com/

Margaret Cloud said...

Isn't it how brilliant man has become. From a regular size airport to these wonderful ones, they are really something. Thank you for all the information.

Trotter said...

Nr. 3: I was born in that island... ;)
Congonhas is a nightmare; almost like the old Hong-Kong airport... ;)

TheSkiBug said...

We live near Courchevel and regularly see planes landing here and taking off. It is a very short, steep runway.

India Tours - Explore The Beauty Of India said...

This is very nice information to us. I like this post . if do u want to know about India Tours,or Luxury India Tours please visit us at: About India Tour

Roger Hamilton said...

Roger Hamilton
Learning the depths of Social Entrepreneurship has
made me realize many things in my own life. I have been
taking the wrong approach towards life which took me towards
the path I never wanted to take in the first place. Beginning
with the crystal clear clarity about my goals and taking every
one I know into consideration is the next step I intend to take
very seriously.