Re: Silverton Airport
| August 02, 2014 07:19PM |
|
jwebb Wrote:
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> Talk about some white knuckle takeoffs & landings!
> Not that it couldn't be done, but that would be a
> fun airport for sure!
Skagway, Alaska, airport. Yes - the runway ends at the saltwater, left foreground. As the wind only blows two directions in Skagway, winter approach was normally straight-in above the water, but takeoffs were hairy. COnductor Bryan Saul and I almost ended up swimming when landing one day with an inexperienced pilot at the yoke ..... plane floated and we were running out of runway fast. I told him he should go around, but he tried to land, anyway ... at last minute, he shoved the throttle forward and pulled back on the control yoke...... we stalled and hit the runway hard. I saw the tires come up almost to my level on each side of the plane. We got stopped short of the water, at least.
In summer, downwind leg was along the mountainside at the left, turn base leg up in the canyon, then in over the trees at north end and onto the runway. This often required slipping the aircraft just past the trees to get down fast enough. Takeoff straightforward, but if you didn't gain altitude quickly, the cold water was awaiting you.
Frankly, Silverton has more open room than Skagway does.
Skip Luke
Switchman (ret): Grand Canyon Railway;
Engineer (ret): Georgetown Loop RR Inc., Sumpter Valley Ry., Monticello & Sangamon Valley;
Dispatcher(ret): Illinois Central, White Pass & Yukon, Burlington Northern Ry.
Mariner, Musician, Miner
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2014 07:22PM by Skip.
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> Talk about some white knuckle takeoffs & landings!
> Not that it couldn't be done, but that would be a
> fun airport for sure!
Skagway, Alaska, airport. Yes - the runway ends at the saltwater, left foreground. As the wind only blows two directions in Skagway, winter approach was normally straight-in above the water, but takeoffs were hairy. COnductor Bryan Saul and I almost ended up swimming when landing one day with an inexperienced pilot at the yoke ..... plane floated and we were running out of runway fast. I told him he should go around, but he tried to land, anyway ... at last minute, he shoved the throttle forward and pulled back on the control yoke...... we stalled and hit the runway hard. I saw the tires come up almost to my level on each side of the plane. We got stopped short of the water, at least.
In summer, downwind leg was along the mountainside at the left, turn base leg up in the canyon, then in over the trees at north end and onto the runway. This often required slipping the aircraft just past the trees to get down fast enough. Takeoff straightforward, but if you didn't gain altitude quickly, the cold water was awaiting you.
Frankly, Silverton has more open room than Skagway does.
Skip Luke
Switchman (ret): Grand Canyon Railway;
Engineer (ret): Georgetown Loop RR Inc., Sumpter Valley Ry., Monticello & Sangamon Valley;
Dispatcher(ret): Illinois Central, White Pass & Yukon, Burlington Northern Ry.
Mariner, Musician, Miner
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2014 07:22PM by Skip.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.