I was privileged to fly the Dash Seven; sometimes known as the “Quadotter”.
This 44000 pound fifty seat airliner (landing weight 42000 pounds) is fully capable of doing the same thing.
It can be landed and stopped in 600 feet; my Chief Pilot could do it in less. This with a smooth touchdown!
Approach speed at max landing weight with full flap is 71 knots.
Another amazing DeHavilland Canada Aircraft!
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We have our own version of Saba in the UK - checkout St. Mary’s Scilly Isles (EHGE). A slightly longer runway, but complicated by a big hump in the middle. A 3% upslope to the hump and then a 3% downslope on the other side. Basic principle - if you haven’t pretty much stopped by the top of the hump then you aren’t going to easily stop on the downslope. I took our Seneca in there last year - for fun. No real problem but you have to nail the approach speed and touchdown point. If not - go around! Again - commercial flights are with a Twotter. Check out this video from Lands End to St Mary’s - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDaoOGAaoRk
Brian, sorry to say, but those 71 kts were for a nearly empty plane. At 42.000 lb. it was more like 81-82ish.
Not quite “just off” as Saba is a hundreds of miles from Venezuela, but another cool posting from the best Av writer (& fellow J-3 owner) around.
Not quite “just off” as Saba is hundreds of miles from Venezuela, but another cool posting from the best Av writer (& fellow J-3 owner) around.
Clearly this is my first solo in the comments section.
Just a few days ago, I was in the pattern for GXY 10 (5801’ long) behind a 172 doing stops and taxi backs. Each circuit, he had a hard time turning off at A3, roughly 4000’ from the numbers. He should watch this video and take a hint or two on airspeed control and touchdown management!
Real world STOL footage is so much more interesting than Alaskan competition footage. There’s nothing contrived about Twin Otter passenger service into and out of 1300 feet. You get no redo and if you mess up you’re not going get to taxi back to your tie down dejected and say “oh well, there’s always next year”. Pilot limitations matched with aircraft limitations matter more because results have greater implications.
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The day we flew into Saba there was little or no breeze and the Otter was pretty well fully loaded. Still made the turnoff, I was impressed!
Unfavorable winds do “close” the airport, sometimes for several days, requiring a rather unpleasant boat trip in rough seas.
The island has a fresh water problem, we were amused by the signs posted in bathrooms: “On this isle of fun and sun, we do not flush for #1”
Looks like the airport operator is trying to be gentle on the runway bed, which is very near to the eroding coast.
Also, both the landing and takeoff were done well left of the centerline, so the pilot is either trying to avoid the nosewheel following the center line, or making an airport-specific allowance for the stiff crosswind. I flew a lot in Hawaii and we never did that, but hey.
Wow… obviously MK has never had to land on top a mesa in moderate turbulence. As someone that flew the entire Caribbean in DC-3’s and Beech 18’s in a previous lifetime I can tell you that this was a nice landing!
I watched the video a couple times, and the pilot might have been avoiding a rough centerline.
Mike, there are airports, runways and airstrips in this world that require departures from some of the rote we were taught in private pilot school. In this case I believe the centerline was being used as a reference for operational reasons, not as a line atop which to aspire to keep the nosewheel centered. This pilot knew what he was doing and to intimate he was being sloppy is unfair and more of reflection on you, not on that Twin Otter pilot.
Yes, you do get a redo… If the approach is not correct- GO AROUND like any wise pilot would.
The familiar old tale of the PIC paying the bills and guy flying a desk.
I have a little Otter time myself. It is no picnic in a stiff crosswind. It has a relatively high center of mass that makes it weathervane kind of quickly. I noticed the off center landing and takeoff. It looks deliberate to me. The only reason I can imagine is that it’s on the upwind side of the runway.
Agree, it was a good landing. That’s why I posted it.
Did anyone notice the big cross on the end of the runway defining the runway as closed or unserviceable ?
As I have posted previously, I am not experienced in smaller aircraft, the smallest ones I flew were the CV-240 and the ATR-42. My time is mainly in 'heavies, the C-141 A & B and the Classic 747 freighter. I enjoy watching what some of the smaller aircraft are capable of accomplishing on a daily basis. I had a few experiences in the -141 with short runways but one of my favorite tales is of an experience in the Classic 747. Ferried empty into Copenhagen one night to pick up a load. We weighed almost nothing for the whale only about 175,00 kg. Weather was clear but winds were howling, right down the runway at a steady 50kts or a little higher. Combine that with our approximately 125kt approach speed, we touched down at about 60 some-odd kts. Barely was able to cycle the reversers open before it was time to close them and turn off. Made the first turn off without even warming up the brakes, only about 2000 feet down the runway. Had to wait an hour or so before we could open the cargo door though because of the 40 kt wind limit on it’s operation. Certainly was one of the shortest landings I ever saw in that proud lady.