Aviation Specials – May 2018

CARIBBEAN

78 // Extreme Airports

The French Aeronautical Information

Publication carries salutary warnings to

pilots operating into SBH:

• Difficult approach (obstructions and
  turbulence) to Runway 10 and
  Runway 28.


• Presence of birds surrounding the runway.


• Presence of sailing boats in Saint Jean’s bay.


• Presence of a house and a low wall within
  the lateral constraints of northern runway.
  Runway 28:


• Partially sandy strip at far end of the runway.


• Possible presence of pedestrians on the
  beach at far end of the runway.


• Dazzling risk on final at the end of the day.
  RWY 10:


• Presence of a hill far end of the runway.


• Presence of light aircraft 22m abeam
  centreline, close to threshold.
  The History Channel’s Most Extreme
  Airports television programme ranked
  Gustaf III as the third most dangerous in
  the world due to the obstructed approach,
  the short runway and the potential for
  turbulence. All pilots must undertake

classroom training, a check-ride and gain

a sign-off from an instructor, which only

remains current if they operate into and

out of the airfield every six months.

Flying to SBH

Enthusiastic passengers travelling to St

Barths in a Winair Twin Otter would be well

advised to request seat 1B, immediately

behind the bulkhead separating the cockpit

from the cabin and in line with the access

to the flight deck. It offers excellent views

ahead, almost equivalent to those seen

by the pilots. Sitting so near the front

will make the 15-minute flight extremely

engaging and the large windows afford

excellent views of the smaller islands and

marine craft dotting the Caribbean.

As the green hills on St Barths loom

into view, the water becomes busier – the

lower and closer the aircraft gets, the

larger the yachts become, as big money

buys the best berths. The capital Gustavia

sits under the approach from the west,

but a green hill towers above its dwellings.

As the Twin Otter continues, the speed

decreases and yet no runway comes into

view. Road traffic circles the roundabout

on the top of the hill and still no airstrip is

apparent. Just as it seems inevitable that

the undercarriage will touch the road,

Runway 10 appears, still well below. The

highly experienced Winair captain deftly

pushes the control column forward and

the aircraft noses down. There is a road

on one side and hills on the other and the

aircraft is just feet from the steep grass

slope. Cars whiz by on the right, but the

pilots pull back on the controls to arrest

the descent and start the flare. The

captain still has one hand on the roof-

mounted throttles as the props go into

beta and the wheels meet the concrete.

With any luck the speed will bleed off

quickly enough to exit just 1,145ft (349m)

from the threshold at Taxiway C, providing

direct access to the apron and avoiding

a backtrack.

It might all seem rather dramatic, but

the Winair crew have done it all before

and are very familiar with the pitfalls.

AIRLINES

Air Antilles Express

Anguilla Air Services

St Barth Commuter

Tradewind Aviation

Trans Anguilla Airways

Winair

ABOVE: The

waters of

the beautiful

Caribbean can

be appreciated

through the

windows of a low-

flying Winair

Twin Otter.

ABOVE RIGHT:

Ground handling is

a relaxed affair.

BELOW:

Approaches don’t

get much more

dramatic than this.

BELOW RIGHT: A

Twin Otter and a

Britten-Norman

Islander queue

for departure.

72-79_Caribbean.indd 78 11/05/2018 11:58