FU NCHAL
FROM THE FLIGHT DECK
Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport on Madeira is sometimes
described at Europe’s Kai Tak. Captain Ma hew Collins outlines the
challenges involved in fl ying a Boeing 737 into Funchal.T
he Portuguese autonomous
region of Madeira is a group of
fi ve islands in the Atlantic, west of
Morocco and some 600 miles (968km)
southwest of Lisbon. The mountainous
terrain made fi nding a site for an airport
on the main island challenging, and the
facility initially had only a 5,249ft (1,600m)
runway. As the popularity of holidaying
on the island increased over the years,
airlines a empted to meet demand by
deploying larger aircraft. The airstrip
has been extended twice, the most recent
being on stilts 230ft (70m) above the sea,
and its coastal location means straight-in
approaches to landing are not available.
One of the UK's leading leisure airlines,
Jet2.com off ers fl ights to Funchal
(FNC) from Leeds Bradford, Belfast
International, Birmingham, East Midlands,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Stansted,
Manchester and Newcastle. The award-
winning carrier makes the comfort and
safety of its passengers its top priority.
So, all of its pilots are well versed in the
nuances of operating into Funchal, an
airport that some publications have
perhaps misguidedly listed among the
world’s most challenging.Weather
Madeira has its own sub-tropical
microclimate, which makes it vital that
pilots carefully study the meteorological
data ahead of every fl ight. The summers
are usually dry, while the we est months
fall between October and March. Rain
and low cloud can reduce visibility, but
thunderstorms are relatively infrequent
and fog is generally rare. With north and
northeast winds, low cloud may form
to the northeast of the of the airfi eld,
which tends to disperse in the downwind
segment of the approach and often
leaves the airport unobscured.
The proximity of the runway to the
mountainous terrain creates moderate
to severe turbulence and the high ground
close to the airstrip can also generate low-
altitude wind shear and / or microbursts.
These are the most signifi cant factors
associated with operating into Funchal.
Four anemometers are do ed around
the site to provide reliable two-minute
mean wind speed data to air traffi c
control and aircrew.Training
The Portuguese authorities dictate that
each pilot in command fl ying into Funchal
has at least 200 hours on the aircraft, and
must undergo training to operate from the
airport. In addition, captains must have
completed at least one landing and take-off
at FNC within the previous six months, or
must be fl ying with an instructor, or must
have completed a simulator session in
adverse weather conditions.FUNCHAL
Extreme Airports // 2928-33_Funchal.indd 29 11/05/2018 12:59