Aviation Specials – May 2018

FUNCHAL

deviate to the left of the lead-in or the

extended centreline to Runway 05. It

may be advisable to keep the lead-in

lights slightly to the left of track to avoid

overshoot. The extended centreline will be

established at approximately 1nm fi nal.”

Rosario generates horizontal and vertical

diverging winds which aff ect the airspeed

for short periods, but if they ever reach

our limits we can always discontinue

the approach and go-around. Air traffi c

control can also call a go-around, and

at most airports aircrew will comply

with the instruction unless they can see

something that ATC cannot. However, if

ATC at Funchal warn us that the wind is out

of limits, a go-around is mandatory. If we

have to do it, we climb to 3,000ft and head

towards the FUSUL waypoint where we

are out of the way and can hold while we

decide on our next action.

All things considered, Runway 05 is usually

the more challenging because of the varying

wind. But irrespective of direction we are

off ered, we carry plenty of fuel reserves

when we depart from the UK. If we have to

go into the hold and it looks like the weather

is not going to improve we usually divert to

either Porto Santo or the Canary Islands.

Wind restrictions

The main reason we need additional

training to operate into Funchal is that

the minima are high and the winds are

variable. Anywhere else in the world, we

can usually touchdown with wind speeds

that are more than double those that will

prevent us from landing at FNC.

If we are landing on Runway 23, we are

not permi ed to land if the wind is coming

from between 300o and 010o at 15kts

(measured over a two-minute period),

with gusts of 25kts or more. Similarly,

if the wind is from 200-230o at 25kts at

Rosario or at the midpoint of the runway,

or from 120-190o at 15kts gusting to 25kts

at the midpoint, we go around as there

can be signifi cant turbulence around the

touchdown zone on the stilts. Likewise,

wind limitations for 05 are from 300-010o

15kts gusting to 25kts, 190-120o 20kts

gusting to 30kts, or 020-040o at 20kts

gusting to 30kts, due to disruption that can

be caused by the cliff faces and the valleys.

It sounds complex but all the data is on our

approach plates, and we are backed up

by air traffi c controllers who will advise us

when the wind is out of limits.

Beyond that, the other aspect that we

need to deal with is the need for good

visibility, which comes into play as we

reach the missed approach points. To

land on Runway 05 we need the vis to be

least 5,000m, while on runway 23 the

minimum is 7,000m. Light winds and a

stable airmass can cause haze, which is

sometimes made worse by African sand

and dust in the air. Thunderstorms also

pass through the area and although they

tend to have only a temporary impact

on fl ight operations they can produce

showers or heavy rain that reduces visibility

below our minima. But we don’t start an

approach if there is a storm passing close

to the fi nal approach path anyway.

32 // Extreme Airports

TOP LEFT: The

author in the

le -hand seat of a

Boeing 737-800.

ABOVE: Boeing

737-8MG G-JZHT

lines up on

Runway 05; note

the close proximity

of the ocean.

BELOW: Updra s

and wind shear

can aff ect the

approach to

Runway 05.

28-33_Funchal.indd 32 11/05/2018 12:59