Where Pilots Dare: Tricky Airports Of The World Quiz

Answer: Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal

Also known as Lukla Airport, it was named after Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing, the first men credited with reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

The airport has a runway that extends to just 527 metres, so is suited only to helicopters and STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) aeroplanes. Situated at an elevation of 2,800 metres, that rock face at one end of the runway means there is no "go around". Only specially licensed pilots are permitted to land. You must have a record of 100 STOL missions and 10 landings on the airstrip under the supervision of an instructor.

It is also listed as one of the world's most dangerous airports for crashes. The source for this question is airport-technology.com

The three wrong answers were all made up by the quiz author.

Answer: St Helena, South Atlantic

Dubbed in some places "the world's most useless airport", the runway cost the British taxpayers $374million by the time it was ready to accept flights in 2017. That was £285million in the Queen's money at the time. Work took 13 years to complete.

St. Helena is a volcanic island located about 1,200 miles off the southwestern Africa coast. It extends to some 47 square miles and the inhabitants are British subjects. Its greatest claim to fame is that Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled there after surrendering to the British in 1815, and died on the island in 1821.

Prior to the construction of the airport the only way visit - or even get supplies to the island - was by a ship that took three weeks to get there, and you would be on the island for eight days before it returned on its normal route.

Despite moving a lot of rock and laying down a lot of tarmac, what the constructors did not factor in was wind. The first pilots to try to land there - in a Boeing 737 - only got down on the third attempt. After that a passenger limit of 68 per plane was imposed.

Answer: Courcheval, France

The altiport at the ski resort of Courcheval is just 537 metres in length. It also has a slope 18.6 degrees from touchdown up to a complete stop to help reduce the speed of landing aircraft. Conveniently, of course, the 18.6 degree drop in the other direction assists take off. Getting there is also a matter of pilots threading their way between nearby mountain peaks.

Courchevel is used by small private aircraft, all the better for bringing well-heeled guests into one of the poshest resorts in the French Alps. The resort has more than a dozen five-star hotels and many luxury chalets to rent. This quiz writer has holidayed in Courchevel - but in much humbler accommodation.

The three wrong answers are all near beaches; indeed Barra Eoligarry's runaway is a beach.

Answer: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington DC

If they had the time, the pilots could enjoy views of the Pentagon and the White House as they come in to land. Departures mandate a sharp turn to avoid the White House and the Washington Memorial. Source for this question, 'Forbes' magazine.

The 'Ronald Reagan' is the smaller of the two airports that serve Washington DC. The first flights flew from there in 1941, and it was renamed after the president in 1998. Much of the difficulty is created by two overlapping 'no-fly zone' imposed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

In 2021, a list by "USA By Numbers" placed the 'Ronald Reagan' at the 10th of 11 "most dangerous" airports in the USA. That source commented that there were 5,068 public airports in the USA at that time.

Answer: A railway line crosses the runway

You will be pleased to know that take offs and landings are coordinated with the timetable of the railway line the runs straight across Gisborne's three grass and one tarmac runways.

Staying in New Zealand, Wellington International is also considered a tricky airport. It has a relatively short 2,081 m (6,827 ft ) runway, with the ocean at either end. Funnelling winds coming off the Cook Strait can also lead to turbulent landings.

Answer: Paro International, Bhutan

While this quiz does not seek to list the airports in any particular order, a number of sources were consulted and several rated Bhutan as their number one "most dangerous".

Built for the Indian Army as a helicopter base, Paro International is located at 7,364 feet above sea level. While it has a runny extending to 6,500 feet, pilots have to manoeuvre in at a 45-degree angle to avoid the surrounding mountain peaks.

In 2020, one website cited that fewer than 24 pilots were licensed to use the airport. Landings are only permitted during daylight and good visibility. They must also be done manually by the pilots, picking their way among 18,000 feet high peaks.

Other fun facts, El Alto International, La Paz is the world's highest international airport - five other non-internationals are higher. Kranebitten Airport, Tyrol, also known as Innsbruck, has an approach through the alpine passes little wider than the wings.

Answer: Gibraltar

The landing strip at Gibraltar runs between the famous rock and city buildings and has the sea at either end.

However, more dangerous is that a public road runs across the runway and it has to be closed to allow planes to arrive or depart.

Answer: Princess Juliana International Airport, Saint Martin

The approach to the landing strip at Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten (alternative spelling) crosses a public beach.

And the blast from jet engines taking off is strong enough to blow bathers off their feet - not that this deters the many who flock there for the experience. Sadly, not all have been able to cling on to the boundary fence and there have been fatalities when bathers have been blown over. (There are, of course, signs warning of the danger.)

The wrong answers are all in the Pacific Ocean.

Answer: Madeira

To continue with the puns, some pilots might consider a successful landing to be a piece of cake. (That's the last one, I promise.)

Named after a great international footballer (soccer player), Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, Madeira, Portugal, has a short runway that runs from ocean to mountainside. It is extended into the Atlantic with 180 columns. Pilots must be specially licensed to land there.

Answer: Narsarsuaq Airport, Greenland

Narsarsuaq Airport has a 6,000-foot runway that is approached through a series of Fjords, but there is a 90-degree turn required. Landings can be hampered by strong winds, as well as ash from local volcanoes that reduces visibility.