Madeira....is this real ???

[Guest]

"Hi everybody",Thanks for all the great info (& entertainment).Just had a postcard from Madeira, the airport looks really "scarey", it`s more like an aircraft carrier !!!!!Is this the main airport? Has anyone had the experience of landing there? Any real pilots that fly there & your comments?Won`t book a holiday there just yet, ha! ha!Looks like a great add-on possiblilty for FS2k2 !!!Thanks,Rob

[fspaan 1]

I know that the other flight sim site, has some pretty interesting tutorials about this airport. These are based on FS2000, but also interesting in FS2002.Regards, Ferry

[Minos 26]

Yes it is like that.And it is very challenging as soon as visibility is under 1km.....I used to be on a hotel just on the hill right to the airport: interesting.....A340 can land there.... Greetings Minos

[Guest]

"Thanks Ferry for the link & Cedric for your reply, I`ll certainly try an A340".Any real life pilots that have landed here?Thanks,Rob

[fspaan 1]

BTW: the hyperlink: http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/ho...hal/funchal.htm

[Guest Martin]

It isn't quite like that anymore, because they extended and re-aligned the runway. But when I got there on a 757 in 1997 it was just like the picture, and it was surely an interesting landing. :-) The runway being less than 6000 ft, a lot of reverse thrust was used on that 757!Even with the new runway it still makes for an interesting approach, if your landing on runway 5. It's almost a Kai Tak like approach, where you have to follow the lead-in lighting very closely, or become a smoking wreck on the hills. And to add to that, the airport is also subject to some strong and gusting winds in certain conditions.Martin767 fetishistIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing

[Egbert Drenth 250]

Hi Rob,The strip on the postcard is the new (longer) runway.2 years ago, I was lucky to witness the full EHAM-LFPU flight in the cockpit of a Transavia 757-200. We had the challenging approach on RWY06, that time much shorter than the one on your postcard.For a full report, check:http://www.scandva.org/reports/lpfu/transavia.htmTake care,Egbert Drenth

[Guest]

I honeymooned on Madeira in 1998, and a rather pessimistic relative had said we'd be lucky to get down on the deck in one piece! As it was, it was an exciting approach, as we broke out of the clouds at about a 1000 feet, downwind to runway 6. Then some steep banking turns to get lined up with the runway, and even in a 737-300 there was plenty of reverse thrust to get us stopped in time. The departure was quite quick, using almost the full length of the runway for the 4 hour flight back to London.And yes, since the runway has been lengthened and realigned, it's probably a more straightforward approach.There's a payware version of the current-day Madeira at www.simmarket.com and there is a freeware version on the file library at that 'other' site.The Madeira airport website is http://www.anam.pt/AM.htmRob

[Guest Martin]

Oh, I didn't notice that the postcard does in fact show the new runway. I never really compared it to the old one. :-) Your picture series was a good refresher.Martin767 fetishistIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing