FleaInNYCbanner.jpg

? Kylie Minogue: 2 Hearts | Main | Giorgio Moroder: Leopard Tree Dream ?

October 12, 2007

Courchevel, December 2005

Note to self: When one of my business ventures renders me independently wealthy it will be time to book a holiday at Courchevel in the French Alps. Best way to get around the town and surround? Sure, the cable-car is impressive but try landing on the mountain airstrip in a Pilatus PC-12.*

This one goes with a shout out to Mr. Taylor who I can only assume has at least simulated a combat drop into the area.

* Not to be confused with Peyresourde in the Pyrenees. I had thought Courchevel a likely suspect for the airstrip opening Tomorrow Never Dies...

Posted by Ghost of a flea at October 12, 2007 08:04 AM

Comments

I've never been there personally, but yeah that's a simulator favourite. Runway altitude 6,581ft and absolutely NO go-around permitted. You stick the landing or you abort way, way before you get over the threshold.

In real life I'd be a afraid of that one. As one YouTube commenter notes, "engine failure on takeoff" would be the demon sitting in the back of my head the whole time. You want to be sure to do your engine run-up nice and proper before you start rolling. There's no margin for error at all.

Posted by: Chris Taylor [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 12, 2007 10:25 AM

I am very pleased with myself for being right about that combat drop.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 12, 2007 10:35 AM

"Note to self: When one of my business ventures renders me independently wealthy..."

Don't arse about flying around in tiny little aircraft, get the Luxury Private Zeppelin to moor at any place you want to visit :)

Posted by: cha0tic [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 12, 2007 11:00 AM

Funchal (LPMA) in Madeira used to be a fun one for the larger twin turbines. It was basically an elevated runway with sheer drop-offs on either end, and you have to fly a curving final approach down to the runway.

No longer as hair-raising as Courchevel after Funchal's enormous runway expansion a few years ago. In the olden days, the runway was about 2/3ds of its current length and it was kind of thrilling to see 737s and 757s struggle in and out of such a short strip.

This is probably the best Youtube vid you're likely to find of Funchal, but again, this is showing the considerably expanded runway.

Posted by: Chris Taylor [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 12, 2007 02:42 PM