macsog6 From Singapore, joined Jan 2010, 471 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (9 months 3 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 23078 times:
Not sure where it is, but many of the old military runways in the US midwest built to train crews in WWII look like this. They are now sixty plus years old, but were build to last forever and are still in use. They just have a ton of cracks due to the cold winters that have been filled in over the decades.
[Edited 2012-07-25 14:05:17]
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Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 3, posted (9 months 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 22976 times:
Quoting virginblue4 (Thread starter): Was just watching this video - what's wrong with the runway? It looks like a load of cracks have been filled in. Is that what is actually is?
Yes, that's very common. Look at the following video of a First Air 737-200 (probably with gravel runway kit) landing and taking off at Norman Wells (YVQ), a small community (population about 800) in Canada's Northwest Territories. Note the thousands of filled cracks in the 6,000 ft. runway. With summer-winter temperature variations that can range from 30C to -50C, paved surfaces are very prone to cracking. That's why there are only very few airports with paved runways in Canada's far north and why elderly 737-200s, mostly combis with gravel-runway equipment, are still used by half a dozen operators serving that region. Nothing else today can do the same job.
steex From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 1423 posts, RR: 9 Reply 4, posted (9 months 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 22956 times:
Quoting macsog6 (Reply 2): Not sure where it is, but many of the old military runways in the US midwest built to train crews in WWII look like this. They are now sixty plus years old, but were build to last forever and are still in use. They just have a ton of cracks due to the cold winters that have been filled in over the decades.
Your description here is pretty much an exact match for this airport's history. It is Strother Field (WLD/KWLD)serving Winfield, KS and Arkansas City, KS, and was formerly Strother Army Airfield during the 1940s.
macsog6 From Singapore, joined Jan 2010, 471 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (9 months 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 22860 times:
Quoting steex (Reply 4): Your description here is pretty much an exact match for this airport's history. It is Strother Field (WLD/KWLD)serving Winfield, KS and Arkansas City, KS, and was formerly Strother Army Airfield during the 1940s.
Seeing as I first learned to fly in Wichita, I thought it looked familiar. Probably have fifty touch-and-goes there from way back when.
Sixty Plus Years of Flying! "I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Saint Ex
cptspeaking From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 639 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 16179 times:
Quoting Bthebest (Reply 9): Am i right in thinking it's a gyrocopter that the video's taken from?
Looks like a glider - no engine noise, and there's somebody waiting to drag it off the runway at the end of the video. Also, you can tell there are points when the wingtips drag, which wouldn't be good in a gyro
flyhossd From United States of America, joined Nov 2009, 541 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 15874 times:
Quoting cptspeaking (Reply 10): Looks like a glider - no engine noise, and there's somebody waiting to drag it off the runway at the end of the video. Also, you can tell there are points when the wingtips drag, which wouldn't be good in a gyro
There's another YouTube video, "Chris Swam Takeoff" that answers the question. Indeed, it's a glider (take a look).
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NBGSkyGod From United States of America, joined May 2004, 595 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 15511 times:
Its a common sight at many small airports in colder climates and very hot climates. Its a result of heating and cooling of the surface eventually leads to cracking. While larger airports can afford more crack resistant surfaces, many of these smaller airports cannot, so a result is more patched cracks. Take a look a google earth around the midwest and northeast and you will see many of the airports in the countryside are very heavily patched.
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yycspotter From Canada, joined Jul 2012, 96 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 11706 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 3): That's why there are only very few airports with paved runways in Canada's far north and why elderly 737-200s, mostly combis with gravel-runway equipment, are still used by half a dozen operators serving that region. Nothing else today can do the same job.
Other than the 732, do any other planes of the same size have gravel capabilities? I can't find anything anywhere. If there were more modern options, the airlines of north Canada would probably use them! I know that 4N and Canadian North operate 737 classic aircraft, but they operate strictly from paved runways (ie. YYC, YVR, YEG, YXY)
steex From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 1423 posts, RR: 9 Reply 16, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 11031 times:
Quoting yycspotter (Reply 14): Other than the 732, do any other planes of the same size have gravel capabilities?
I believe the majority of Russian birds are designed with the ability to operate from gravel given the prevalence of unpaved airfields in remote areas of Russia.
saafnav From South Africa, joined Mar 2010, 203 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 10514 times:
Quoting cptspeaking (Reply 10):
Looks like a glider - no engine noise, and there's somebody waiting to drag it off the runway at the end of the video. Also, you can tell there are points when the wingtips drag, which wouldn't be good in a gyro
Also, the beep/whine of the variometer gives it away.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 18, posted (9 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 5820 times:
Quoting yycspotter (Reply 14): I know that 4N and Canadian North operate 737 classic aircraft, but they operate strictly from paved runways (ie. YYC, YVR, YEG, YXY)
Canadian North still operates quite a few charter flights with gravel kit-equipped 732 combis to remote mine sites with gravel strips. Example below, departing from the diamond mine at Snap Lake, about 150 miles northeast of Yellowknife.
They also still operate scheduled flights to at least 2 airports with gravel runways -- Cambridge Bay (YCB) and Kugluktuk (YCO). Video of a Canadian North 732C landing on the 5,076 ft. gravel runway at Cambridge Bay. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-8OIEPB9ZE
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