A four lane highway cuts into the
middle of this runway and the barriers have to come down every time a jet pulls
up.
The runway length of Gibraltar is 5,341 ft and an elevation of 15 ft above sea level.
With sea on either side, the ‘pavement’ sits at the foot of the mountains, giving rise to adverse weather causing crosswinds that can unsteady planes in the air. High rise buildings and yachts also clutter the surrounding area.
Plus, pilots must keep a constant watch of the high pressure weather system forming over the Iberian Peninsular. With the famous Gibraltar rock landmark cradling the runway, when high winds flow over the rock, it ‘tumbles’ over it, giving pilots some often ‘unexpected’ last second turbulence as the plane is just feet off the ground.
The runway length of Gibraltar is 5,341 ft and an elevation of 15 ft above sea level.
With sea on either side, the ‘pavement’ sits at the foot of the mountains, giving rise to adverse weather causing crosswinds that can unsteady planes in the air. High rise buildings and yachts also clutter the surrounding area.
Plus, pilots must keep a constant watch of the high pressure weather system forming over the Iberian Peninsular. With the famous Gibraltar rock landmark cradling the runway, when high winds flow over the rock, it ‘tumbles’ over it, giving pilots some often ‘unexpected’ last second turbulence as the plane is just feet off the ground.
