5/7/2023 0 Comments Extreme landings business jet![]() ![]() Barth Commuter which operates a fleet of six Grand Caravans, having just added its newest, its second EX model earlier this summer. “When you add all that, it makes it interesting,” said Bertrand Magras, managing partner of St. After coming to a stop, the aircraft must pivot 180 degrees and taxi back up the runway to the short connector that leads to the ramp. Strong winds are also an occasional consideration. The runway itself has a 2-degree downslope heading down to the ocean, and as soon as it touches down, the aircraft must be brought to a stop in the brief distance remaining or continue into the water. Arriving aircraft must also clear a road and traffic roundabout situated above the arrival end of the runway as they descend. ![]() In addition to its short runway, the airport is surrounded on three sides by terrain and pilots must fly a steep approach down to a notch between two hills. First and foremost, any pilot intending to land at the airport must first be specifically trained and evaluated on its unique procedures before being allowed to do so. Given that extreme tempo, the airport authority goes to great lengths to make sure things go smoothly, as any service disruptions could snarl the crucial aviation link as well as travel plans for hundreds of visitors. and sunset, according to airport manager Fabrice Danet. On January 2 this year, the airport tallied a new activity record with 284 operations between 7 a.m. During peak traffic, the airport, which only operates during daylight hours, will have up to 42 operations an hour, consisting largely of Twin Otters, Cessna Grand Caravans, or Pilatus PC-12s operated by the four major local carriers. The island sees its peak season from the end of November through March, and during the past several years of the pandemic, it came to be viewed as an oasis from the concerns of Covid. Barth from Princess Juliana International Airport (70 percent of the traffic) are considered an international flight, while those from Grand Case on the French side of the island, under the same jurisdiction as St. It is a geopolitical quirk that trips to St. Maarten/Saint Martin serves as the source of much of the traffic, with as many as 100 private jet arrivals a day during peak periods and 80 percent of those passengers heading on to St. Barth Commuter, for the short hop to TFFJ. ![]() Those private jet passengers typically land at another island with a larger airport, and take one of several scheduled or charter air services such as Tradewind Aviation, Winair, St. Barth due to the airport’s single 2,100-foot long, 60-foot wide runway, which can only accommodate aircraft up to a 19-seat DHC-6 Twin Otter, with the notable exception of a Douglas DC-3 which once successfully landed there years ago. It is an irony that those who fly their private jets to the Caribbean cannot land them at St. Long a playground for the jet and yacht set, the French overseas collectivity, which has less than 10,000 inhabitants, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to its exclusive shores each year, most of which arrive by aircraft. Barts), punches way above its weight class in terms of activity. For one of the smallest airports in the world, Gustav III Airport (TFFJ) on the Caribbean island of St. ![]()
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