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Why does an island which is barely long enough to support a runway need a runway?!
by scoot 11y ago
Why does an island which is barely long enough to support a runway need a runway?!
- enraged_camel 11y agoSuch runways are built in order to provide an emergency landing zone for trans-oceanic flights.
- oska 11y agoBecause even small islands in the Indian Ocean have strategic value (especially one with a permanent source of water). And because flying in is a lot easier than getting there by sea.
- sandworm101 11y agoBecause flying a three-man team to such an island is often much cheaper/easier/safer/faster than boating them in. And when people are hurt, getting them out by plane is the only life-sustaining option. Broken bones do not do well in small boats. (See the OP for issues surrounding getting people in and out of this place by boat.) A more extreme example would be oil rigs (tiny island) that are serviced more often by helicopters than boats.