List of shortest runways
This is a list of the shortest airport runways in the world. While most modern commercial aircraft require a paved runway of at least 6000 feet in length, many early aircraft were designed to operate from unprepared strips that could be improvised in small spaces. Los Angeles's Grand Central Airport, considered a landmark in aviation history, had a 1200 foot runway during its first six years of operation from 1923 to 1929.[1] Such airstrips were used by heavy as well as light aircraft. During the Dolittle Raid in WW II, twin-engine B-25 bombers with a loaded weight of seventeen tons took off from the 827-foot flight deck of the carrier USS Hornet.[2] As late as 1977 a Lockheed Constellation demonstrated its ability to use the 2700 foot runway of the Greenwood Lake Airport in New Jersey,[3] and in 1946, a lightened Constellation took off from a grass strip in 2000 feet on only three engines.[4] Most general aviation aircraft retain this short-field performance; the Cessna 172, the most successful aircraft in history, will take off in as little as 720 feet when fully loaded.[5] Many small airfields capable of accommodating these types remain in use, mostly in remote areas in the American West and French Alps, where space is limited.
List of airports with a primary runway less than 2,000 feet long
ID | Airport name | Location | Length (ft) | Length (m) | Elevation (ft) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1ID9 | Skyline Airport[6] | Inkom, Idaho | 400 | 122 | 5,640 |
MT62 | Ted Luark Airstrip[7] | Huson, Montana | 500 | 152 | 3,500 |
Mile Hi Airstrip[8] | Yellow Pine, Idaho | 560 | 171 | 5,831 | |
Dewey Moore Airstrip[9] | Big Creek, Idaho | 700 | 213 | 4,494 | |
James Ranch Airstrip[10] | Warren, Idaho | 800 | 244 | 2,117 | |
MT94 | Ousel Falls Airport[11] | Big Sky, Montana | 900 | 274 | 6,600 |
Simonds Airstrip[12] | Yellow Pine, Idaho | 900 | 274 | 5,243 | |
ME46 | Back Acres Airport[13] | Kennebunkport, Maine | 1,000 | 305 | 60 |
27MT | Rahn Airport[14] | Kalispell, Montana | 1,000 | 305 | 3,090 |
5NA0 | Semchenko Airport[15] | Max, North Dakota | 1,100 | 335 | 2,065 |
Vines Airstrip[16] | Big Creek, Idaho | 1,100 | 335 | 4,110 | |
4NY8 | Harris Hill Gliderport[17] | Elmira, New York | 1,115 | 340 | 1,709 |
LFJD | Corlier Aerodrome[18] | Corlier, France | 1,148 | 350 | 2,762 |
3NA2 | Lorentzen Airport[19] | Washburn, North Dakota | 1,200 | 366 | 1,790 |
Red Creek Airstrip[20] | Payson, Arizona | 1,200 | 366 | 2,400 | |
MT42 | Hasskamp Airport[21] | Three Forks, Montana | 1,225 | 373 | 4,052 |
89OR | Mucky Flat Airport[22] | Eagle Point, Oregon | 1,250 | 381 | 2,000 |
26OG | Oakridge Airport[23] | Eagle Point, Oregon | 1,275 | 389 | 1,560 |
08ND | Brecht Strip[24] | Golden Valley, North Dakota | 1,300 | 396 | 1,990 |
MYCC | Cat Cays Airport[25] | North Cat Cay, The Bahamas | 1,300 | 396 | 0 |
30MT | Nistler Strip[26] | Helena, Montana | 1,304 | 397 | 4,753 |
TNCS | Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport[27] | Saba | 1,312 | 400 | 60 |
FXME | Matekane Air Strip[28] | Matekane, Lesotho | 1,312 | 400 | 7,544 |
2NA0 | Soderquist Airport[29] | Wilton, North Dakota | 1,320 | 402 | 1,880 |
LFKX | Méribel Altiport[30] | Les Allues, France | 1,332 | 406 | 5,639 |
NV31 | Barker Creek Ranch Airstrip[31] | Round Mountain, Nevada | 1,350 | 411 | 6,600 |
ID13 | Sky Island Ranch Airport[32] | St. Maries, Idaho | 1,400 | 427 | 2,880 |
40MT | Silver Creek Airport[33] | Helena, Montana | 1,400 | 427 | 3,860 |
OG13 | Fly by Night Airport[34] | Ruch, Oregon | 1,402 | 427 | 1,660 |
LFHM | Megève Altiport[35] | Megève, France | 1,424 | 434 | 4,830 |
MT06 | Duncan Airport[36] | Helena, Montana | 1,467 | 447 | 4,260 |
LFHU | Alpe d'Huez Airport[37] | Alpe d'Huez, France | 1,500 | 457 | 6,102 |
84OR | B Bar Ranch Airport[38] | Selma, Oregon | 1,500 | 457 | 1,400 |
0MT9 | Lone Hawk Airport[39] | Whitefish, Montana | 1,500 | 457 | 3,284 |
MT83 | Ten Mile Airport[40] | Helena, Montana | 1,500 | 457 | 4,294 |
Wilson Bar Airstrip[41] | Warren, Idaho | 1,500 | 457 | 2,250 | |
CD02 | Skyote Airport[42] | Steamboat Springs, Colorado | 1,600 | 488 | 8,200 |
TAPH | Barbuda Codrington Airport[43] | Codrington, Barbuda | 1,640 | 500 | 15 |
EFHL | Hailuoto Airfield[44] | Hailuoto, Finland | 1,640 | 500 | 7 |
85U | Soldier Bar Airstrip[45] | Big Creek, Idaho | 1,650 | 503 | 4,190 |
0OR5 | East Oregon Cattle Company Airport[46] | Eagle Point, Oregon | 1,700 | 518 | 1,345 |
NA12 | Johnson Private Airport[47] | Turtle Lake, North Dakota | 1,700 | 518 | 1,920 |
23MT | Waterfall Airport[48] | Bozeman, Montana | 1,725 | 526 | 4,950 |
VNLK | Tenzing–Hillary Airport[49] | Lukla, Nepal | 1,729 | 527 | 9,334 |
I08 | Cabin Creek Airstrip[50] | Big Creek, Idaho | 1,750 | 533 | 4,289 |
CD20 | Sprague Airport[51] | Loveland, Colorado | 1,750 | 533 | 5,603 |
LFLJ | Courchevel Altiport[52] | Courchevel, France | 1,762 | 537 | 6,588 |
16CO | Dry Pen Airport[53] | Parachute, Colorado | 1,800 | 549 | 5,331 |
MT71 | Edsall Field[54] | Bozeman, Montana | 1,800 | 549 | 4,659 |
34CD | Elk Park Ranch Airport[55] | Allenspark, Colorado | 1,800 | 549 | 7,900 |
31D | Inter County Airport[56] | Irwin, Pennsylvania | 1,800 | 549 | 1,250 |
HI23 | Mountain View Airstrip[57] | Mountain View, Hawaii | 1,800 | 549 | 1,500 |
10ND | Smith Strip[58] | Halliday, North Dakota | 1,800 | 549 | 2,200 |
1MT3 | Wood Strip[59] | Elliston, Montana | 1,800 | 549 | 5,100 |
YOBR | Old Bar Heritage Airport[60] | Old Bar, New South Wales | 1,944 | 593 | 10 |
W27 | Woodland State Airport[61] | Woodland, Washington | 1,953 | 595 | 29 |
N43 | Braden Airpark[62] | Easton, Pennsylvania | 1,956 | 596 | 399 |
9CL3 | Likely Airport[63] | Likely, California | 1,960 | 597 | 4,420 |
TRPG | John A. Osborne Airport[64] | Montserrat | 1,968 | 600 | 550 |
See also
References
- ^ Airport Journals: A Journey Back in Time - Grand Central Air Terminal
- ^ National Geographic: Trained in Secret, These Fearless Pilots Retaliated for Pearl Harbor
- ^ YouTube: Connie Arrives at Greenwood Lake - 4N1
- ^ HistoryNet: The Legendary Lockheed Constellation
- ^ Cessna 172 Pilot's Operating Handbook: Takeoff Distance
- ^ AirNav: 1ID9 - Skyline Airport
- ^ Mountain Flying LLC: Airstrip Junkies 7
- ^ Mile Hi Airstrip - Mountain Flying
- ^ Mountain Flying LLC - Dewey Moore Airstrip
- ^ Mountain Flying LLC - James Ranch Airstrip
- ^ AirNav: MT94 - Ousel Falls Airport
- ^ Boldmethod: Pilots Land On A Mile-High Strip That's Only 900' Long
- ^ AirNav: ME46 - Back Acres Airport
- ^ AirNav: 27MT - Rahn Airport
- ^ AirNav: 5NA0 - Semchenko Airport
- ^ Mountain Flying LLC: Idaho Airstrips - Vines
- ^ AirNav: 4NY8 - Harris Hill Gliderport
- ^ Airport information for Corlier, France (LFJD) at Great Circle Mapper. Source: AIP France.
- ^ AirNav: 3NA2 - Lorentzen Airport
- ^ Arizona Pilots Association: Red Creek Airstrip Information
- ^ AirNav: MT42 - Hasskamp Airport
- ^ AirNav: 89OR - Mucky Flat Airport]
- ^ AirNav: 26OG - Oakridge Ranch Airport
- ^ AirNav: 08ND - Brecht Strip Airport
- ^ Airport Guide: Cat Cay Airport
- ^ AirNav: 30MT - Nistler Strip Airport
- ^ Slate: Try Not to Drive off the World’s Shortest Landing Strip
- ^ Travel and Leisure: The World's Scariest Runways
- ^ AirNav: 2NA0 - Soderquist Airport
- ^ LFKX - Meribel Airport - Skyvector
- ^ Airstrip Junkies 2
- ^ AirNav: ID13 - Sky Island Ranch Airport
- ^ AirNav: 40MT - Silver Creek Airport
- ^ AirNav: OG13 - Fly by Night Airport
- ^ LFHM – MEGÈVE. AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 3 October 2024.
- ^ AirNav: MT06 - Duncan Airport
- ^ Airport information for AHZ at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ AirNav: 84OR - B Bar Ranch Airport
- ^ AirNav: 0MT9 - Lone Hawk Airport
- ^ AirNav: MT83 - Ten Mile Airport
- ^ Mountain Flying LLC: Idaho Airstrips - Wilson Bar
- ^ AirNav: CD02 - Skyote Airport
- ^ BBQ - Barbuda Codrington, AG - Airport - Great Circle Mapper
- ^ Hailuoto Airport - EFHL - Airport Guide
- ^ Mountain Flying LLC: Idaho Airstrips - Soldier Bar
- ^ AirNav: 0OR5 - East Oregon Cattle Company Airport
- ^ AirNav: NA12 - Johnson Private Airport
- ^ AirNav: 23MT - Waterfall Airport
- ^ The Ten Most Unusual Airports in the World - Part 1
- ^ [AirNav: I08 - Cabin Creek USFS Service Airport
- ^ AirNav: CD20 - Sprague Airport
- ^ The Telegraph: Which is the world's shortest airport runway?
- ^ AirNav: 16CO - Dry Pen Airport
- ^ AirNav: MT71 - Edsall Field Airport
- ^ AirNav: 34CD - Elk Park Ranch Airport
- ^ AirNav: 31D - Inter County Airport
- ^ AirNav: HI23 - Mountain View Airstrip
- ^ AirNav: 10ND - Smith Strip Airport
- ^ AirNav: 1MT3 - Wood Strip Airport
- ^ Old Bar Heritage Airport - YOBR - Airport Guide
- ^ AirNav: W27 - Woodland State Airport
- ^ Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority: Braden Airpark
- ^ AirNav: 9CL3 - Likely Airport
- ^ AirportGuide: Runways - John A. Osborne Airport