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Your shortest ever runway?

…on the same theme there was a whimsical road movie on TV, Charlie and Boots, set in Australia, with a fine ‘barn find’ Auster starring in some nice air to air footage over the Great Barrier Reef.

There is a recently restored Aiglet at Spanhoe (in Shell corporate colours), and another Aiglet based at Andrewsfield – it is a pity no one recreates Ranald Porteous’ routine on the display circuit – Porteous used to market the Auster by displaying it with a flick roll at the top of the loop – the Porteous loop still a required maneuver for RAF trainee pilots.

A short field landing from a flick roll is within the Aiglet’s repertoire – as demonstrated by John Mohr in his Stearman.



Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

alioth that is a fine Auster Autocrat in your avatar!

Yes, but fitted with an O-320 since we tow gliders.

Since you mention Spanhoe, that’s where we go for the annual permit revalidation. I need to go to Spanhoe just for the hell of it some time rather than bringing an aircraft that needs some sort of work, it’s a nice airfield full of interesting things.

Andreas IOM

Robert18 – hadn’t seen your video until now. I went flying with the same pilot, John Mohr, in his supercool Piaggio P136 Royal Gull amphibian. I was obsessed with those for awhile and asked him for a ride. Very nice guy. A Delta 767 captain. He has an insane 38.000hrs of flying time. Anyway, I made a video about it a couple of years ago:



Last Edited by AdamFrisch at 23 Dec 03:43

Early 90’s
Canterbury field in Kent UK (closed in mid 90’s) with a Piper Seneca.
ourairports.com/airports/GB-0067/
300ft elevation – 670m (kinda) sloped runway with a practically usable length of ~580m due to high trees at both ends.
An approach I will never forget ! (with my watchful instructor/safety pilot making sure we don’t end up in the trees.)

2010 onwards
ZZZZ Kopaida 100km west of Athens Greece with a TB20
http://hellasga.com/gallery/kyp/athens/kopaida
300ft elevation – Grass – 590m runway with no obstacles

LGMG Megara, Greece

I just watched the John Mohr Stearman video, and just as when I saw him at Oshkosh one year it scared me just to watch!

Lake Wohlford in California is a bit tricky. Its about 400 meters and on the top of a hill. The part that makes it tricky is that the hill is among a group of hills, so as you approach your perception of height goes up and down in a confusing way. Its owned by an individual but there’s nobody on site and he doesn’t seem to worry who flies there. I guess he’d tell you if he didn’t want you there.

Quite a bit of work to level the top of the hill – I’m guessing it was built by the original developer of the (1940s?) lakeside ‘resort’ – which is now just a few mobile homes and rustic restaurant at the bottom of the photo.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 23 Dec 16:52
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