Matekane (FXME), Lesotho

[Say Again]

Lesotho is a landlocked kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa and has the highest low point of any country in the world. The mountain villages of the kingdom are mostly accessible only by foot or horse along narrow and streneous mountain paths. However, there is also a network of short airstrips throughout the kingdom. One of them is the gravel-grass airstrip of Matekane (FXME) that is just 585 meters long at an altitude of 7550 feet and often referred to as one of the world's most scariest runways. On the day of my visit in mid-October 2014 the outside air temperature was 20 degrees Celsius which resulted in a density altitude of more than 10’000 feet so that the single engine of my Cessna 182 could only deliver 60-65% of its performance. During take-off it wasn’t possible for the aircraft to be airborne by the end of the runway. Instead, it shot off the end of the airstrip out over the river Ohobeng, then dropped down the two thousand foot cliff until it started to fly.

 

 

Approaching Matekane Airstrip at 10'000 feet:

 

 

 

Nearby mountain village:

 

 

 

Circling:

 

 

 

 

Right Base RWY 07 for runway inspection:

 

 

 

Runway Inspection:

 

 

 

Procedure turn and left base RWY 25 for landing:

 

 

 

Final RWY 25:

 

 

 

Threshold RWY 25 - End of RWY 07:

 

 

 

Rough track; RWY 07:

 

 

 

RWY 25:

 

 

 

Parking:

 

 

 

Take-off RWY 07:

 

 

 

Approaching the end of the runway and still not airborne:

Bearbeitet 3. Mai 2017 von Say Again

[FalconJockey]

Mutig! Du kennst ja die Geschichte mit den "Old pilots" und "Bold Pilots" :D

[iwl]

Mich würden Details zum Klippenstart interessieren, was war die Geschwindigkeit, was die Stallspeed, war das Bugfahrwerk in der Luft, was war der Wind an der Hangkante etc.

 

Ingo

[bleuair]

Mir würden schon die Bilder reichen...

[iwl]

Die Bilder gingen erst, anscheinend nach Editieren nicht mehr...

[FalconJockey]

Die Fotos wurden offenbar entfernt...

[iwl]

Da würde ich eher diese Startbeschreibung für mich behalten je nachdem wo ich sonst noch fliegen möchte.

 

Bearbeitet 3. Mai 2017 von iwl