Mini-airport, with a breathtaking approach

The airport of isafjordur is located in a narrow Fjord in Iceland. The approach is for the pilots of Air Iceland Connect each Time a challenge. A Report On His Experience.

On a shallow Sandbank in the six-kilometre-long Skutulsfjord isafjordur. Just 2700 inhabitants, the Icelandic town. And yet there is here a hospital, a University, libraries, supermarkets, Restaurants, shops and Hotels. Because the commune is the centre of the whole Region of the West fjords.

Therefore, isafjordur has to start an airport: several Times a day, and land here Bombardier Dash 8-200 of the domestic airline Air Iceland Connect. He is a vital link to the former fishing village and the whole Region in the extreme North-West of Iceland. On the road it is approximately 450 kilometres or five hours to Reykjavik. The flight connection will shorten the trip to 40 minutes.

Steep rock walls on both sides

The small airport with the Iata Code of IFJ is located at the end of the valley of the Skutulsfjordes (Icelandic: Skutulsfjördur). Right next to his 1400-metre-long runway 08/26 rock walls rise to the 832-Meter-high Kirkjubolsfjall up on the Other side of the valley of the Eyrarfjall protrudes 731 meters in height, at the end of the basin of approximately 620 metres high, Kubbi. Pilots that fly to isafjordur, we must know exactly what you are doing.

One of them, Axel Ingi Eiriksson. The 55-Year-old flies for 20 years for Air Iceland Connect, for three years, on the Dash 8. Prior to that, he worked for various airlines in Angola, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and learned countless aircraft models. In spite of this immense experience of the approach to isafjordur is for him each Time a challenge. "The airport is in a very difficult place – even when the weather is good," he says. In addition to the tricky situation, the winds are tricky. "Sometimes there are strong downdrafts from the side valleys."

Look at the waves

In isafjordur land, therefore, we must vote all of the factors. At the waypoint ISMC1 to 500 feet or 150 meters in height in the large Isafjardardjup Fjord, the pilots of Air Iceland Connect decide whether you have to turn in the narrow valley of the Skutulsfjordes or not. "We have to be absolutely sure that it will work," says Eiriksson. "We get from our airline to a wind map. From certain directions the Wind may blow up to 75 kilometers per hour, the other only to just 20," he says.

However, alone, this tool will not be able to leave the pilots. Once you have started the descent and about the Isafjardardjup Fjord fly, look Eiriksson and his colleagues on the sea and to the coast line. "If there are strong downdrafts that reach the surface of the water, whirling the sea, where they form foam crowns". This shall be a sign to be cautious, the Pilot.

Tight left curve at the end

There are three possible approach routes to isafjordur. All of the pilots not flying on an instrument landing system. Hardly the Route is used over a ridge in a small side valley and the settlement of Efri Engidalur with a curve to the right on runway 08. It is a tricky one. The most direct way to the airport on runway 26. The Bombardier Dash 8-200 Air Iceland Connect flies to the Turn from the large Fjord into the valley of the Skutulsfjordes along the mountain and on.

The most Eiriksson and the other captains will select the approach to runway 08. "We must always reckon with a start," says the captain. That's why this is the preferred Route, because it quickly comes back out of the valley. This approach is stunning. The Dash 8 flies with a curve to the left in the Skutulsfjördur Fjord, along trying to find its way to the Slopes of the Eyrarfjall before the pilots launch at the end of the valley, a 180-degree curve to the left and to the runway heading and set up.

Challenge The Winter Weather

If the landing in isafjordur is not possible, wait for the pilots, sometimes, whether the Situation is improving. Therefore you refuel in addition to the usual reserves, always have Extra fuel for 30 to 60 minutes. A nearby alternate airport for the IFJ, it's not there. The Bombardier Dash 8-200 returns the software to the Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, the city of the airport of the Icelandic capital, where Air Iceland, Connect to your base. Also it needs reserves. And if this is closed, it must even extend to the international Keflavik Airport.

The weather is actually a challenge in isafjordur. In the summer, the winds are tricky, in the Winter, low-hanging clouds, ice and snow. "Then there are many cancellations, and sometimes can be up to a third of the flights," says the 26-year-old co-pilot Johann Atli Haflidason. Air Iceland Connect attempts, however, additional flights, if the weather will get better.

Immediately ice covered

How nasty it can be, nobody knows better than Arnor Jonatansson. He has been working for 41 years at the Flugvöllur, as the Icelanders call it an airport. Today, he is the station chief of Air Iceland Connect in isafjordur. "In 1984, a Fokker 50 in a freezing rain, landed once," he says. Within a few minutes after Touchdown was ice covered. "We could not clean the plane that day. After that, it began to snow", so Jonatansson. For three days the Fokker in isafjordur remained trapped.

Not only the approach is difficult. Also at the start, the pilot must be vigilant. Usually is started on runway 08 – from the Fjord. But it also happens that the pilots decide to Start in the Fjord. When departing from runway 26 you must load your Dash 8, however, is less strong and sufficient against the wind. The only way the machine can create the tight curve to get out of the valley.

Practice in the Simulator

Just because isafjordur air travel is so technically difficult, and the pilots Eiriksson and Haflidason to land there on a regular basis and start at least once every six months. In addition, you need To - and departure repeated practice in the Simulator. It is also trained on what to do if an engine fails during takeoff. "This is the only Situation in which we throttle the speed. So we can keep at 500 feet altitude, speed, and the cross slope angle of 25-degrees to provide the 180-degree-curve".

Lack of experience the pilots have. "We all fly several times a month to isafjordur," says Eiriksson. And it shows in the accident statistics: Because of the small Icelandic Airport of isafjordur is listed anywhere.

In the above image gallery to see shots of the approach and a five-minute Video of the last Phase of the landing.

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