Idea #767 – Landing on the most dangerous airfield in the world at Luckla in Nepal
Lukla Airport in Nepal is known by trekkers and mountaineers around the world as the go-to way to access the foot of Everest. Responding to the IATA code: LUA • ICAO code: VNLK, it has also been known since 2008 as Tenzing-Hillary airport, in honor of Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing Norgay, the first people to have climbed Everest . The aerodrome has a runway of about 500 meters with a 12° slope, at an altitude of 2800 meters, making landings particularly difficult. Upstream is a cliff, and downstream… a cliff. Since 2001, the runway has been paved, which improves flight safety.
However, it is necessary to arrive at the right altitude and at the right speed to land to ensure survival, and to have the right speed on takeoff, otherwise you will stall, due to the low lift in the air at this altitude. Flights made on sight, between the mountains, are particularly dangerous due to the lack of visibility, and flight reports are very frequent; Generally, aerial activity is suspended from 2 p.m., due in particular to thermals that disrupt weather conditions. The aircraft are limited to small planes of 12 to 18 people maximum, and helicopters which provide rescue for mountaineers or which provide commercial flights for those who do not want to walk… In this video, we offer you a view impregnable from the cockpit of take-off and landing, carried out during our expedition to Everest. We will say that we were not afraid, but we had confidence in the pilot, and he assured (otherwise the video would not be there!).
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Tenzing-Hillary airport, Luckla, Everest, Nepal
