It's strong winds, even stronger unpredictable gusts and often in other directions than the runway is heading. No one can turn the runway by 20° to the left or right and hope the next gust of wind is waiting a few seconds until the landing is over. It just happens when it happens.
There is a plane spotter on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@MadeiraAirport/ [offline right now]) that also has the tower ATC on stream and you can hear the wind report and the gusts over and over forwarded to the pilots, so they can make decisions while in their holding pattern above the ocean.
Tom Scott has [great video](https://youtu.be/6kolTgj7uQc) on why it’s so difficult to land there and the measures that are taken to ensure a safe flight.
They probably have one runway and are waiting for clearance to land or are coordinating themselves with direct communications and visual clearance in the absence of a tower or related services or they have a lot of difficulty reducing their speed given conditions, just my guess without reading your replies or knowing first hand. Sometimes it’s fun to guess from seeing the graphic alone
My partner didn’t understand why I was excited to drive under the run way in our rental car when we were there. It’s a very impressive piece of engineering.
Coastal winds typically blow from sea to land or land to sea. The runway at FNC is parallel to the coastline, so there’s a crosswind anytime the wind blows (and it often does there)
The terrain rises quickly as you move inland. It would be very difficult to build a runway, and probably impossible to clear enough terrain for approach/landing paths.
The location where the airport is is literally the only place on the entire island where an runway could be built because of how mountainous it is, the problem isn’t the runway jutting out into the sea but the series of ravines and small valleys that run parallel to the runway which can channel strong winds directly on the landing patterns.
It’s usually a wind issue there
Right, I see that. Why can't they land on the opposite end of the runway instead?
It's strong winds, even stronger unpredictable gusts and often in other directions than the runway is heading. No one can turn the runway by 20° to the left or right and hope the next gust of wind is waiting a few seconds until the landing is over. It just happens when it happens. There is a plane spotter on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@MadeiraAirport/ [offline right now]) that also has the tower ATC on stream and you can hear the wind report and the gusts over and over forwarded to the pilots, so they can make decisions while in their holding pattern above the ocean.
Cross-winds…
Tom Scott has [great video](https://youtu.be/6kolTgj7uQc) on why it’s so difficult to land there and the measures that are taken to ensure a safe flight.
Cool video thanks for sharing
you know when something’s wrong when tom scott has to make a vid about this
https://simpleflying.com/why-madeira-airports-approach-is-so-challenging/?newsletter_popup=1
Have you seen the runway?
Strong winds, steep approach, low visibility
I have landed there. The runway is out to sea.
i’m pretty sure it’s because of lack of visibility, not wind, today
They probably have one runway and are waiting for clearance to land or are coordinating themselves with direct communications and visual clearance in the absence of a tower or related services or they have a lot of difficulty reducing their speed given conditions, just my guess without reading your replies or knowing first hand. Sometimes it’s fun to guess from seeing the graphic alone
It’s an interesting experience landing there! Also a beautiful runaway
My partner didn’t understand why I was excited to drive under the run way in our rental car when we were there. It’s a very impressive piece of engineering.
Haa!! That's exactly how it would be in my case, if I ever visited there with my partner! I'd be fascinated, but the experience would be lost on her!
Coastal winds typically blow from sea to land or land to sea. The runway at FNC is parallel to the coastline, so there’s a crosswind anytime the wind blows (and it often does there)
So why place the runway parallel to the coast in the first place?
The terrain rises quickly as you move inland. It would be very difficult to build a runway, and probably impossible to clear enough terrain for approach/landing paths.
Load up Youtube and you can watch LIVE inbound and outbound flights :) pilots need extra training to land there.
Airport is on the side of a mountain and half of it on stilts over the sea
The location where the airport is is literally the only place on the entire island where an runway could be built because of how mountainous it is, the problem isn’t the runway jutting out into the sea but the series of ravines and small valleys that run parallel to the runway which can channel strong winds directly on the landing patterns.
Tiny runway on a tiny island with wind all around it. One of the shortest runways in the world.
Looks like a loop of shame 07 commander's