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Isle of Scilly is part of England.
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===Europe===
===Europe===
====Denmark====
====Faroe Islands====
⚫
*[[Nuuk Airport]] {{convert|3117|ft|m}} and eight other airports in [[Greenland]] serving regular flights.
*[[Vágar Airport]] {{convert|4101|ft|m}} ([[Faroe Islands]], under extension to {{convert|5903|ft|m}})
*[[Vágar Airport]] {{convert|4101|ft|m}} ([[Faroe Islands]], under extension to {{convert|5903|ft|m}})


====Germany====
====Germany====
*[[Helgoland Airport]] (3 very short runways, the longest one with 1,527 ft)
*[[Helgoland Airport]] (3 very short runways, the longest one with 1,527 ft)

====Greenland====
⚫
*[[Nuuk Airport]] {{convert|3117|ft|m}} and eight other airports in [[Greenland]] serving regular flights.

====Guernsey====
⚫
*[[Alderney Airport]] (2,877 ft)
⚫
*[[Guernsey Airport]] (4,800 ft)


====Norway====
====Norway====
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*[[Vardø Airport, Svartnes]]
*[[Vardø Airport, Svartnes]]
*[[Ørsta/Volda Airport, Hovden]]
*[[Ørsta/Volda Airport, Hovden]]



====Turkey====
====Turkey====
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*[[London City Airport]]<ref>[http://www.lcacc.org/history/ London City Airport History].</ref> (4,984 ft)
*[[London City Airport]]<ref>[http://www.lcacc.org/history/ London City Airport History].</ref> (4,984 ft)
*[[Shoreham Airport]] (3,399 ft)
*[[Shoreham Airport]] (3,399 ft)
⚫
*[[St Mary's Airport (Isles of Scilly)]] (1,969 ft)


=====Scotland=====
=====Scotland=====
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*[[Westray Airport]] (1,532 ft)
*[[Westray Airport]] (1,532 ft)
*[[Whalsay Airport]] ([[Shetland Islands]]) (1,499 ft)
*[[Whalsay Airport]] ([[Shetland Islands]]) (1,499 ft)

=====Crown Dependencies=====
⚫
*[[Alderney Airport]] (2,877 ft)
⚫
*[[Guernsey Airport]] (4,800 ft)
=====Isles of Scilly=====
⚫
*[[St Mary's Airport (Isles of Scilly)]] (1,969 ft)


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 11:54, 27 January 2012

A STOLport or STOLPORT is an airport designed with STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) operations in mind, normally having a short single runway; shorter than 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The term does not appear to be in common usage as of 2008. STOLports can only accept certain types of aircraft, often only smaller propeller aircraft, often with limits on the amount of fuel that can be taken.

History

Several attempts were made from the late 1960s to the early 1970s to create STOLports in the United States in the New York City and Los Angeles, California areas, none were apparently successful. La Guardia Airport operated a 1,096 feet (334 m) STOL runway starting in 1968, which was dubbed the La Guardia STOLPORT.[1] The Victoria STOLport also failed in Montreal, Canada. Walt Disney World Resort also had a STOLport for a short period.[2] At one point in 1968 a 2,400 feet (730 m) STOLport was under consideration for a roof top in Manhattan.[3] In the early 1970s, a study was conducted to help the FAA to determine if it was necessary to create an elevated STOLport test facility.[4] The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines STOLports as "unique airports designed to serve airplanes that have exceptional short-field performance capabilities."[5]

STOLports in the United States

In the United States, STOLports are one of several types of facilities, they are identified with an S at the end of the site ID.[6] For example, Calvert Peak STOLport is listed as FAA site number 19448.1*S.[7] As of January 2009, around 80 facilities are coded as STOLports by the FAA in the United States.[8] According to the FAA, in 1968 twenty-five potential STOLport sites were identified in the Northeast Megalopolis. The first US STOLport for commercial operation was commissioned August 5, 1968 at La Guardia airport and was available for VFR use only.[9] Logan International Airport opened an 1,800 feet (550 m) STOL runway September 20, 1968 for use testing Eastern's Breguet 941 shuttle on east coast routes.[10] The first officially designated STOLport was opened October 17, 1971 at Walt Disney World. Prior to that date only portions of facilities were designated STOLports. Plans at the time called for an interstate STOL transportation system. On July 26, 1972 the FAA V/STOL office was renamed to the Quiet Short-Haul Air Transportation System Office refocusing it and reflecting public concerns about noise created by smaller more numerous STOLports as opposed to larger airports. The Quiet Short-Haul Air Transportation System Office was eliminated June 11, 1974.[9] Additionally some STOLPorts were never open to public aviation and were privately owned, such as the Avon STOLPort, a 4,000 feet (1,200 m) runway adjacent to the town of Avon, Colorado built for handling ski tourism flights, which was owned and operated by Rocky Mountain Airways who also was the first purchaser of the de Havilland Canada DHC-7 aircraft to develop it specifically for the purpose of transporting passengers to high mountain airports with short runways.[11][12]

STOLports in Norway

Between 1965 and 1987, approximately 30 regional airports were built in Norway, typically equipped with a 2600 feet long runway. They were intended to improve transportation systems and shorten down travel times to areas that were considered difficult to reach by other means.[13] In Norwegian, they are called "kortbaneflyplass" ("short runway airport"). As they were built in areas with relatively low population density and terrain that often wouldn't permit a standard length runway, it became essential to build shorter runway and use smaller airplanes. Today, the airports are frequented by airliners that have been awarded subsides from the Norwegian government. They typically fly feeder routes to larger hub airports that have direct routes to Oslo and other major cities in Norway. Though most of the routes are flown by Widerøe, other airliners do occasionally win bids on some of the routes.

List of some STOLports

Africa

Americas

Europe

Faroe Islands

Germany

Greenland

Guernsey

Norway

In Norway these airports are called "kortbaneflyplass" (translates to "short runway airport"), and do typically have a runway length of about 2,600 feet (790 m) feet.

Turkey

United Kingdom

England
Scotland

See also

References

  1. ^ Starting STOL Time. Aug. 16, 1968.
  2. ^ The short, short life of Disney World's STOLport. (Blog)
  3. ^ DECISION HELD UP ON SHIP TERMINAL; Council Unit Asks Agencies for Additional Data The New York Times. December 13, 1968
  4. ^ Elevated STOLport Test Facility Conceptual Development and Cost Study. April 1973.
  5. ^ Stolport Manual (Doc 9150) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  6. ^ FAA. Advisory Circular 150/5200-35. Page 6. (PDF page 8) FAA SITE NR S = Stolport
  7. ^ OR73.
  8. ^ FAA. Airport Data (5010) & Contact Information. The January 15, 2009 NFDC facility database listed 82 facilities as TYPE=STOLPORT. The NFDC runway database listed 2 runways as having "STOL" markings and 6 runways designated with an "S" meaning "STOL runway"
  9. ^ a b FAA Chronology. Accessed August 26, 2008.
  10. ^ Eastern's STOL Shuttle Trials. John Bentley. Flight International. October 17, 1968.
  11. ^ The History and Impact of Rocky Mountain Airways [1] AirInsight Interview with former Rocky Mountain Airways CEO. January 6, 2011.
  12. ^ [2] Abandoned and Little Known Airfields - Avon STOLPort (WHR), Avon, CO
  13. ^ Excerpt from history of Avinor (Norwegian). Accessed May 21, 2010.
  14. ^ OR73 - Calvert Peak STOLport. Specifically designated as a STOLport.
  15. ^ London City Airport History.

Further reading

Audio Interviews

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