Alert, Nunavut, Canada (CYLT)
As we’ve mentioned before when discussing the Challenging Airports series, it usually isn’t enough to determine an airport’s difficulty on solitary factors such as pavement length or instrument approach capabilities. Typically, many factors combine in an accumulation of hazards that push an airport into the admittedly fuzzy category of ‘challenging’. In this issue, we travel to the uniquely situated, northernmost permanently inhabited place on the planet: Alert, Canada. Bundle up tightly, bring a few items to pass the time and join us on a journey to just about as near to the North Pole as you can somewhat reliably travel.
Runway contamination, a gravel surface and anti-icing penalties can combine to make the 5,500ft runway feel significantly shorter.
Location
