Posts: 3,035
Threads: 201
Joined: Aug 2006
After living for two years under the flight path in Keaukaha I am now eternally thankful the airport is not in Keaau. We knew exactly when the 3 AM Fedex flight went out and you would be amazed at how many big military cargo planes went in and out every night. My quality sleep increased the first night, even with the neighborhood dogs who go ballistic every time a pig cruises down the road.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Posts: 1,273
Threads: 41
Joined: Oct 2007
May sound silly, Rob, but they cargo and fuel planes differently for various airports. LAX routinely has problems on over projected heat days, as "projected" load planes can't lift.
Reality, I'm afraid. 500 feet can mean a lot really.
Posts: 8,437
Threads: 1,031
Joined: May 2003
Makes little sense as regards the effect of having a mid town location in a tsunami zone. But I won't argue with you. I tend to doubt that saving the airlines fuel was the reason Hilo Airport was never relocated.
Interesting theory though. I will guess that sea level airports are the vast exception rather than the rule.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Posts: 1,273
Threads: 41
Joined: Oct 2007
Hardly a theory. Tuscon, Denver and other high altitude hubs are in real trouble as carriers because of these fundamental physical issues.
So really, makes all the sense in the world. The plane isn't going to put down some place that's inundated once in 30 years while it's underwater. They'll land at Oahu. The main issue is day to day commerce and projected lift loads. The Hilo airport where it is is unusually valuable for freight, and we all rely on it being where it is for very real reasons. As airports go, I believe even Atlanta at 1000 feet or so is considered unusually high and a pain in the butt by pilots. All in all, one will find it's hard to name a major airport that isn't a sea-level port.
Hilo is a cargo port. Passengers are secondary. You need reliable conditions and lift rates to get those planes off the ground. Hilo is ideal. Fly people to Kona, as people are fickle and so is the weather, and cost is secondary.
Here's links to very basic educational matter if anyone thinks I'm making all this up.
http://www.pilotfriend.com/training/flig...t_perf.htm
Sea level hub airports are the norm. A little research will bear this out. Major hub airports at even 500 feet of elevation are unusually high. Off the cuff I could name LAX. San Diego. Seattle. Portland. Boston. Tampa. Shanghai. Tokyo. Aukland. Sydney. Vancouver. Washington. Of course Honolulu. On and on. There are exceptions, but hub ports are low for a reason.
Posts: 4,836
Threads: 83
Joined: Feb 2009
Delta has a very successful hub in Salt Lake City at 4260 ft above sea level.Salt Lake has 12500 ft runways and has fewer problems with weight restricted takeoffs than Kahului Maui does.
The airport in Hilo is located where it is because it was in the boondocks when it was first built.
Like many other airports the city was built up around it.
Check this picture:
http://hawaii.gov/ito/airport-informatio...rt-history
Posts: 8,437
Threads: 1,031
Joined: May 2003
Yeah, My estimation is that Hilo had a sleepy little "airport" until WWII came along and then the military arrived with the Seabees and built something real to the happy benefit of whoever operated the site and the land around it.
I don't know for a fact but if I had to guess I would guess that the airport land (like Honolulu's) was owned by the Hawaiian People who then got quietly relieved of their asset.
Later the local powers that owned and profited from the location were more interested in keeping their cash cow going than to do anything sensible like plan for the future.
Take a look at Hilo. The place is a mess.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Posts: 820
Threads: 106
Joined: Mar 2006
http://www.starbulletin.com/business/200..._Hilo.html
The state Department of Transportation has reconsidered the 371 percent increase it had planned to charge airlines for using the Hilo Airport waiting lounge and will instead raise those fees just 3.3 percent.
Hawaiian, go! and Mokulele airlines now only will have to pay $4.04 a passenger — up from the previous fee of $3.91 — rather than the $18.43 a passenger that the DOT had implemented as of July 1, the DOT said yesterday. Furthermore, the DOT said the latest revised fee is retroactive to July 1.
Posts: 229
Threads: 5
Joined: Jan 2009
Jay is right. As the air density makes a big difference. Theoretically a heavy plane on a long runway could still take off from a high altitude, but the ground speed to lift off would be greater than the max. tire speed (I think about 230mph). So when at higher altitudes, they need longer runways and also can't carry the max. takeoff weight.
Posts: 8,437
Threads: 1,031
Joined: May 2003
Interesting tidbit, but I don't think it has a thing to do with Hilo's Airport being where it is versus a few hundred feet higher in Keaau.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Posts: 5,640
Threads: 101
Joined: Dec 2008
Many major population centers are on the ocean, so it's hardly surprising their
airports are at sea level. Even if there are higher elevations nearby, the low
land is usually the flattest, and it has the added advantage that the planes
can usually approach from the ocean and not annoy/endanger as many people.
