Oh gosh, how well I remember landing and taking off at Funchal airport in the late 1980s, before the runway was extended. Landing was at night. Bumpy landing, instant reverse thrust and very shortly after screeching to a halt. No taxiing involved before disembarking.The night was dark and I didn't think much more about it - too keen to get to the hotel and sleep after a long journey. A few days later my travelling companion and I were on a road tour around the island, part of which had us looking down at the airport as a plane landed. From above the runway looked frighteningly short and the abrupt halt of the aircraft was just in front of a sheer cliff. I felt decidedly nauseous and my companion was as white as a sheet. During our stay we were told with relish by locals that most of the fatalities occurred during take-off, when planes plunged into the sea. Great. When the time came to leave we were both nervous as heck, but the plane (and we) made it. By far my scariest plane landing and take-off ever, even compared with plunging down onto the Kathmandu valley landing strip, which had been my most frightening landing to date. And I was and still am by no means a nervous flyer.
Great video.. all these airlines gone! Wonder how the heavies did in the 80s before the expansion. LTU, Condor, Hapag-Lloyd, Britannia.. all had FNC in the schedule back then.
Thank you! Can you get a hold of any old film clips from the FNC trail blazers like: TP, NB, BU, BX, DA? I would love to see that. Greetings from Norway!
nem as pessoas desses anos pensavam que nesse aeroporto iam aterrar no futuro aviões de grande porte como o a330-900neo da TAP que aterrou lá agora à pouco tempo.
Em dezembro de 1986 sai de Lisboa para a Madeira um avião pequeno o comandante tentou por duas vezes o pouso mas muito vento e chuva não pousou então foi para Porto Santo e voltamos de barco para Funchal uma aventura. Saudade de minha terra de flores e gente linda
Sweet video, thanks. Does anyone know the story behind the demolition of the structure at 4:45? I guess it was deemed dangerously tall for being that close to the flightpath?
I believe that was that aircraft flew very close to the building which caused much disturbance for the people in the building and not a safe flightpath.
