Nestled 9,000 feet high in the snowcapped Himalayas, Tenzing-Hillary Airport is the gateway to Mount Everest. Its short (1,500-foot) runway slopes up the side of a mountain. Used by locals as a way to get from one side of town to the other, a siren warns of approaching planes. Pilots have one shot to land, as the surrounding terrain rules out a go-around. Perhaps even more gripping is takeoff. Once planes begin speeding downhill, stopping isn’t an option. If they aren’t airborne before the cliff at the end of the runway, they descend into the void below, leaving those onboard to pray there’s enough power to eventually do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment