Description

A tabletop runway is a runway that is located on the top of a plateau or hill with one or both ends adjacent to a steep precipice which drops into a deep gorge. This type of runway can create an optical illusion of being at the same level as the plains below, which requires a very precise visual approach by the pilot when autoland is not used or is not available.

The runway at Madeira (LPMA), Portugal, is an example of a table top runway [source: wikicommons, Author: Bingar1234, Oct 2014]

View of Lukla (Tenzing-Hillary) airport, Nepal, from the flight deck of a DHC-6 on approach [Source: wikicommons, Author: Reinhard Kraasch, Feb 2006

View from the south of Sedona Airport, Arizona, where the airport sits on top of a Mesa rock formation [Source: wikicommons. Author: exfordy, May 1998]

Examples

Some of the most notable table top runways include:

• Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, Madeira
• Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal
• Saint Helena Airport, Saint Helena
• Courchevel Airport, France
• Sedona Airport, Arizona, USA