Flights to Remote Islands Part 1 - Cape Town SA to Saint Helena B.O.T.

[BillD22]

Here are some shots of a flight from Cape Town, South Africa, out to the island of Saint Helena, a British Overseas Territory, far out in the remote south Atlantic.

 

Saint Helena is famous as the place where Napoleon was exiled after losing the Battle of Waterloo. It was only accessible by ship until a new airport opened in 2016 after several years of construction.

 

Since then South African carrier AIRLINK has provided bi-weekly flights to and from the island’s Jamestown Airport (FHSH) using Embraer E190s.

 

Let’s fly along and check it out.

 

Ready for takeoff at Cape Town International with some scattered rain showers over the field.

 

On the climb out we're treated to a double rainbow!

 

"Coast out" for the 3+ hour over water segment. The map insert shows Saint Helena's remote location. Not much to see over ocean water so we'll turn off the cameras until we're on the approach.

 

With the ocean segment behind us, we're on approach with great views of the island's mountainous terrain and sheer cliffs along the coast. You can see why even getting here by ship before the airport was built could be a problem in getting ashore.

 

 

 

On final for the 6000-foot runway. Getting sufficient runway length when building the airport required some major engineering to build up terrain by filling in a ravine at the far opposite end.

 

Turning off the active and parked at the terminal. Welcome to Saint Helena. We can leave. Napoleon couldn't!

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by BillD22

[NMLW]

Very good shots of your flight to Saint Helena Bill. :cool: Looks like you don't want to be too low on the approach. :D

[BillD22]

AIRLINK's flights to Saint Helena continue on to Ascension Island, another British Overseas Territory, far out in the South Atlantic.

 

Ready for departure on Runway 19. The windsock shows a direct crosswind coming off the ocean. Common on Saint Helena.

 

Climbing out we can see the terraced landfill that was required to build up terrain and fill in a deep ravine for the runway during the airport's 2013 - 2016 construction.

 

Heading out for the 3-hour flight up to Ascension 700 miles northwest of Saint Helena.

 

On the approach with the gray-brown volcanic and green mountains of Ascension ahead. The airport is an RAF Airfield and the island has many large NASA antenna arrays for tracking space launches from Cape Kennedy.

 

 

On final. Ascension is a volcanic island and a number of extinct cinder cones surround the airport with desolate fields of gray-brown and yellow-sulfur-stained lava with very little vegetation. The higher mountains are more densely covered with trees and plants leading to the highest peak on the island being called "Green Mountain."

 

Taxi to the ramp and ready to offload and board passengers for the return flight to Saint Helena.

 

 

Departing we get a full island view. Be back in two weeks.

Edited August 18, 2022 by BillD22

[NMLW]

Fine shots of the flight to Ascension Island Bill. :cool: There is a lot of history there for such an out of the way place.

[Downwind66]

Bill - I am so glad you are doing the flying and taking us with you! These are locations I would never find on my own, but you did a good job with the pics and narrative on both Parts 1 and 2!! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

Rick :cool: