About Yeti Airlines Virtual and Lukla, Nepal in Flight Simulator FSX and FS2004Yeti Airlines Virtual StaffCEO and Operations Manager: Eirik Mcferrin About the Lukla Airport in Flight Simulator FSX and FS2004Runway characteristics include 527m of bitumen runway. The width is 20m and the runway incline is a staggering 12%. The apron has 4 stands and there is one heli-pad located 150m below the TWR (air traffic control tower). No landing aids are available and Air Traffic Service is limited to AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service) only. The airport is quite popular as Lukla is the place where most people start their trek to climb Mount Everest. There are frequent daily flights (i.e. no night service) between Lukla and Kathmandu, weather permitting. Although the flying distance is short, it can easily be raining in Lukla while the sun is shining brightly in Kathmandu, or vice versa. The airport's siren blasts the mountain air to inform personnel of incoming aircraft. The paved tarmac is only accessible to helicopters and small fixed wing short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft such as Twin Otters or Dornier Do 228. There is about a 700-metre (2,000 ft) angled drop at the end of the runway to the valley below. The airport is contained within a chain link fence and patrolled by the Nepal armed police or civil police around the clock. When leaving on an outgoing flight, passengers are advised to arrive well ahead of the listed departure time — at least two hours. The airlines can usually find others eager to fill seats of late arrivers. Before entering the pre-boarding area, checked luggage is inspected by hand. The next line is for checking carry-on baggage and a brief body pat-down search. All lighters, matches and loose batteries are confiscated during this baggage check. If carrying a headlamp, passengers are advised to keep the battery inside and pack any spares in checked luggage. |