Next I headed east to Saba, home of Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB/TNCS/SABA), which in turn is home to the world's shortest commercial runway at 1300 feet. Fortunately I was in my C172, so I shouldn't have had any problems. Or so I thought. I took off from runway 10 at St. Barth's (SBH/TFFJ) flying a full departure leg, than an extended right crosswind leg, than turning due west for Saba. After about 20 minutes in the air, it was time to start the pattern. I flew the pattern way too high and way too short. I put myself in a nosedive to land, but realizing (at about 50 feet AGL) that I'd never stop on the runway, I decided to make a go around. I actually made a proper go around, climbing to 800 feet and flying the pattern, as opposed to my usual loop around at 300 feet. I flew a wide pattern, but do to terrain on the approach path for runway 12, my next approach needed to be vacated as well. Realizing that the approach to runway 12 (which in real life would be against the winds-hence I decided to use it her) wasn't going to work out, I climbed and looped around to make and approach to runway 30. This one was pretty low, and at the last minute I had to swerve around a tree that was right in front of the threshold. I managed to stop with a little bit of runway left. At least it isn't Balcony Downs.
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| TFFJ-TNCS |
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