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Originally Posted by JLBorloo
Ever flown into Tegucigalpa?
I'm quite the aviation enthusiast, but did not look up the airport. The approach had me in awe trying to explain my gf how cool it was.
As soon as we got on land I Googled it, only to find out it was one of the most dangerous in the world as far as commercial airliners are concerned. Really cool stuff.
I have never had the pleasure of flying into this airport. I think we currently use the 737 for service in there. It is perhaps the most demanding approach in our system from what I've heard. Tegucigalpa is one of our Special Qualification airports, which just means that the company provides material for familiarization with the airport that crews are required to have reviewed within six months of flying there.
Our Jeppesen charts have special pages for each airports which detail such things as Ops frequencies, local de-ice procedures and other nice-to-know or need-to-know information for that airport. In the days when we carried paper charts, these pages were colored green and are still referred to as "green pages" even though we now carry electronic versions which have no color. In the Jeppesen numbering scheme, these are the "10-7" pages (10-7A, 10-7B, etc, with as many as that particular airport requires).
Here are some excerpts I've pulled from the Tegucigalpa green pages:
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Special Airport Qualification Requirement
• Prior to arrival or departure from this airport, crews will review
applicable sections of the airport pictorials provided in the Airport Info REF
folder (tab) of Jeppesen FDPro.
- The captain may waive this requirement if less than 6 calendar months from
last entry/exit or pictorial review.
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WARNING
Airport located in a valley surrounded by mountainous terrain in all
quadrants.
Terrain rises above 5000' MSL within 5 NM of airport and above
7500' MSL within 11 NM of airport.
Do not accept or request off-course clearances unless able to maintain
VMC.
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Airport Restrictions
• Daytime (sunrise-sunset) operations only.
• Captain will conduct all approaches and landings.
• Antiskid, autobrakes, auto speed brakes, APU air and electrics, and all
thrust reversers must be operative.
• Do not land or depart if runway is contaminated with standing water.
- Runway is contaminated when a mirror reflection can be seen on the
runway.
• Runway is slippery when wet.