Not considering crazy airports like TGU, is it more difficult / more concentration effort to land on a short runway compared to a takeoff with a full passenger and luggage/cargo load including full fuel load? I'll use BRS as an example with the ski-slope drop off at the end to add into the equation.

Definitely more concentration required! Our focus when landing on a short runway is to put it down in the forward part of the touchdown zone and get it stopped. You may experience a firmer than normal touchdown with a much more dramatic deceleration as a passenger sitting in the back. I have flown out of BRS many times. Not terribly challenging, but definitely an odd runway. I’ve never had a great landing on that runway due to optical illusions associated with the hump in the middle.


Oh . . . my . . . god! Are there night landings there? IFR?

Regarding TGU, night landings are not allowed to my knowledge. I don’t think the airport is accessible with IFR conditions present. On a side note, in order for a pilot to fly into TGU, you must have a “special checkout” and fly in there with a check airman for your first trip.


How about the EWR 29 fully loaded from the north over TEB? Not much longer than TGU (6500LDA) and a restricted approach.

The runway is actually decently long. They were actually departing some mainline aircraft off that runway last week when winds were gusting out of the west at 45 knots. The approach can be challenging considering they want us to keep it tight and fly a “short approach.” When I was EWR based, I loved using that runway when parking at the international gates as it was a very quick taxi to the gate. You can easily make up 10 plus minutes of taxi time landing on this runway.