Originally Posted by
Seat 2A
Alright then, how about LAN retiring its last DC-6? LAN's flight from Santiago to Papeete via Easter Island was one of the last - if not the last - long haul piston engine powered flights in existence.
This was indeed a hanger-on, principally because there was no jet fuel supply at Easter Island, the Chilean Air Force also used DC-6Bs for patrols between there and Santiago, so the flight to Tahiti had to stay the same until new fuel facilities were built.
It's 2,300 miles from Santiago to Easter Island, and there is no alternate short of coming back to Santiago, which is beyond the range of the DC-6B. There are thus a range of special procedures, once the aircraft approaches its Point of No Return no other aircraft is allowed to use the runway in case it has a disabling problem and blocks it. Weather and forecast both have to be good, all navigation aids have to be working - in fact they all have to be duplicated, because if they break down how do you get there to fix them ? All this has come into play again recently with the new airport on Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, which has the same distance issues.
S2A, do you still get DC-6s at Fairbanks on cargo flights ?