Short-field landings have been part of my flying right from the onset of private pilot training. My instructor had flown in the Alaska Bush, and was very comfortable operating out of short airports, grass or otherwise. The go-to runways near me were Cranland Airport (28M), in Hanson, Mass., and Myricks Airport (1M8) in Berkley, Mass. They “featured” a 1700-foot paved runway and a 2500-foot grass strip with tall trees on each end, respectively. After the initial nerves and excitement faded, I was left with a sense of satisfaction. Tighter margins mean flying the airplane in a narrower envelope than usual. Speed control and energy management are always important, but become more critical in short-field operations.
When I got to the point in my career where a company actually wanted to pay me to fly the public, the first airplane I was assigned was the Pilatus PC-12. Talk about a short-field machine! There is nothing like being able to take eight passengers and luggage to airports like the Gustaf III Airport (TFFJ) on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy or Elizabeth Field Airport (0B8) at Fishers Island, N.Y. The airplane may be bigger, but the general principles are still the same.
