DOT ponders PMDY's future

[BobDDuck]

The DOT has put out a request for comment in regards to spending the about $100 million tist it is going to take to keep the airport up to FAA standards for ETOPS use. In the notice they point out that Shemya and Wake work equally as well for diversion airports (narrator: but they don't).

Between Hawaii and Asia, Midway is the most efficient ETOPS alternate about 90% of the time, and if you are going anywhere south of San Fran on the US end it mostly going to come into play more than Wake (and certainly more than PASY). The most work I've ever had to do on an east bound crossing was try to figure out a plan when the weather in Midway started dropping.

https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2026-8185-0001

 

[Minuteman]

“Welcome to Boeing Midway Field, operated by Accenture"

(Boeing actually did invest in some Pacific airfields in the 1990 to enable more 60-minute ETOPS)

 

[Fixtur]

"oh you want the ILS? That only comes with our ETOPS+ subscription..."

 

[FlyingAccountant]

If you get bored, someone took the liberty of street viewing almost the entire island of Midway on foot on Google Maps. It's pretty neat.

 

[///AMG]

Isn't the weather in Shemya pretty horrible, like most of the year?

 

[JordanD]

"oh you want the ILS? That only comes with our ETOPS+ subscription..."

"Your runway will be open after this brief ad"

 

[bike21]

Isn't the weather in Shemya pretty horrible, like most of the year?

Aye. Except the night we diverted there. Magically clear and a million.

 

[BobDDuck]

Aye. Except the night we diverted there. Magically clear and a million.

Oh... you actually got to divert? I came close a few months ago but the plane decided it was ok with going to Japan and resolved its issues. Which was good because it was pretty much right at mins.

 

[DE727UPS]

Oh... you actually got to divert? I came close a few months ago but the plane decided it was ok with going to Japan and resolved its issues. Which was good because it was pretty much right at mins.

If you went to Shemya what do you do with 300 people. Is there even a terminal there?

 

[BobDDuck]

If you went to Shemya what do you do with 300 people. Is there even a terminal there?

There's a pretty big note on the station bulletin page that says your best bet is to feed 2/3rds of the passengers to the polar bears.

Same issue with Wake and Midway. I think they stock water and emergency food packs and that's it. Passengers stay on the plane until a rescue flight gets there.

 

[MikeD]

Midway is a cool place. lots of history still around there.

 

[Richman]

Way, way back in the day, Northernjets had commissioned a study of divert airports on the NOPAC routes, including the Russian Far East.

Their conclusion was to treat it like a big ocean, and unless you’re burning, keep on going.