Page 8 - Nov23

A part of the great Greenland Ice Sheet that has broken away – a sad but true sign of rising water temperatures.
the way to the north and Narsarsuaq has expensive fuel and frequently changing weather. Nuuk has cheaper fuel and more predicable weather though it also has a very short 3,000-foot runway. Normally short wings and a big fuselage is a bad combination for a short field, but the B100 also has direct-drive Garrett engines that allow for the props to go into reverse instantly after touchdown. On the three landings before Nuuk, I practiced my short-field landing and takeoff techniques, and Byron and I compiled accurate aircraft and weight specific calculations concerning our landing and takeoff lengths. I was consistently able to both land and depart in less than 2,000 feet, but practicing a short-field approach on a long runway is vastly different from actually landing on a short field.
There’s no “pucker factor” on a long field, but there was definitely one when actually approaching Nuuk’s 3,000- foot runway. I flew the approach precisely, landed on the numbers and applied full reverse. The B100 responded wonderfully. There’s a midfield taxiway that I could have
easily turned off on, reminding me the B100 is such an impressive machine.
Loading up for the departure from Nuuk, my confidence was sky-high on the takeoff. The cooler temperatures at Nuuk (10˚C) meant performance would be optimal, and the B100 was off the runway in about 1,600 feet, close to midfield. We were soon climbing into clear skies, taking in some of the most breathtaking views on the planet. I’ve stepped foot on more than 80 countries and flown over five continents. I consider Greenland the most beautiful from both the ground and the air.
The flight from Nuuk to Keflavik, Iceland (BIKF), was routine. We had a nice view of the Greenland ice cap; you feel very small and very alone over the vast, uniform landscape. The North Atlantic was calm and peaceful,
a stark difference from what one can expect in other times of the year. As we approached Iceland, though, the wind picked up and the whitecaps became more plentiful. Our landing at BIKF was easy as the 30-knot wind was directly down RWY 01. We parked, refueled ›
The trusty stead on the ground in Luxembourg at the halfway mark of its worldly trip.
6 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2023