Palisadoes Airport, Kingston, Jamaica. MKPR.
Nov 8, 2023 9:55:17 GMT -5
chris_c, blueaircraft, and 1 more like this
Post by connieguy on Nov 8, 2023 9:55:17 GMT -5
The back-dating of MKJP (not PR as given in the heading) - now Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, Jamaica - would not have been possible without the existence of John Hewson's Flickr album here:
www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@N08/albums/72157686264002080
Otherwise, information is difficult to find. Construction of a civilian airport on the Palisadoes Tombolo, a narrow neck of land which forms the southern boundary of Kingston harbour, had begun c.1938, but whatever was there as a result was taken over as the Royal Naval Air Station Palisadoes, also known as HMS Buzzard, after the outbreak of war. Two asphalt runways were then completed and one of them - 14-32 - was extended into the water on a man made platform in 1944. It would seem that the base was largely used for the rest and recuperation of aircrews disembarked from RN ships for short periods, for example 12 Sea Hurricane IIbs from H.M.S. Indomitable in 1941. There is a list of such units and the names of the officers in command are known, but apparently very little else.
www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Palisadoes.htm
The airfield was returned to civilian use after the war, complete with structures presumably built during it, for example quite a large hangar of broadly RAF type, but thereafter things seem to have stagnated. Photographs of the area around the very small terminal show no real parking apron, but an area of grass with what look like oil stains. In so far as one can tell from the photographs, things look pretty basic. Nevertheless, the airport was attracting attention from major airlines such as Trans Canada and BOAC. In 1950 the latter's 049 Constellations had been replaced on the North Atlantic route by Stratocruisers and were then employed on a southerly route from London via Lisbon, Sancta Maria, Bermuda, Nassau Oakes Field and then either Havana or Kingston (one service terminated in Nassau). At a slightly later date, the Constellations also flew into this area from New York. Havana was made as a CC airport by Mike Stevens some time ago, but there is no classic Kingston, something the current project is intended to remedy. In the mid 1950s the period of stagnation came to a dramatic end. Jamaica was nearing independence from the UK and became so in 1962, although it still recognises King Charles III as its head of state. It was realised that tourism would be a major source of revenue and this was the background for the decision to build a new runway almost 9,000 feet long and a new terminal on land created on what I assume was fairly shallow water. When that terminal opened in 1961 there can have been few airports which had witnessed such a dramatic and far reaching transformation.
cmslocal.gleanerjm.com/article/esponsored/20210730/photo-flashback-opening-palisadoes-airport
The following screenshots show the current state of the scenery of the earlier airport, which conforms as closely as FS9 reasonably can to the situation shown in a photograph of 1958, when the new land had been created from the sea but little actually built. I should just add that FS9 does place the airport correctly, but the landclass is inaccurate in showing the end of R14 as surrounded by land when in fact it projected into the water, and still would if it continued in use. Satellite images show the real state of affairs, of course. No charts of Palisadoes are available, and there is a single default NDB which actually serves pretty well for landings which are mainly on 27 or 32. The photographs are of sufficient definition to show GCA vans, but none are visible, and nor does there seem to have been approach lighting of any kind. CalClassic traffic is present in 1955 in just the right quantities not to overburden the limited space available.
www.flickr.com/photos/12530375@N08/albums/72157686264002080
Otherwise, information is difficult to find. Construction of a civilian airport on the Palisadoes Tombolo, a narrow neck of land which forms the southern boundary of Kingston harbour, had begun c.1938, but whatever was there as a result was taken over as the Royal Naval Air Station Palisadoes, also known as HMS Buzzard, after the outbreak of war. Two asphalt runways were then completed and one of them - 14-32 - was extended into the water on a man made platform in 1944. It would seem that the base was largely used for the rest and recuperation of aircrews disembarked from RN ships for short periods, for example 12 Sea Hurricane IIbs from H.M.S. Indomitable in 1941. There is a list of such units and the names of the officers in command are known, but apparently very little else.
www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/FAA-Bases/Palisadoes.htm
The airfield was returned to civilian use after the war, complete with structures presumably built during it, for example quite a large hangar of broadly RAF type, but thereafter things seem to have stagnated. Photographs of the area around the very small terminal show no real parking apron, but an area of grass with what look like oil stains. In so far as one can tell from the photographs, things look pretty basic. Nevertheless, the airport was attracting attention from major airlines such as Trans Canada and BOAC. In 1950 the latter's 049 Constellations had been replaced on the North Atlantic route by Stratocruisers and were then employed on a southerly route from London via Lisbon, Sancta Maria, Bermuda, Nassau Oakes Field and then either Havana or Kingston (one service terminated in Nassau). At a slightly later date, the Constellations also flew into this area from New York. Havana was made as a CC airport by Mike Stevens some time ago, but there is no classic Kingston, something the current project is intended to remedy. In the mid 1950s the period of stagnation came to a dramatic end. Jamaica was nearing independence from the UK and became so in 1962, although it still recognises King Charles III as its head of state. It was realised that tourism would be a major source of revenue and this was the background for the decision to build a new runway almost 9,000 feet long and a new terminal on land created on what I assume was fairly shallow water. When that terminal opened in 1961 there can have been few airports which had witnessed such a dramatic and far reaching transformation.
cmslocal.gleanerjm.com/article/esponsored/20210730/photo-flashback-opening-palisadoes-airport
The following screenshots show the current state of the scenery of the earlier airport, which conforms as closely as FS9 reasonably can to the situation shown in a photograph of 1958, when the new land had been created from the sea but little actually built. I should just add that FS9 does place the airport correctly, but the landclass is inaccurate in showing the end of R14 as surrounded by land when in fact it projected into the water, and still would if it continued in use. Satellite images show the real state of affairs, of course. No charts of Palisadoes are available, and there is a single default NDB which actually serves pretty well for landings which are mainly on 27 or 32. The photographs are of sufficient definition to show GCA vans, but none are visible, and nor does there seem to have been approach lighting of any kind. CalClassic traffic is present in 1955 in just the right quantities not to overburden the limited space available.
Approach to Runway 32, the rmi needle should ideally be reading 320 degrees. However, providing that visibility is good there should be no problem lining up.
Decision height
BOAC 049 Constellation in the fine paint by Frank Gonzalez.
Touches down. Construction work in the background.
And parked. Release should not be far away.
