Barra Airport, Scotland (BRR), is one of the world’s most unique airports. It is one of the two airports in the world that uses the beach as its runway. The beach is set out with three different runways, each marked with wooden poles at their ends. This allows the Twin Otters that serve the airport to almost always land into the wind. At high tide these runways are under water, and therefore, flight times vary with the tide. In case of emergency, flights that need to operate at night from the airport, vehicle lights indicate the center line of the runway and reflective strips laid on to the beach in order to ensure a safe landing. Because the airport is naturally lighted, there have been reports of cars in the parking lot “assisting” pilots by leaving their head lights on.
Barra Airport is 116 nautical miles from Inverness, 140 nautical miles from Glasgow, and 75 nautical miles from the Scottish mainland. An average of 8500 passengers per year use the airport and there are more than 1400 aircraft movements (landings or takeoffs) per year. British Airways is the main transporter to this airport.
While flying into or out of Barra may seem a bit crazy, the airport is subject to the same safety rules as anywhere else. Facilities include modern emergency services, though the airport fire crews are called out far more frequently to help stranded dolphins or seals on Traigh Mhor Bay (where the airport is located) than for any reason connected with the aircraft operations. This, too, makes the airport quite unique.
Original source: http://onetravel.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/beach-landing-anyone/
