The information in this document is not intended for real aviation. It is only intended for computer-based flight simulation.
a picture should be here - we'll add it soon
Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Madeira (LPMA/FNC) is a very iconic airport on the Portuguese island of the same name in the Atlantic Ocean. It is characterised by high terrain (not only) near the airport, strong turbulence, and the fact that part of the runway is on a concrete bridge. The island is a popular destination mainly due to its nature and pleasant climate – it is also known as the island of eternal spring. A direct Smartwings flight operates year-round between Prague and Madeira, usually joined by additional charter flights from other airports in the summer season.
Madeira Airport is often featured in lists of the world's “most dangerous airports”. Because of the difficult conditions, in reality, any pilot in command who flies here has to be specially trained. Only the captain of the aircraft is allowed to land and take off.
For more information, please refer to the real-life Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP):
https://ais.nav.pt
Recommended LPMA scenery for MSFS:
ORBX - payware
Chak991 - freeware
Caution – add-on sceneries for MSFS cause issues when they collide with the default Asobo scenery. It is necessary to deactivate the Asobo scenery in the Content Manager in MSFS.
Recommended LPMA scenery for X-Plane:
XPJavelin - freeware
Recommended LPMA scenery for P3D:
Aerosoft - payware
The airport is located on a small plateau on the southeastern coast of the island. The terrain and cliffs rise steeply from the coast, and the airport is located immediately adjacent to tall mountains. On approach you may encounter wind variations, turbulence and strong windshear at low altitudes.
If the wind is too strong in a certain direction, dangerous meteorological phenomena may occur due to the terrain. Therefore, at Madeira Airport, there are maximum wind speeds specified for landing, which also vary according to the direction of the wind. If these values are exceeded, it is not possible to land. The specific values can be found in the table below.
| wind direction (clockwise) | maximum wind speed – LANDING |
|---|---|
| 020° to 040° | 20 kts; gusts 30 kts |
| 120° to 190° | RWY 05: 20 kts; gusts 30 kts // RWY 23: 15 kts; gusts 25 kts |
| 200° to 230° | 25 kts (including gusts) |
| 300° to 010° | 15 kts; gusts 25 kts |
| other wind direction | no wind speed restriction |
Diversions to other airports for meteorological reasons are not very uncommon here. The usual alternate airport for Madeira is Porto Santo Airport (LPPS/PXO) on the island of the same name, approximately 30 nautical miles north-east of Madeira. There, a 3 kilometre instrument approach runway is available and local conditions are not significantly affected by terrain. In reality, there may be situations where Porto Santo airport cannot be used as an alternate due to its capacity. In such cases, one of the airports in the Canary Islands, such as Gran Canaria (GCLP/LPA), is usually planned as an alternative airport.
It is also possible to fly to Madeira at night (after dark). In reality, however, it is required that the pilot has previous experience of this airport in daylight.
All approaches and landings in both directions of the runway are ultimately performed visually. During the visual approach phase, visual contact with the aerodrome or other visual points in the vicinity of the aerodrome must be maintained.
There are VOR and RNP procedures published for the approach, with a transition to visual approach in the final phase. All of these procedures include a right turn of approximately 50° over the coast of the island, ending approximately 1 NM before of the runway threshold.
A system of lead-in lights is available at the point of the final right turn. Do not deviate to the left of these lights during the approach due to terrain. For nighttime operations, these lights must be in operation.
PAPI lights are located on both sides of the runway. Due to the terrain and final approach trajectory, they are deflected 5 degrees to the right, therefore the PAPI lights on the right side of the runway are not visible on short final.
The runway threshold is displaced by about 150 meters. It is possible to exit the runway to the right directly towards the apron, or after passing this taxiway, it is possible to use one of the two turn pads and then backtrack the runway. Aircraft with MTOW over 30 tonnes are not allowed to turn around on the runway, it is necessary to use the turn pads.
There are VOR and RNP procedures published for the approach, with a transition to visual approach in the final phase. A “straight-in“ approach from Funchal VOR (FUN) is not permitted.
Do not deviate to the right of the extended runway centerline during the approach due to terrain. PAPI lights are located on the left side of the runway.
The runway threshold is displaced by about 150 metres. It is possible to exit the runway to the left directly towards the apron, or after passing this taxiway, it is possible to use the turn pad at the end of the runway, and then backtrack the runway. Aircraft with MTOW over 30 tonnes are not allowed to turn around on the runway, it is necessary to use the turn pads.
Starting the engines is only possible after the pushback is complete. When taxiing on or near the apron, the least possible thrust should be used to minimize the risk of damage to aircraft and equipment or injury to personnel.
If the wind is too strong in a certain direction, dangerous meteorological phenomena may occur due to the terrain. Therefore, at Madeira Airport, there are maximum wind speeds specified for departure, which also vary according to the direction of the wind. If these values are exceeded, it is not possible to takeoff. The specific values can be found in the table below.
| wind direction (clockwise) | maximum wind speed – TAKEOFF |
|---|---|
| 020° to 040° | 20 kts; no gust restriction |
| 120° to 190° | RWY 05: 25 kts; no gust restriction // RWY 23: 20 kts; no gust restriction |
| 300° to 010° | 20 kts; no gust restriction |
| other wind direction | no wind speed restriction |
If turbulence or downdraft is reported, it is recommended to use all available thrust for departure.