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Everytime I drive along the west end runway section of road I can feel the history of the excitement of quick flights in and out of that little stretch of road, I was wandering if anyone has pictures of it being in use from back in the day..I understand there may even be some left over wreckage along side in the bush if you know where to look. bless.
There used to be wreckage of an old smuggling plane in the bush, not on or near the road. Gone now, picked over for scrap metal and home furnishings but it was there up until a few years ago.
Some photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5493753...57625183544226
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5493753...7625183544226/
I don't think that stretch of road is where the old runway was. I've heard locals talking about a runway down south by the West-Ender, but nobody could ever say where it was. I think it was assumed that stretch of road is it, as it is long and straight.
I located an airport runway on Goggle Maps just south and a little east of the Blue Hole and closer to Little Bay. It is now a drag strip (that has a big race this coming Sunday). I think this is the old runway that the locals talk about.
Anybody have anything different to say as too where this runway was?
browns - you are not going to see the runways that Tattoo is talking about on a map, lol. The old smuggling runways were everywhere. There is a stretch of road out by West Ender that was used as a runway - many more in the bush just behind there and out towards Little Bay. Several in Hanover Parish. I do believe the Negril Aerodome was used as one as well.
If my feeble memory serves me correct ..there used to be a small plane wreck on Bloody Bay as well ... am I having pipe dreams ..or does anyone else remember the fusealage washed up on the beach ?
I do not know were the runway was located but in the mid 70's and early 80's while laying in bed across the road from Tensing Pen sweating and swatting mosquito's in the middle of the night you could hear the buzz of the planes coming and going and from more the one direction. That was when it was the wild west.
it got so bad in the late 70's and 80's, some Islands installed "wing clippers" on many straight sections of roadway........metal poles right next to roadway, staggered on both sides of road
while in the Bahamas about 80-81 we saw a plane land at sunset..bales tossed out, carried off and it was taking off in 20 min or so.......
many wrecks were simply pushed aside
not many people know in advance, so seeing a photo is gonna be tough lol