QF 747 - Diversion to Johnston Atoll

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Was surfing around and reading about the History of Johnston Atoll, and the de-commissioning of the islands airstrip in 2003, apparently with a significant effect on ETOPS planning at the time.

One of the residents recounted a diversion to Johnston (PJON) of a QF 747, without stating the reason for the diversion, or the date for that matter. May well have been in the 70's or 80's.

Anyone know any facts about it? Purely out of curiousity.

The article below suggests PJON was never required in anger as an ETOPS alternate.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/...ic-runways.htm

[Capt Fathom]

PJON was crucial as an alternate airport. Now it is not available, Christmas Is. has been bought online to help fill the Pacific gap.
Unfortunately, PLCH does not have lights nor an Instrument Approach, and the runway width is only 30 mtrs! Hardly a replacement for Johnson, but a black bit non the less!

[Capt Claret]

Um, Fathom, I'm confused. Isn't Christmas Isl in the Indian Ocean, and Johnston in the Pacific?

[triadic]

There are TWO "Christmas Island's". The one in the Pacific was used by the UK and the US for atomic tests '57 thru '63 or thereabouts. Now called Republic of Kiribati. Google has quite a bit of info on the tests.

Google Earth gives position as : 1° 50" N and 157° 24" W

[Capt Claret]

Well bugga my brown dog. I didn't know there were two of them, thanks triadic.

Boy am I glad I didn't do a typical Dunnunda and wade in with something like, "Fathom ya dill, every one knows Christmas Island's in the Indian Ocean"

[Chimbu chuckles]

Fathom you're not suggesting airlines might take the pi$$ when it comes to adequate ETOPs ERAs are you?

I just find that very difficult to believe

[gsf]

****su_Tonka: When you were reading about the history of Johnston Atoll did it say anything about testing atomic bombs there ?

Unless there is another atoll with the same name I am sure there were several tests in the 1950's and 1960's.

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Yes - it was used for testing of NBC weapons, including the droppping of biological virii on rhesus monkeys - love those mad scientists and what they were prepared to do to preserve the American way of life!

Ironically, the Atoll is now a wildlife reserve, and the perfectly good runway was decommissioned.

The external links from the wiki link below have some good photos and history from those who lived there:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnston_Atoll


"You are either with us, or you are against us"

[Shitsu_Tonka]

no doubt we can all see how that picture is aviation related

Exactly PAF - you picked it in one. The photo was taken on board an aircraft carrier of one of the axis-of-good states, the USS Abraham Lincoln at the end of the Iraq War in 2003.

[Shitsu_Tonka]

No worries - only problem is I cannot find even a tenuous link to this thread.

[mustafagander]

Just to get back on topic, AFAIK no QF B747, or B767 for that matter EVER went into KJON.

If I am wrong, when and for what reason?

[Taildragger67]

Also back on topic:

Originally Posted by ****su_Tonka

Was surfing around and reading about the History of Johnston Atoll

Mate, you seriously need to get out more.

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Mate - you are seriously right!