Touch Down Zone: Lundo

Region: Indonesia

Surface: Dirt and gravel

Elevation: 3,550 feet

Length: 409 meters/1,342 feet

Width: 16 meters/52 feet

Slope: 13% at touchdown increasing to 26% near the parking bay at the top

People Served: Ketengban

Interesting Facts: The entire Ketengban area covers more than 300 square miles. It is extremely mountainous, with very rugged terrain, many rivers, and deep gorges. Some of the peaks and passes are from 6,000ʹ to 8,000ʹ and extremely difficult to walk as they are very steep with absolutely no “improved” trails or roads. About 17,000 or so people are scattered around the area in about 90 villages of 200 or more people and hamlets of 50 or fewer people. Because of their isolation, the availability of air service is an important asset for these communities.

The dedicated Lundo community worked for over 15 years to construct the runway—using only wheelbarrows, pickaxes and pry bars. You can read more about it here.

Time Saved: From YAJASI’s home base in Sentani to Lundo is a 50-minute flight. Overland travel is impossible due to jungle, swamp, mountains, and rugged terrain void of roads. If attempted, it would take several weeks.

The only other practical option for the people at Lundo is a hike of minimally two to three hours to Weime, the next nearest grass runway in the mountains. For YAJASI, Lundo to Weime is a two-minute flight. Borme, which has a school, a clinic that operates intermittently, and a government center, has the closest paved runway. But Borme is much farther than anyone is likely to hike—at least a day or two, even for local people carrying almost nothing with them.

View the runway chart here.

Lundo, nestled in the rugged mountains of Papua, was accessible only by hiking over rough trails prior to opening the runway. Photo credit: Brad McFarlane

 

Lundo sits on the edge of a mountain in the Ketengban language area. Photo credit: Tim Harold

 

Overhead shot of Lundo. Photo credit: Tim Harold

 

A Ketengban grandma from Lundo. Photo credit: Brad McFarlane

 

The Caravan parked at the top of Lundo. Photo credit: Brad McFarlane

 

Fog rolls in and shrouds the runway at Lundo. Photo credit: Brad McFarlane

 

Lundo is a very steep runway. Photo credit: Tim Harold

 

Lundo has a great deal of slope. This photo was taken in 2018 and shows that additional work was needed for the runway to meet YAJASI’s safety standards. Photo credit: Jonathan Schultz
Locals standing atop the 2.5 meter wall they constructed. Photo credit: Brad McFarlane

 

 

YAJASI pilot Kars Kroneman stands on the wall which holds the dirt the people moved to raise the runway. Photo credit: Brad Mcfarlane

 

YAJASI pilot Brad McFarlane inspects the wall from below. Note how the land continues to steeply slope downward. Photo credit: Kars Kroneman

 

YAJASI pilot Brad McFarlane poses with some of the Ketengban people at Lundo. Photo credit: Kars Kroneman

 

A Ketengban family watches from the porch of their home. Photo credit: Tim Harold