| Rudi Kappel Airstrip | |
| Nativename: | Tafelberg Airstrip |
| Icao: | SMTB |
| Type: | Public |
| Operator: | Luchtvaartdienst Suriname |
| Location: | Tafelberg, Suriname |
| Elevation-F: | 1112 |
| Coordinates: | 3.7875°N -56.15°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Suriname |
| Pushpin Label: | SMTB |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Suriname |
| Metric-Rwy: | y |
| R1-Number: | 11/29 |
| R1-Length-M: | 1200 |
| R1-Surface: | Grass |
| Footnotes: | Sources: GCM Google Maps[1] HERE/Nokia Maps[2] |
Rudi Kappel Airstrip is located south of the Tafelberg tepui in Suriname. It was constructed as part of Operation Grasshopper. It used to be named Tafelberg Airstrip, but was renamed Rudi Kappel Airstrip, after the co-pilot of a flight that crashed near Vincent Fayks Airport on 6 October 1959.[3] [4]
The airstrip was the first airstrip to be constructed in the interior of Suriname. On 3 March 1958, the expedition to the Tafelberg began. One of the goals of the expedition was to examine whether an airstrip could be built on the savanna.[5] On 16 March, Rudi Kappel, H. Massink, and 18 Amerindians started clearing the area, and on 24 March, the first plane landed on the airstrip.[6] [7] In February 1959, Operation Grasshopper was announced which intended to map the natural resources in the interior of Suriname. As part of the operation, six more airstrips were to be constructed.[8]
Charter Airlines serving this airport are: