[telstar12.5]

gonna need a really LONG runway - I doubt dirt is gonna do

[princess leah]

I would keep my eyes on Israel - nothing goes on without them being “in the loop” or they’d have been wiped out long ago.

[tanknetter]

gonna need a really LONG runway - I doubt dirt is gonna do

Depends on whether there's anything along the lines of the dry lakes at places like White Sands, Groom and Edwards where the plane went to.

Remember that they wouldn't really be looking at operating the aircraft from any such place on a routine basis. They'd land it, refuel and put whatever equipment/people/explosives they wanted to on board and then fly it out again to it's ultimate destination.

Also keep in mind that the landing and take-off distances being given are those within normal parameters for the aircraft, under the assumption that the intent is to maximize service life of the airframe and engines. If there's no intent to do such (ie the aircraft is going on a one-way trip), then the equipment can be pushed well-past it's established maximums/minimums.

For reference see post #64 in This FR thread which talks about a 737 (although it's quoted as being a 747) forced to dead-stick on a levee at NASA's Michaud Assembly Facility. To quote: "It turns out that an empty, lightly fueled, STRIPPED 747 (sic) can manage a takeoff roll in about 500 feet on emergency engine thrust"

[Vermont Lt]

From what I’ve heard from pilot friends, it needs less room to land, but the rollout takes more.

I wonder if you stripped the inside, if it could take off on a shorter runway.

[IndispensableDestiny]

Dirt would do it, once. But there are lots of long runways in the area. You can find them with Google Earth.

[xzins]

A 4 lane reinforced stretch of highway with a 1.5 mile straightaway and an off lane that goes to a large warehouse.

Doesn’t seem likely, but I guess it’s a possibility.