Firstclasser From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 116 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1162 times:
What is the best approach in terms of "funness" in the US and world? Pilots, your pick? Passengers? I personally liked LGA, coming in over the west side, then making large turns!
PATM04 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 57 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 984 times:
San Diego. Coming over the Mountains and then almost dropping straight to the runway!
Trickijedi From United States of America, joined May 2001, 3266 posts, RR: 5 Reply 3, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 964 times:
LAS especially in a 12 knot crosswind!
I like LGA's also - coming from the west, turning south and onto Runway 13!
SFO's approaches are cool too!
Its better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than be in the air wishing you were on the ground. Fly safe!
VirginFlyer From New Zealand, joined Sep 2000, 4502 posts, RR: 50 Reply 6, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 918 times:
Milford Sound in New Zealand's South Island.
Ok, so you wont get in there in anything bigger than a Twin Otter, but this has to be on of the greatest approaches. You fly in through Milford Sound, arguably the most beautiful fijord in New Zealand. You have great scenery on either side of you,a nd water under you, and it coninues right until you reach the airstrip. I am sure there are others like it, but this is the one I have experienced, from the flight deck of an Islander (as a passenger, tho). If you are ever in Queenstown, NZ, take the Milford Sound scenic flight. You wont regret it!
V/F
"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth." - Bahá'u'lláh
KaiTakFan From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 1585 posts, RR: 7 Reply 7, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 894 times:
Queenstown was one of the best approaches I got to view from the flight deck from a Air New Zealand Boeing 737. the Milford sound approach was rather breath taking! by far the best scenary I have ever encountered! However it didnt send shivers up my spine like Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong would do! Kai Tak was by far the most exciting to have a front row view of! With that approach its hard to say what was better... being in the plane while executing the IGS approach, or on the ground watching the approach occur!
Cozmo From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 852 times:
Best approach? Tivat airport in Montenegro, Yugoslavia. It's a localizer offset approach but only in visual conditions (minimum is at 2400 ft!!!!). Approach starts over the adriatic sea coastline (beautiful sight), but as you descend towards the final app fix you enter in VERY tight area between two huge hills in Boka kotorska bay, so... Imagine DC-10 coming between two hills (you can't make any go-around between the hills, maybe with the paraglider ), the localizer course is leading you straight to the hill on the other side of airport, but on one mile short final (when you jump over the top of small hill just before the runway) you have turn left, align with the runway and land!!! Pilots have only few seconds to align aircraft on centerline. If you overshoot in turn you may crash onto the airport, surrounding hills or in to the sea on the other side of the runway. When you enter between hills - there is no escape - land or crash! Interesting?
Sushka From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 4784 posts, RR: 16 Reply 9, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 839 times:
Zbeeblebrox74 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 836 times:
Leh, in Ladakh, India!!!!!
Usually flown in a 737 or A320. Downwind leg is inbetween two peaks, base leg approaches into a mountain face, Final approach and landing happen at very high speed due to the airport being high up on the Tibetan plateau!! Runway slopes up at an angle to help stop the a/c.
I've flown the Delhi-Leh flight twice. You hop across the Himalayas with spectacular views of peaks like Nanga Parbat, and K2 off in the distance. It's the best!!!
9V-SPF From Germany, joined Sep 2001, 1375 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 831 times:
I agree that approaching SFO is absolutely fantastic. I have taken some wonderful photos there. Departures can be very nice as well.
Unfortunately I never landed in Kai Tak.
St. Maarten must be great, too.
Flpuck6 From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 2119 posts, RR: 33 Reply 12, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 819 times:
Are there any CO or AA pilots who fly to Latin America in the forum? (I know there is one photographer who posts photos every now and then.)
The approach from both directions into Tegucigalpa, Honduras (TGU) is also a very exciting one due to extremely mountainous terrain. The airport is pretty much in a valley. Last minute turns on short finals create an eerie silence in the cabin. It's amazing a loaded AA 757 can land there or a faster A320. Planes approaches are so low that there have been a few accidents...with people standing underneath them...
BURules From United States of America, joined May 2000, 65 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 804 times:
LGA, Runway 4, making the big U-turn from the north. Hands down the best.
Djb77 From UK - Scotland, joined Sep 2001, 214 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 796 times:
Not a common destination, granted, but the approach to Bergen, Norway, is breathtaking, as was the climb-out of Oslo Fornebu. Not to forget the approach and climb-out from Sumburgh Airport, in Shetland. Not for the faint-hearted...
KaiTakFan From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 1585 posts, RR: 7 Reply 17, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 730 times:
now just curious how many of you actually went to kai tak? are you speaking of personal experience or just from photos and so on that prove it was the greatest approach? if you did go, share your experience... always great to hear kai tak stories. that one approach that cozmo is speaking of sounds awesome! Is a DC-10 the largest plane that flys in to that airport?
Firstclasser From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 116 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 706 times:
also, jfk at 13L where it seems that u are landing on the belt parkway, till you make a quick right. From your posts, i assume that most city airports are more intresting. Pilots, your picks?
Cap'n Dan From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 231 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 708 times:
Airbus380 - I agree that the MSY swamp approach is really neat...kind of akin to the SFO water approach. You feel like you're gonna land in a swamp! Along the same lines as that is the approach into Hamilton Island, Queensland. I was there in '98. I flew in on an Ansett 146, and you really do feel like you're gonna hit the water. Possibly even more harrowing was flying out on an Ansett 767-200 - I think we used every last inch of runway!
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18838 posts, RR: 54 Reply 20, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 706 times:
I quite liked the approach into SVO. As far as the eye could see, there was lush forest. We (an Aeroflot A310) turned sharply and reasonably low over a huge pond - it was very memorable.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
Sushka From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 4784 posts, RR: 16 Reply 21, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 689 times:
Pe@rson sure is great! Also the Flight school right next to SVO with all the old aeroflot Aircraft on RWY7!!! And at nighttime you can look out and clearly see Red Square, Wow I sure miss it!
KLM747 From Netherlands, joined Jan 2001, 669 posts, RR: 16 Reply 22, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 673 times:
I must say that the old Kai Tak approach was spectacular! The way it makes those turns and flies really low over the city. St. Maarten approach is extraordinary too. I love the way the planes fly really low over the beach.
CV640 From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 948 posts, RR: 6 Reply 24, posted (11 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 641 times:
I love the view of downtown D.C. on the River Visual to National. Don't know if that will ever be allowed again with all the new security, but always a great view of the Capital and monuments.
25 Bobsmuggle: From photos that i have seen i would have to say that the most visually spectacular approach would be Princess Julianna at St Marteen. But the one tha
26 D L X: CV640, it actually looks like the new southbound approach to DCA will be just as interesting if not moreso than the river visual: http://a188.g.akamai
27 Jabpilot: My picks...(As a pilot) Las Vegas, Rwy. 19L visual approach(As a passenger) Calgary, coming in from the West over the RockiesJeff
28 HLF-MD11: One of the most difficult and spectacular approaches was and still is ( despite the fact the runway was extended now ) into FNC - Funchal-Madeira Isla
30 Vunz: SFO, approach from the north turning over the city and via the bay towards runway 28 R. AMS, approach over the city towards runway 27. (did so last mo
31 Qantas744: The approach to LHR from the east is pretty good,flying over central London at around 3000 ft.The only really good approach I can recall at the moment
32 SSTjumbo: also add Aspen/Pitken Co./Sardy Field.
34 RA-85154: We were approaching Sofia - Vrazhdebna airport in Bulgaria. As Sofia is covered in smog most of the time, we had to circle above Bulgaria for an hour
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