Frequentflier From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 422 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3033 times:
Flying into New York, I love to see the skyline of the city. Of course, it was more complete before 9/11/01, but it is still a magnificent welcome home from anywhere on the globe. Also, being a Mets fan, I enjoy the takeoff view of Shea Stadium from LGA quite a bit. It's just so comforting to see the hustle and bustle of the New York area highways, the ones which i'm oh so familiar with, even if I will spend an hour or more stuck in traffic on them on the way home!
Tbonecapalbo From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 3017 times:
When flying into the Tampa Area (TPA), I love to see all the bridges that span the Tampa Bay. I also like to look at the airports in the area like St. Pete / Clearwater (PIE) and Clearwater Executive (CLW). I also like to view the various skylines of the downtowns in the area. Depending on where I am, I try and find my house.
Jsmith From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 3010 times:
Flying into Brisbane, AUS from the south.
-tracking up the Australian coastline to see the lights of the Gold Coast highrises twinkling down below;
-the Gold Coast Highway stretching out north to south;
-the gradual left turn over darkness, then sporadic lights, followed by more and more lights;
-the Brisbane River snaking its way through the city;
-the Story Bridge lit up next to the central business district, the lights of the office buildings in a small concentrated area indicating the centre of the city;
-flying over the Gateway Bridge on approach and then touchdown;
-being greeted at the door by that warm humid Brisbane night air.
Bpat777 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 329 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 3004 times:
When arriving into NYC I know I'm home when I see all the bridges that link NYC...Also, when I see The Empire State Bldg (LGA) or the beaches (JFK)..
Mia777 From United States of America, joined Sep 2002, 1165 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2991 times:
Coming into my hometown (obviously MIA) I like to see all the beaches (Miami Beach), the Port of Miami, FLL (on the right for some descents), and also the Miami skyline plus the always pretty Everglades..
TommyBoy From United States of America, joined May 2000, 150 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2982 times:
When descending into my home airport (Orange Country John Wayne..SNA) as we come down the coast from Northern Calif, we've made the left turn inland over Catalina Island, and are now turning right to final, I know I'm home when I can look down and see Mr J's Topless Nightclub...
Leezyjet From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 4041 posts, RR: 55 Reply 7, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2973 times:
When coming into LHR from the East over central London,
- The millenium Dome
- London City Airport and the Docklands - with Canary Wharf tower.
- Tower Bridge.
- Houses of Parliment and Big Ben.
- London Eye.
- Buckingham Palace.
- Various Football stadiums.
- Wimbeldon.
- The BA hangers and parked Concordes.
When coming in from the west,
- Windsor Castle
- All the reservoirs just next to LHR.
When Flying into LBA,
- The rolling hills of Yorkshire.
- Various streets and places that are familiar to me in the Leeds area.
- My house/sisters house/mates houses.
- My old local pub.
- The golf course at one end of the runway, the cemetry at the other.
Also I know it's not my home town, but I love seeing all the little windmills when flying into PMI from the north.
"She Rolls, 45 knots, 90, 135, nose comes up to 20 degrees, she's airborne - She flies, Concorde Flies"
CVG777 From United States of America, joined May 2000, 1251 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2972 times:
I enjoy looking at the Cruise Ships berthed at the docks in Key West. That and the tropically landscaped resorts in that area combined with the turquoise ocean water is really beautiful. On normal days aircraft approaching EYW fly right over that area.
FLY777UAL From United States of America, joined May 1999, 4510 posts, RR: 3 Reply 10, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2973 times:
The things that tell me that I'm home (Sacramento) would be flying in over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, beautiful Lake Tahoe, and Reno, followed by nothing but rice patties and cows upon arrival.
Flying into San Diego, my new (semi) home, I always love making that final turn before landing over the parking garage, as well as seeing the blue dome at my school!
Trickijedi From United States of America, joined May 2001, 3266 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 2962 times:
I always look forward to the approach into ORD when coming back home!!!
I also usually hope for a Westernly landing to either 27L or 27R where, most of the time, the 27 approaches initially takes us East toward clear blue (most of the time )Lake Michigan and then a 180 to head west and onto finals. At this point downtown is to our left where the Sears Tower and the Hancock building are in clear sight. And if I'm sitting on the right side of the plane, I'm usually able to spot my apartment, my school, and my parent's house along the approach path as we descend down.
The approach to 22R is similar to the above except most of the time the turn to finals happens closer to the airport (away from Lake Michigan) and downtown is just a little farther in the horizon.
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!
Alvaro From Mexico, joined Feb 2001, 239 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2955 times:
In MEX, I love how you can see these things while flying over Mexico City:
-Chapultepec Park and its numerous lakes
-WTC Mexico City
-Paseo de la Reforma (with all the monuments that you can actually spot from the air)
-The skyscraper financial district
-And of course, the Mexicana Tower Building
Alvaro
En Mexicana cumplimos 85 años de hacerte sentir el placer de volar sin limites
HlywdCatft From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 5321 posts, RR: 7 Reply 13, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2958 times:
Flying into DTW, I always try to find my house if arriving on the 21s or 22.
Coming in before making the circle and heading south I look for Willow Run Airport YIP. I follow along I-275 and pretty much know all of the cross streets by air. I look for the Ford Wayne Plant, then Newburgh Lake in Livonia and the Livonia Ford Transmission plant. I look for my old highschool. I look for University of Michigan Dearborn before landing.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 14, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 2933 times:
I like the River Visual approach to DCA, I lived there for a long time (now "home" in Denver on a 6 mo contract). They stopped doing it after 9-11, they might again tho.
You get to see the CIA headquarters, the fabulous houses in McLean and Bethesda, and then "poof" suddenly the city and the Memorials - you pass right by the Washington and Lincoln memorials very closely - and so on.
Fly_yhm From Canada, joined Dec 2000, 1661 posts, RR: 11 Reply 15, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 2922 times:
Depending on the runway and the season There are several things you can see in the winter with no leaves on the trees there are several waterfalls you can fly over.
AMSMAN From Ireland, joined Jan 2002, 1016 posts, RR: 7 Reply 17, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2890 times:
Home for me is DUB, so when flying in from Continental Europe its mostly water....but as we approach you get to see the lighthouse light which tells me Im home.
After that i look for the soccer pitches and motorway i know il be driving on when i get out of the airport.
But because i now live in AMS, the things I look for are...the biggest road juntion in Holland (A12, A12 and A4) and then Valekenburg Airport or the Amsterdam Arena.
Jsnww81 From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 1857 posts, RR: 17 Reply 18, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2886 times:
What a great topic!!!
When I'm going home to Dallas/Fort Worth (where I grew up), most of the approaches come in over bland suburban sprawl. If we're landing from the north... the turn onto final usually comes over the brown waters of Lake Lewisville, and the wheels come down over Lake Grapevine and the Grapevine Mills mall. If we're coming in from the south, there's usually a good view of downtown Dallas or Fort Worth on the downwind leg, followed by Six Flags Over Texas on final approach.
In my adopted hometown of Chicago, I have to agree with Trickijedi... the 27 Right/Left approach at O'Hare is beautiful on a sunny day. The blue of the lake, then the highrises of downtown, then down low over hundreds of boxy Chicago-style bungalows. Midway is even better... there's no better way to arrive in Chicago than to plop down on the aircraft carrier that is MDW!
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 19, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 2858 times:
FRA...coming in from the East:
Make sure you sit on the right side of the aircraft, then you'll see:
The skyline of Frankfurt (well maybe not that impressive on an international scale, but the best we have in Germany nonetheless), then you'll have Frankfurt Stadtwald beneath, take a look onto Waldstadion and the Horse Racetrack, then you cross Autobahn A5 and from then on, you're above airport grounds, have a nice look at T2, big birds especially in the morning and in the late afternoon/evening, after touchdown you'll see T1 (basically LH homeground), lots of big birds in blue-yellow and other Star Alliance colours, then the large LH Technik building, then part of Cargo City and in the end, just when the aircraft is about to turn around to get to its parking position, take a look at the aircraft parked out there, CX, QF, TG all park their equipment out there during the morning..with some luck you'll have Wunala dreaming there...
From the West:
You'll cross over River Rhine, have on the right side Opel City in Russelsheim, some smaller lakes with lots of nude girls in the summer if you can make that out from the aircraft (Kelsterbach Baggersee), then you'll see the infamous Startbahn (Runway) West, maybe some other aircraft about to take off.
..yes..that's it!
Mark_D. From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 1447 posts, RR: 6 Reply 20, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 2854 times:
Climbout I asked this question about a year ago, but now that we have so many new comers here, I thought I'd pose this question again.
Hi Climbout, good idea too
I've got a cousin in L.A. who's returning from Italy in a month or so after visiting with his spouse's side of the family, it'd be interesting to see what he likes seeing as familair reminders on the way in, to LAX.
Meantime for YUL (Montréal), with an 24 approach, I find it`s great to be on the left side of the plane, and see the city, Mont-Royal (Mount Royal, or just "The Mountain"), the Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium), and of course the water around Montreal Island. Plus if it's nice out the mountains in the distance, Laurentian to the North or Monteregian hills to the East. And of course the water around the Island.
But water is best on the 06 approaches since the runway's only a mile and a half or so inland and plus the St. Lawrence river at that point is several miles wide (called Lake St. Louis, actually, since its so wide around there). Not as much of a city view but the mountains still there to the North and East of course, if the weather's clear. I like going in over the water
Slawko Greatest ckyline on Earth
Nikako, No way José!
Though it`d definitely be cool going in to YTZ. And then moseying over to downtown so close by.
Sushka From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 4784 posts, RR: 16 Reply 21, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2815 times:
In Provo UT there is not much to see. But I like looking at Utah Lake, the area around my house, and Westmountain while flying here.
Fritzi From United Arab Emirates, joined Jun 2001, 2762 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2805 times:
The view while landing in Vienna isn´t really that exciting.
RWY 34: All you see is crops and then suddenly the rwy appears.
RWY 16: During the approach you can see Vienna in the distance on the right side and then at about 100 ft you pass over a highway.
RWY 29: If the weather is good you can see the Neusiedlersee and then again you only see crops.
RWY 11: On the left side you can see Vienna again and then when you are on about 1-2 miles out you will see a huge oil refinery (OMV) on the left side.
ConcordeBoy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2792 times:
If coming into MSY from the west, you can see the "beaches" of lake Ponchartrain outline the city. If coming in from the south, you can see the huge southern cresent of the Mississippi wrap completely around the inner city, which is why the Big Easy is also called the "Cresent City"
Trey From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 250 posts, RR: 5 Reply 24, posted (10 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2762 times:
My house.
The traffic jam I am about to get into.
An airport to land on and not water or a moutain to crash into.
25 WiLdmanVzla: Here in MEX? the very same as Alvaro wrote before!!!!!! -Chapultepec Park and its numerous lakes -WTC Mexico City -Paseo de la Reforma (with all the m
26 FATFlyer: Landing in Fresno at FAT mainly involves flying over farmland (orchards, vineyards, and other crops). The real treat is on flights to and from SLC and
27 Rickster: About the final approach into Vienna. Flying in from north-west into Rwy 16/34 and sitting on the right side means on a clear day - or night - a phant
28 Vincent32: When flying into ALB I always know I'm home when I fly over the high school I graduated from, or if landing from the southwest, passing over Crossgate
29 Srbmod: Not really much to see when flying into ATL. You see the sprawl of numerous subvisions and shopping centers, numerous warehouse, and this is the same
30 LPL: On the approach to Liverpool from the North and West, you fly over Anfield (Liverpool Football Club) and my house (you can see it from the left side o
31 Tom in NO: Favorite things to see while flying into my city (MSY):.....hmm.....the arrival gate! Tom in NO (at MSY)
32 Redngold: Into KCLE: If we fly the Lake Erie shore approach from the east, or there's high arrival volume, then you fly over downtown Cleveland. At night it's a
33 Che: Into CLE After flying over Lake Erie we fly right over downtown and get to see all the sights (redngold already mentioned them) Last year I flew in ri
34 Acidradio: I guess it's hard to sum up, since there are many approaches and you can be on the port or starboard side of the aircraft, changing your view totally.
35 Redwarf: Some pilots are intimidated by the approach to SAN (most, if not all aircraft come in from the southeast), but when you're "gliding" between skyscrape
36 Jsnww81: I mentioned it before, but I'm really enjoying this topic... chances are I may never get to fly into some of these airports, so it's neat to hear abou
37 Gigneil: Colorado Springs is frequently the same way. You fly in from the E and then turn last minute to the runway... you never see anything till you're almos
38 Blink182: With DFW, when you come in from the north, you see a bunch of boring planned housing developments where every house looks the same, however, as Jsnww
39 MCOtoATL: I live in Winter Park, and I always try to find my house or church )I work at a church,) but I never seem to find it, although the approach into MCO g
40 HlywdCatft: I'm moving to Winter Park in March, where I will be living is right under the path I think to Runway 17? or is it 18? Whatever runway that Delta uses
41 KaiTakFan: Flying into Phoenix is pretty fun! I think the best time is during early sunset. The Sonoran Desert as well as the numerous mountains around the valle
42 Climbout: Cool responses, guys! I love the details you are giving. By the way, I have never seen my house while coming into LAX. The planes landing on the south
43 Pendrilsaint: Flying into ATL...Its mostly what Sbrmod mentioned...The biggie for me is Stone Mountain (The second largest exposed stone mountain in the world next
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