Good morning to you all on this lovely Christmas morning! I'm here at work flicking through the system and thinking about named approaches on the DL network. By this I mean those like the River and Expressway Visuals at DCA and LGA, which involve some spectacular low turns and changes of heading.

There is, too, that amazing video of the DL 737 turning a spectacularly low final in LGA to give you a sense of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac9OOPmUS80 I'm specifically going to non-rev into LGA next year just to try that one out!

My question is an open one - from your perspective, what's your personal favourite 'named' approach to an airport? And for whatever reason - whether the amazing scenery or the procedure itself, or both, in that case  

Merry Christmas to you all,

Toni

circling in limj  

Any approach into DCA. The River Visual 19 is probably the best one. I've only done it a couple of times but it was really cool!

Quoting Tb727 (Reply 2): Any approach into DCA.

DCA is on my to-see list, for sure! I bet it gets busy in the front for that one.

Quoting Max777geek (Reply 1): circling in limj

What have you flown into there? Genoa looks interesting. I was hoping that someone would chime in on some central European ones, too, since there are some amazing ones there - LOWI springs to mind!

Cheers,

Toni

The Silver ILS, in Reno, NV, and the former MAGIC ILS in Butte, MT come to mind.

The "Roaring Fork Visual" in ASE is an interesting one, albeit it is also a flexible approach as there are several routes one can take before approaching for finals.

The "Power Plant Visual" in PHX is also interesting if you are coming from the west. Planes fly a low, quick dog-leg pattern towards the APS solar power plant over Mesa/Tempe.

I'm not a pilot, so I'm speaking from a passenger's point of view, and I'm biased, but the Harbor Visual at PWM is amazing on a clear day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HBB_ZCcfvQ&fmt=22

Flew into DCA and we did the River Visual but I was on the wrong side so I have no opinion of it.

Although I believe it's changed now, many Riddle folk will have a special place in their heart for the Rose 7

Quoting PWMRamper (Reply 6): I'm not a pilot, so I'm speaking from a passenger's point of view, and I'm biased, but the Harbor Visual at PWM is amazing on a clear day... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HBB_...mt=22

Right over my little piece of heaven: Great Diamond Island.

Quoting PWMRamper (Reply 6): Harbor Visual at PWM is amazing on a clear day...

Wow, that's very beautiful!

Quoting Phatfarmlines (Reply 5): The "Roaring Fork Visual" in ASE is an interesting one, albeit it is also a flexible approach as there are several routes one can take before approaching for finals.

I remember having lots of fun doing this one in FS98 with some add on scenery. ASE is simply out of this world!

The VOR 13L/13R (Canarsie) Approach into JFK is pretty cool and you don't get straightened out and lined up until you are pretty low.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQ9-m-nuPI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXPXUD6Opo

http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0913/00610VG13LR.PDF

Quoting PWMRamper (Reply 6): I'm not a pilot, so I'm speaking from a passenger's point of view, and I'm biased, but the Harbor Visual at PWM is amazing on a clear day... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HBB_...mt=22

Wow, you're not kidding. That was great, thanks!

http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0913/00329HARBOR_VIS29.PDF

I hope some ASA pilots can contribute here.

I'm not a pilot either, but I flew into SIT a number of years ago in an ASA 737 and we flew what must have been a visual approach with a VERY tight turn at low level onto rwy 11.

I've never experienced "pulling g's" like that in a large aircraft before or since.

JNU provides some interesting "tight" approaches as well.

Smoke Stack Visual RWY 02 @ Kahului, Maui.

Is there a name for the approach to Juneau, Alaska (JNU)? I think it is from the north only. I've made it several times as a passenger and the view of the Mendenhall Glacier out the left side is spectacular (when you can see it!). I just read the post from Avrich. I lived in Sitka (SIT) for almost 30 years and have landed in SIT in all kinds of weather. The view of Mt Edgecumb and the surrounding islands is breathtaking. There have been plenty of times that one could not see anything until you landed. I can remember many landings when the passangers clapped. The weather in SIT & JNU can be very, very bad but the Alaska Airlines crews are first class professionals.

[Edited 2009-12-27 09:43:12 by stevenjehly]

I've approached JNU from the south before, flying down the Gastineau Channel (actually inside the channel, we were below the peaks on either side) and then another very tight, very low turn onto rwy 8.

Quoting Corey07850 (Reply 7): Although I believe it's changed now, many Riddle folk will have a special place in their heart for the Rose 7

Nope, its still the Rose 7. I love nothing more than when ATC tries to give it to non-Riddle planes. I seem to get that problem all the time, flying out of one of the other flight schools there in Daytona. Not that a quick "unable" doesn't solve the issue.

-DiamondFlyer

Oh yeah, the ILS 11 into PAKT is beautiful too! You really have to be on the lookout for float plane traffic though, that place can be nuts sometimes.

I love the Downtown Visual Rwy 09 into YYJ.

You cruise in right over the harbor in the heart of downtown Victoria, then swing out just west of Mill Bay, with the bay off your right and green tree covered mountains to the left. Then you make a gradual right turn onto final and fly over Mill Bay, buzzing the floatplane base just before touchdown.

The Bay/Elliot/Alki visuals into SEA are quite scenic too. You go right down Elliot Bay, with the Space Needle and downtown skyline just off your left.

I have flown the JFK Parkway Vis 13L Approach many times and it's my favorite approach. I have never seen them use the Parkway Vis to 13R. I decided to try it in FSX and now I realize why they don't use that approach. The turn to line up on final is pretty steep and you roll out much closer to the runway not really giving much time to correct. I uploaded the vid to Youtube if you want to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEAUjgErJyI

Quoting Metroliner (Reply 3): DCA is on my to-see list, for sure! I bet it gets busy in the front for that one.

It's pretty simple really. Keep it over the river and all is well. Personally, I think circling to 33 from the Mt. Vernon Visual is more challenging because of the incredibly short runway and lack of time to line up well (again, over the river).

Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 10): The VOR 13L/13R (Canarsie) Approach into JFK is pretty cool and you don't get straightened out and lined up until you are pretty low.

It's really fun at night!  

I don't know if I have a "favorite". Not named but I've done a visual to 26 (I think) in ABQ. That's a lot of fun because of the mountains right of the end. Pretty much a continuous turn to final while looking up at 12,000ft peaks.

I'm happy any time I get to turn the autopilot off and hand fly. It's something that is challenging and a good reason to take pride. Anybody can do a coupled ILS to 200 feet with a little practice. A nice, circling approach where you level the wings right on centerline and finish it off with a nice touchdown takes some skill and a lot of luck!  

Big fan of the Quiet Bridge and Tip Toe into SFO. But only when I am driving. View from the back probably sucks.

Quoting Pilotpip (Reply 19): Not named but I've done a visual to 26 (I think) in ABQ.

That's a nice one. Real fun coming in from the East over the Manzano mountains. Talk about a slam dunk  

A few other nice ones are 10R into MRY, 27 at SAN, and any visual into FCA (or is it GPI now?).

Quoting SLUAviator (Reply 20): Big fan of the Quiet Bridge and Tip Toe into SFO.

My favorite part of those is getting paired up with traffic right off your wingtip. Pretty sweet to be cleared for the Quiet Bridge and find yourself matching a Cathay Pacific 747 down the parallel approaches.

Quoting Alias1024 (Reply 21): My favorite part of those is getting paired up with traffic right off your wingtip. Pretty sweet to be cleared for the Quiet Bridge and find yourself matching a Cathay Pacific 747 down the parallel approaches.

I'm racing the guy next to me every time I do it. Even if he does not know it. Damn if I will let them beat me!

From the back, one of the best is the Down The Bay Visual into SFO when coming back from a hop over the drink. Invariably you get a vista of the sunrise over the Golden Gate, before descending straight over the city then making that long 180 to line up for 28R. If the place is partially fogged in, then Mt. Tam and Diablo make nice little islands in a sea of white until you get over the bay and into the clear.