Hello folks,

Due to the strong winds into SFO, they're landing on Runway 01R. Anybody out there to get some good video footage???

Current metar as of now:
KSFO 091756Z 01030G36KT 10SM FEW200 13/M01 A3003 RMK AO2 PK WND 35036/1739

That's always a great show - watching a UA 747 do it was impressive.

Diverts from OAK to SMF and SJC so far

Always exciting when SFO operates the circle-to-land 1R approaches. Does anyone have a copy of the RNAV Visual 1R approach?

Landed on 1R on UA 777 a few years ago. That final bank over Millbrae and across 101 is amazing.

Btw - saw a few of the planes headed to 1R over my neighborhood today, but haven’t seen any in the last 15 mins. Maybe they flipped back.

modesto2 wrote:

Always exciting when SFO operates the circle-to-land 1R approaches. Does anyone have a copy of the RNAV Visual 1R approach?

There probably isn't an RNAV for 1R at all (Don't see on on airnav). They'd be on an approach to 28L and be cleared to circle to land on 1R.

Its been a long time since I have done the visual to 01R but as I recall you would turn a downwind between Foster City and Cyote Point, the do your base inside of the 280 Freeway. Minium required power to keep the noise down. Was a lot of fun.

zuckie13 wrote:

modesto2 wrote:

Always exciting when SFO operates the circle-to-land 1R approaches. Does anyone have a copy of the RNAV Visual 1R approach?

There probably isn't an RNAV for 1R at all (Don't see on on airnav). They'd be on an approach to 28L and be cleared to circle to land on 1R.

There is one it’s the same as the 28R RNAV except at ARCHE you hang a left.

Of course with this configuration the airport has a reduced hourly rate of 30 movements, so the FAA has a nationwide delay program averaging 83 minutes.

BravoOne wrote:

Its been a long time since I have done the visual to 01R but as I recall you would turn a downwind between Foster City and Cyote Point, the do your base inside of the 280 Freeway. Minium required power to keep the noise down. Was a lot of fun.

Great approach. I was able to do it once and its a lot of fun. If I remember correctly, due to the terrain you had 2 choices. Either turn in close inside the freeway and have a short final but normal descent or go out farther over the hills and have a much steeper approach. I won't forget the day I got to do it. Post flight walk around allowed me to watch 2 United 747's and a 777 perform the maneuver.

CriticalPoint wrote:

zuckie13 wrote:

modesto2 wrote:

Always exciting when SFO operates the circle-to-land 1R approaches. Does anyone have a copy of the RNAV Visual 1R approach?

There probably isn't an RNAV for 1R at all (Don't see on on airnav). They'd be on an approach to 28L and be cleared to circle to land on 1R.

There is one it’s the same as the 28R RNAV except at ARCHE you hang a left.

I can't find a chart for this runway anywhere.

I think they all 1R approach, till 12.20 PM local time.
I think at 12.30 there was 28 depature to asia also.
After 12.30, that heavies were landing 28 and rest were landing 1R.
For example China Airlines, Qantas came in on 28.
Most departures were 1R/L.

Still landing runway 1R. Seen a few foreign carriers land 28R. Only UA widebody so far landing on 1R.
No RNAV chart for 1R exist. Its RNAV 28L and at AXMUL circle to land runway 1R.

I'm glad this was posted! I must get out to SFO now.

I captured this landing a few years ago...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIIxAIWFM90

Update: Confirmed with my friend who’s a UA 737 driver that a RNAV Visual 1R exists. He just showed me the chart which includes AXMUL, KEPLR, KLAUS, and SQIRL. Learn something new everyday!

Anything like the old Kai Tak checkerboard approach??

hooverman wrote:

CriticalPoint wrote:

zuckie13 wrote:

There probably isn't an RNAV for 1R at all (Don't see on on airnav). They'd be on an approach to 28L and be cleared to circle to land on 1R.

There is one it’s the same as the 28R RNAV except at ARCHE you hang a left.

I can't find a chart for this runway anywhere.

Just looked again and it’s a United Airlines tailored RNAV so you would not see it unless you worked for United. Sorry for the confusion.

I also misspoke your hang a left at AXMUL

I'll be 9 times out of 10, the NORCAL simply asks you if you have the airport/runway insight and then clears you for the visual 01R. It's been a long time so I maybe wrong. It does ahve a little of the old VHHH flavor but nothing would compare to that one and since the weather is typically clear and a hundred miles, that component is also missing. I have never seen this approach done at night so that could make it a little more challenging for sure.

modesto2 wrote:

Update: Confirmed with my friend who’s a UA 737 driver that a RNAV Visual 1R exists. He just showed me the chart which includes AXMUL, KEPLR, KLAUS, and SQIRL. Learn something new everyday!

Its probably a tailor made chart for a specific airline like the FMS 28R visual. I would love to see the chart.

atsiang wrote:

I'm glad this was posted! I must get out to SFO now.

I captured this landing a few years ago...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIIxAIWFM90

I was at Bayfront Park for a few hours that day. Even with 4 layers, I ended up getting sick for a week because of that wind.

Is top of BART/Caltrain (Milbrae) garage a good spotting location on such days ?

mandargb wrote:

Is top of BART/Caltrain (Milbrae) garage a good spotting location on such days ?

Good spot indeed.

mandargb wrote:

Is top of BART/Caltrain (Milbrae) garage a good spotting location on such days ?

There are a bunch of folks on the top of the garage now. But within the past 10 mins it seems that landings has shifted back to 28s.

mandargb wrote:

Is top of BART/Caltrain (Milbrae) garage a good spotting location on such days ?

Yes, it's not bad.

Looks like it finally ended. Frontier 2147 was the last flight in at 16:24. Total of 5 hours, 48 minutes of Runway 1 landings. Very cool to see it for so long!

Do the controllers or pilots typically have much of an opinion about landings on 1R? Since it reduces arrivals to 30/hr I’m sure controllers prefer 28 L/R

SFOtoORD wrote:

Do the controllers or pilots typically have much of an opinion about landings on 1R? Since it reduces arrivals to 30/hr I’m sure controllers prefer 28 L/R

From an ATC point of view, it is the option of last resort as it screws everything up so bad from a AAR and Departures point of view as they still happen on the 01's as well, and the taxiways are now not configured ideally with the new EMAS installs at the beginnings of the 01's, so gate holds are more prevalent in these situations, too. However, if you ask any of the pilots out there, as I was chatting with one at the top of the Millbrae BART garage today, they would probably jump at any chance to "Circle to land on the 01's" The one I was chatting with, who drives a bus for United out of SFO, said if it weren't for the fact he was still on vacation, he'd be looking to pick up a quick turn down to LA and back just for the chance as it is so rare. I asked him if if he was the PNF, would he take the controls away from his FO for the landing, he said absolutely!

adipasqu wrote:

SFOtoORD wrote:

Do the controllers or pilots typically have much of an opinion about landings on 1R? Since it reduces arrivals to 30/hr I’m sure controllers prefer 28 L/R

From an ATC point of view, it is the option of last resort as it screws everything up so bad from a AAR and Departures point of view as they still happen on the 01's as well, and the taxiways are now not configured ideally with the new EMAS installs at the beginnings of the 01's, so gate holds are more prevalent in these situations, too. However, if you ask any of the pilots out there, as I was chatting with one at the top of the Millbrae BART garage today, they would probably jump at any chance to "Circle to land on the 01's" The one I was chatting with, who drives a bus for United out of SFO, said if it weren't for the fact he was still on vacation, he'd be looking to pick up a quick turn down to LA and back just for the chance as it is so rare. I asked him if if he was the PNF, would he take the controls away from his FO for the landing, he said absolutely!

Agreed! I would love to fly that approach with a 787!! I also love the expressway visual the river visual and the kenarsy.

CriticalPoint wrote:

Agreed! I would love to fly that approach with a 787!! I also love the expressway visual the river visual and the kenarsy.

A United 789 made the 01 Visual approach while I was there today and we were all in awe. It was so graceful!!! Wingflex was stunning! A little later an Eva Air 773 made the approach and it was pure power. Sadly I missed the BA 744 earlier in the day.

adipasqu wrote:

CriticalPoint wrote:

Agreed! I would love to fly that approach with a 787!! I also love the expressway visual the river visual and the kenarsy.

A United 789 made the 01 Visual approach while I was there today and we were all in awe. It was so graceful!!! Wingflex was stunning! A little later an Eva Air 773 made the approach and it was pure power. Sadly I missed the BA 744 earlier in the day.

Super jealous of that 789 crew.....

It was crazy. I was swimming in a pool surrounded by a building on three sides and tall trees on the fourth and I was getting pushed by the wind while I was in the water.

1). Hopefully tomorrow is just as windy as today
2). Hopefully someone is willing to do a live youtube video,
3). Would have loved to see the EK 380 land on 1R.

Overall, today was a fun day to see these rare landings. I think they were landing at least an hour or more before I started this post. For ATC, I would rather deal with the delay to see these landings than to have a on-time arr/dep and I'm sure for the pax. You got to be on those TAFs.

All we need now is for the wx conds to be right to see some landings on the 10's. I got my very good spot picked out for when it happens.

wxman11 wrote:

All we need now is for the wx conds to be right to see some landings on the 10's. I got my very good spot picked out for when it happens.

The 10's are more common than you think. All it takes is a good stout wind out of the east or a storm that has already passed over SFO. I have been on flights where the 10's have been the actives. Nothing too exciting...other than the fact everything feels backwards from the usual 28's.

adipasqu wrote:

CriticalPoint wrote:

Agreed! I would love to fly that approach with a 787!! I also love the expressway visual the river visual and the kenarsy.

A United 789 made the 01 Visual approach while I was there today and we were all in awe. It was so graceful!!! Wingflex was stunning! A little later an Eva Air 773 made the approach and it was pure power. Sadly I missed the BA 744 earlier in the day.

Bummed I missed all the widebodies. Only captured all the narrowbodies coming in during the last hour of runway 1 ops.

I flew in today from ZRH on LX38 (a773). Initially I thought we were lined up for 28L but then we made a Kai Tak like circling approach to 1R.

The pilot flying made a very nice landing too.

Of course OO/UA Express took it in the shorts today. Lots of big delays and cancellations.

So after seeing this thread, I jumped into my car and off to SFO I went and captured a few of the landings from the top of the BART station parking lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c45u29eKFg&t=5s
What an awesome time! Could even smell the kerosene fuel from the planes with the wind blowing from the east to the west!

catiii wrote:

I flew in today from ZRH on LX38 (a773). Initially I thought we were lined up for 28L but then we made a Kai Tak like circling approach to 1R.

The pilot flying made a very nice landing too.

If you have Instagram, "b_777_300er" has a great video of the landing of your flight!

https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/ ... 044585.php

Scary close? I think not. Safe and under control? Yes! These are professionals folks showing their skills as well trained pilots. It was very cool after leaving Millbrae BART north on 101 to see an American Airlines jet across my review mirror as it landed on the 01's. Definitely not something you see very often!

SFOtoORD wrote:

Landed on 1R on UA 777 a few years ago. That final bank over Millbrae and across 101 is amazing.

Btw - saw a few of the planes headed to 1R over my neighborhood today, but haven’t seen any in the last 15 mins. Maybe they flipped back.

That's a landing I've seen and wished I was on an airplane that did it. Right down Millbrae Ave.

I was on UA949 from London yesterday. We landed on 1R. Spectacular experience.

777-500er wrote:

I was on UA949 from London yesterday. We landed on 1R. Spectacular experience.

Did the pilot make any special announcement about the unique approach or that you were in for something special?

Looks like there is some You Tube footage posted from yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c45u29eKFg

catiii wrote:

I flew in today from ZRH on LX38 (a773). Initially I thought we were lined up for 28L but then we made a Kai Tak like circling approach to 1R.

The pilot flying made a very nice landing too.

here you are: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8X3PmeBThQ/

catiii wrote:

I flew in today from ZRH on LX38 (a773). Initially I thought we were lined up for 28L but then we made a Kai Tak like circling approach to 1R.

The pilot flying made a very nice landing too.

I saw a video on IG of LX38 landing and man, it was spectacular.

Listing to ATC yesterday, a few pilots confirmed they were using RNAV landing on 1R. I don't remember if it was UA flights only but I did hear it a few times. I was too far to drive to SFO to see this but would have loved to.

Another cool SFO thing is 19s take off. Was lucky enough back in 2007 to be part of one from the upper deck of a JAL 747. Lifted off QUICK, immediately hang a left and made a 270 degree turn towards the Pacific. That was amazing but too bad weather was Sh*t and couldn't see much after liftoff.

rnav2dlrey wrote:

catiii wrote:

I flew in today from ZRH on LX38 (a773). Initially I thought we were lined up for 28L but then we made a Kai Tak like circling approach to 1R.

The pilot flying made a very nice landing too.

here you are: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8X3PmeBThQ/

ETA video from another angle: https://twitter.com/rob_tjader/status/1 ... 7690436608

For those interested, here is an example of the RNAV visual 1R. Took some googling but lucky to find it.

https://i.imgur.com/mj0RD0m.png

This got me thinking, is there any other resources besides Flightaware or Flightradar24 to be informed of different ops at SFO? If I had known planes were landing on the 1s, I would have jumped to go to SFO earlier in the day.

wxman11 wrote:

For those interested, here is an example of the RNAV visual 1R. Took some googling but lucky to find it.

https://i.imgur.com/mj0RD0m.png

Fascinating. How is there no missed approach procedure? Also, what is that 14 degree track to the left of SQIRL intersection?

adipasqu wrote:

The 10's are more common than you think.

Plenty of winter takeoffs from runways 10, of course, but landings on runways 10 are rarer than landings on runways 1.

timz wrote:

adipasqu wrote:

The 10's are more common than you think.

Plenty of winter takeoffs from runways 10, of course, but landings on runways 10 are rarer than landings on runways 1.

As long as I've been in the Bay Area for 30 years, my impression is that landings on the 1s are more rare than landings on the 10s. Planes will land on the 10s when we get a nice weather system with a low pressure gradient that blow wind from the southeast direction. However, it's very very rare that wind will blow in the direction forcing planes to land on the 1s.