Posted on 04/14/2008 6:51:38 AM PDT by yankeedame
A few of those appear to have a high pucker factor.
Since I travel to Honduras fairly regularly, I know folks who fly to Tegucigalpa, Honduras although I’ve never done it myself. To a man, they claim it’s one of the most gut wrenching experiences they’ve ever had flying, at least under normal circumstances. All of us frequent flyer types know those huge drops and such in storms, but apparently the landing at Tegucigalpa is a not-soon-forgotten event.
I flew into Tegucigalpa recently and a woman next to me was praying during the entire approach.
Interesting article, thanks! I’ve been to St Maarten maybe 20 times (worked on a cruise ship) but as you might imagine...never by plane!
My husband was part of Task Force Aguan after the hurricane Mitch hit Honduras. I went to visit him for 2 weeks since he has family there. He would not let me fly into Tegucigalpa. I had to land in San Pedro Sula. He said it was too dangerous to land in Tegucigalpa.
Being in the NYC area, I’m surprised to see JFK Airport on this list. I’ve had two airline pilots tell me that LaGuardia Airport is the worst place for them to fly . . . mainly because they say the runway that extends out into Flushing Bay is too short.
Matekane looks quite exciting.
In St martaan, at the beginning of the landing strip there are 2 bars on either side. And folks go and lay on the beach and let Air France fly right over them!
I always try to get a flight out of BWI even though Reagan National would be more convenient for business travel. I just don’t like the steep approach/departure. I never liked practicing steep turns when I was learning to fly a 4-seater and I certainly don’t like them when I’m flying commercial. There’s a lot to be said for nice, gradual ascents and descents as far as I’m concerned.
Very cool post. Thanks.
Yeah, I've flown into San Pedro on every trip. It's a cakewalk over the bananas, sugar cane and palm oil trees. Even in heavy rain there isn't much bouncing or anything. Of course, its 4 hours to Tegucigalpa from San Pedro by car. In all my trips, I think Anchorage in February and Vegas on a 110 day are among the worst. Oh and this one time into Incheon Korea while a cyclone was rolling through was pretty scary...even in a 747.
Several years ago I flew with a missionary pilot friend from a village in Equador. The runway was about 1500 feet long, and the plane was overloaded by about 100 lbs. Our wheels barely cleared the ground as we reached the end of the runway and a 4,000 foot shear drop-off. We dropped about 500-600 ft before we had enough airspeed to climb. I was praying all the way, and Steve was grinning.
I used to fly frequently out of K.C. Municipal before KCI was built. Was always white knuckled until we cleared the sky-scrapers.
That landing in Korea sounds like a white knuckle thing. Glad you survived. I haven’t had many bad landings, but the worst I think are the little puddle jumpers that look like the operate on rubber band power. I’ve had to take a few from New Orleans LA to Lafayette LA. The landings aren’t too bad, but the turbulence and cramped quarters are killer.
Someday, I have promised myself that I will go to St. Maarten, and I will lie on Maho Beach and watch the jumbos scream in over my head. It’s plane geek paradise...in paradise.
A few they didn’t mention on there, and I don’t have pictures for them but you can Google them to see how crazy they are:
St. Barts (TFFJ)
Courcheval, France (on the side of a mountain)
Lukla, Nepal (high in the Himalayas)
}:-)4
You come over the bridge on final, then over the water to land on 1900 ft. Trees, wind, a hill to your East, man you have to earn it.
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