Posted on 08/10/2010 9:55:21 AM PDT by smokingfrog
Kai Tak in Hong Kong was amazing - just as this guy describes. Another is Medellin, Colombia between the mountains.
Gibraltar Airport. Pinched in by the Mediterranean on its eastern flank and the Bay of Algeciras on its western side, the airport's truncated runway stretches just 1828 metres and requires pinpoint precision
Oooh. A public beach. What BS! So if it was just a restricted strip of sand that would make landings there easier?
ML/NJ
I’ve been in and out of Princess Juliana many times and never found it scary.
In fact, the main attraction to the small beach mentioned that the planes fly over is jsut that - that the planes fly over so low.
I think I have been through Hong Kong’s Kai Tak airport a hundred or more times - I never will forget looking in people’s apartments and seeing a family watching television on the approach to the runway. A few of those little bottles of vodka always helped me get through the experience.
Guatemala City took the cake for me, but that was in the 70s. There was a burned airplane just to the side of the runway. One of those drop into a valley things.
The northern approach to Reagan National, in D.C., is usually a little exciting. The plane has to make several reverse-S turns as it navigates down the Potomac, trying to avoid flying over any notable landmarks. As you bank by the Pentagon, one hopes no automated surface-to-air missile takes the plane out.
To me the scariest one I’ve ever been on is one whose name I don’t even know.
It was a flight from Elmira NY to Cleeland years ago. It was supposed to be direct, but minutes after take off we mad an “unscheduled” landing at some little airport int he finger lakes region.
Apparently this was actually planned.
The terminal consisted of a small cement block building about the size of a modern gas station.
We were flying on a full sized jet (727?).
The landing was unexpected but fine. But the takeoff...
The pilot made his turn onto the runway as far back as he could. I’d stay the tail was hanging over grass. He gunned it and held the breaks for much longer than usual, and used every inch of pavement on the runway.
I couldnt’ believe they landed a commercial plane there.
I always heard the airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is the most dangerous.
ML/NJ(Andover-Aeroflex in NW NJ)
PROPS AND ROTORS"
Words to live by.
/johnny
And the first combat (corkscrew) landing I experienced when I arrived for the first time.
Now, those descents lull me and I just relax. And the airport is a bustling, thriving place with more and more flights being added and lots of shops and restaurants.
Exactly... and all the people doing their Tai Kwon Do routines on the roofs.
Most any airport can be spooky when weather threatens. I can recall taking off from Taipae in sunshine as the black wall of a major typhoon approached and leaving Tinker AFB with two tornados visible in the distance.
We have flown in and out of airports in Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Brazil, Canada, Spain, England, Colorado, Calif., Okla., Florida, Va., Iowa, Texas, etc.
The most efficient one I found was a small airport in Colorado Springs. The worst one of all? TULSA! They are HORRIBLE! I hate that airport! Their TSA guys are IDIOTS, every time!
The flight was to the island of Roatan, where the DC-3 landed on the beach. It was beautiful, but a tad too primitive for my tastes.
John / Billybob
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