Kai Tak in Hong Kong was amazing - just as this guy describes. Another is Medellin, Colombia between the mountains.
Oooh. A public beach. What BS! So if it was just a restricted strip of sand that would make landings there easier?
ML/NJ
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.
I always heard the airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is the most dangerous.
ML/NJ(Andover-Aeroflex in NW NJ)
/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.
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!
I did the “Kai Tak Heart Attack” twice.The first time I didn’t have the faintest idea what I was in for.For a minute or so I actually thought we were going down.The sharp turns...the likes of which I had never experienced before...plus looking out the window and being able to *see into* the windows of apartments made me truly believe we were gonna crash.The second time I knew what to expect but it was still darn scary.
Someone told me once about an airport with a runway on the edge of a cliff above the sea. To land, the planes fly straight at the cliff and the constant updraft is such that it pushes up the plane at the last few seconds and positions it for a perfect landing. If you don’t do this, the updraft will make you come in too high and not have enough runway. I’ve forgotten the name but it seems it was somewhere near Africa.
Flying into Bali was interesting if for no other reason than to view the tail of a Garuda flight that didn't make it sticking out of the water near the shore.
If you have the time, this is the story of an interesting landing. http://www.hmhfp.info/SG_09E.html
It is about 12 minutes. The field itself is probably not all that scary, but some things depend upon other conditions - say weather and equipment.
Dunno. I flew in to Liberty Int’l in New Jersey one day at 3am. What a shite hole. It was pretty scary after spending a couple of hours at O’Hare.
