Posted on 12/16/2010 2:56:36 PM PST by loreldan
Everyone knows views are best from above. That's why we asked pilots and flight attendants who've racked up millions of sky miles to locate the world's most beautiful approaches. You'll definitely want a window seat on these flights.
Philipsburg, St. Maarten (see photo 1 of 2) Princess Juliana International Airport is one of the most infamous—and photographed—in the world because its runway starts on a peninsula just hundreds of feet off St. Maarten's shore. "The airport is framed by the beautiful water to the right and front, and the hills that rise in the background," says Captain Bob Raleigh, the Miami chief pilot for American Airlines. He got his start flying fighter aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps and has been with American since 1986. Landing in St. Maarten stands out to Raleigh not only because it's visually stunning, but because zooming in low over the sand gives passengers a uniquely friendly welcome. "People stand on Maho Beach and wave as you pass over them—very closely and quickly."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAxAso8xSo0&feature=related
Cockpit view of Tegucigalpa, “That’s not fun”.
The one’s I’ve personally flown into include Rio, NYC, Hong Kong, London, and I would add Nice (FR), Geneva (Switerland), Kahului (Maui) and flying into West Berlin before the fall of the Wall over East German airspace was a trip. They had you flying at a low altitude and you could actually see the guard towers on the Wall.
You are not overstaing anything about Kai Tak!
My very first trip to Hong Kong, my partner in First Class was the Past President of Pan Am Pacific when it was sold to United! The Crew treated him like Royalty and when he learned I was an avid Pilot, not only told me of the thrilling approach, but I found myself in the Cockpit Jumpseat for the entire Approach and Landing!!
UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!!!! Still Dream about that Experience!
Flew into Gibraltar a few years back ... interesting airport, they close the main road into & out of Gibraltar near the Spanish border which crosses the runway. If the aircraft is landing east to west and you are on the left side you get a great view of the 'Rock'. Flew in and out of ST. Maarten which is one of the dicier landings and take offs in the Caribbean. However, one of the most interesting is flying into and out of Aspen, CO, you basically fly down a valley which makes a sharp turn before you land.
Home viewing bookmark.
Kai Tak Airport was an interesting landing, for sure — a 47 degree right turn at low altitude on the approach. Add the unpredictable winds and you’re in for a thrill! (glad I didn’t know all this beforehand)
Reagan National at night remains a personal favorite.
Mexico City at about midnight, in clear weather, coming or going. Stunning, beautiful.
I’m not a well traveled person really, but these two are neat:
McCarran at night (Las Vegas Strip)
Anchorage, AK
My favorite is always that last one I walked away from.
Hong Kong made the list!
The old Eastern Shuttle used to use that landing path a lot. It seemed so close to the city, more than once I was tempted to pull a string over my head and say let me out HERE as we cruised by my office building.
The path into Reagan National is also beautiful when following the Potomac south ... by Georgetown University, then all the monuments, the tidal basin.
Today, a landing on any tropical island would look awfully good. Brrrrrrrrrr.
That is amazing, thanks for posting it.
How cool! I´ve gotta check out some of these links....
Thailand?
Sometimes it's the flight that's amazing. :)
I’ve flown in to St. Maarten. Its scenic because the french side (Turtle Beach) is all nude.
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