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."
Yes, it is... I’ve flown in and out of there myself.
“Even as often as I’ve flown, there’s still a sense of the wow factor landing there in a huge 747,” says Fogwell, who writes about her flight experiences for the Huffington Post and other publications.”
Great...a Huffpo piece..
My favorite landings -
Salt Lake City late one afternoon at sunset. The salt flats were orange, they looked on fire! Breathtaking.
Charlotte, flying out low over the NASCAR Coca Cola 600. (okay, this was a take-off)
Landing in a dandelion patch in Curlew Washington. The door on the 4-seater flew open as we were corkscrewing down.
Where is Dashing Dasher. I bet she would have some stories.
Cool!
My first flying experience. I flew out of SFO in 1982 during an el nino storm. My husband was surprised when I got to Boise and called home. He had heard the airport had closed due to high winds. Our flight must have been on of the last out, as we were buffeted pretty hard on take off. On my return the next day the sky was absolutely clear, with fresh snow atop the mountains. When we made our turn over the sierra to approach SFO, you could see all the way across the state to the bay, San Francisco and Marin peninsulas stood out clear as anything.
Thanks.
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