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Only Eight Pilots Are Qualified to Land on This ‘Terrifying’ Runway
The Blaze ^
| Dec 30, 2011
Posted on 12/31/2011 7:27:28 AM PST by KeyLargo
Only Eight Pilots Are Qualified to Land on This ‘Terrifying’ Runway
There is a small airport in the Himalayan mountains with a 6,500-foot runway and picturesque surroundings. When flying into Paro Airport in Bhutan passengers may be staring in terrified awe of the 18,000-foot mountainous peaks or have their eyes squeezed tightly shut as the pilot weaves through the range.
But only eight pilots are qualified to fly into Paro. And up until earlier this year, only one airline serviced the airport. The Daily Mail reports that take off and landing can only take place in daylight hours:
The runway is just 6,500 feet long – one of the few in the world shorter than their elevation above sea level.
Planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that are scattered across the mountainside – coming within feet of clipping the roofs.
Strong winds whip through the valleys, often resulting in severe turbulence. Passengers who have been on flights to the airport have described the landing as ‘terrifying’.
TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Outdoors; Travel
KEYWORDS: airports; aviationping; himalays; mountains
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1
posted on
12/31/2011 7:27:40 AM PST
by
KeyLargo
To: KeyLargo; Tijeras_Slim; FireTrack; Pukin Dog; citabria; B Knotts; kilowhskey; cyphergirl; ...
AVIATION PING
2
posted on
12/31/2011 7:32:07 AM PST
by
KeyLargo
To: KeyLargo; Tijeras_Slim; FireTrack; Pukin Dog; citabria; B Knotts; kilowhskey; cyphergirl; ...
AVIATION PING
3
posted on
12/31/2011 7:33:26 AM PST
by
KeyLargo
To: KeyLargo
As a passenger, I have flown onto and off of mountains in jungle terrain; two airfields in the Himalayas; and a slew of third world pothole strips. The worst, for me, was landing in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The aircraft had to literally drop out of the air to make it and stopped within feet of the end of the strip. Take off was straight into the side of a mountain. Sometime after I had been there and marveled at my survival, another jet passenger plane hit the mountain. I understand large passenger jet aircraft no longer land at that airport.
4
posted on
12/31/2011 7:39:16 AM PST
by
WorkingClassFilth
(Soon to be a man without a country.)
To: WorkingClassFilth
“...come on, show a little backbone!”
5
posted on
12/31/2011 7:44:58 AM PST
by
STYRO
(Take this government and shove it.)
To: KeyLargo
was landed in a stream bed in a valley in alaska once by a bush pilot. had to wear a crash helmet. that was my scariest.
To: WorkingClassFilth
In and out of Tegucigalpa does look kind of exciting:
7
posted on
12/31/2011 7:54:08 AM PST
by
Yardstick
To: WorkingClassFilth
Landing in downtown San Diego can be a thrill. As you decent you go by office buildings and I could swear you can see people at their computers working away.
To: WorkingClassFilth
They lengthened the runway.
9
posted on
12/31/2011 7:58:20 AM PST
by
TomServo
To: ExtremeUnction
“Buddha Air also serves the facility, which takes in about 30,000 people each year.”
Would “Mohammed Airlines” be ok, too?
10
posted on
12/31/2011 8:03:35 AM PST
by
treetopsandroofs
(Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
To: KeyLargo
Blah! I could easily land there.
11
posted on
12/31/2011 8:05:37 AM PST
by
cll
(I am the warrant and the sanction)
To: treetopsandroofs
Only if they tech the pilots to land...
12
posted on
12/31/2011 8:07:04 AM PST
by
null and void
(Day 1074 of America's ObamaVacation from reality [Heroes aren't made, Frank, they're cornered...])
To: KeyLargo
But seriously folks...
13
posted on
12/31/2011 8:07:41 AM PST
by
Baynative
(The penalty for not participating in politics is you will be governed by your inferiors.)
To: treetopsandroofs
I saw your screen name and wondered if you signed up just to comment on this thread...
14
posted on
12/31/2011 8:08:17 AM PST
by
null and void
(Day 1074 of America's ObamaVacation from reality [Heroes aren't made, Frank, they're cornered...])
To: SkyDancer
Thought you'd find this interesting.
Happy New Year!
15
posted on
12/31/2011 8:09:28 AM PST
by
Northern Yankee
(Where Liberty dwells, there is my Country. - Benjamin Franklin)
To: KeyLargo
Queenstown, New Zealand. Ugh...
16
posted on
12/31/2011 8:12:14 AM PST
by
stormer
To: stormer
Or the old days before they built the new airport in Hong Kong...
17
posted on
12/31/2011 8:13:55 AM PST
by
stormer
To: KeyLargo
Another pic of the strip in Bhutan:
To: WorkingClassFilth
Sounds a lot like landing in Afghanistan.
To: Northern Yankee
Hi!! And Good Morning! And Happy New Year!
Ya, I saw the video of the plane landing there. What a ride! Okay, well off to brekie. Back here soon.
20
posted on
12/31/2011 8:19:47 AM PST
by
SkyDancer
("If You Want To Learn To Love Better, You Should Start With A Friend Who You Hate")
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