Maybe Guantanamo Bay NAS? To avoid overflying Cuban territory pilots have to make a 90 degree bank to line up with the runway to land to the east. Not too hard for small stuff but the heavies get fouled up pretty easily. Jose Prize In a message dated 4/8/2003 9:56:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, avialot@xxxxxxxxx writes: > Subj:In the flight deck during approach on an airliner > Date:4/8/2003 9:56:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time > From:<A HREF="mailto:avialot@xxxxxxxxx";>avialot@xxxxxxxxx</A> > Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A> > To:<A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A> > Sent from the Internet > > > > Quote: ".....having a chance to sit in an airline cockpit during landing, > given how very difficult that is to do these days in person is a major > treat...." > > Considering that most approaches to many airports in the world nowadays are > straight in and pretty routine and nothing out of the extraordinary - it is > those like yours truly that got the priviledge to experience seated in the > jumpseat aboard Hong Kong's de-facto airline Cathay Pacific Airways aboard > 747-400 (VR-HOT) and also on China Southern's 777-200 (B-2053) on the > 'checkerboard' ILS 13 approach into the former Kai Tak Airport before it > closed....a true "thrill of a lifetime" and I sincerely do not think there > is any other approach in the world today that can top this ! > > The real thrill starts when the aircraft flies over what is nowadays Chek > Lap Kok, then flying pass Stonecutter's Island and aiming for the infamous > checkerboard atop a hill in Kowloontong Park close enough with the terrain > being surrounded by mountains and Lion's Rock and then make that 45 degrees > angle approach lining up with runway 13 of Kai Tak. Being seated behind the > first officer on VR-HOT, I stared in awe out the cockpit looking at how the > outer starboard wing and winglet 'seemed' to slice 'to close for comfort' > over the rooftops of Kowloon on the final seconds before touchdown.... > > If this former Kai Tak ILS 13 approach is not the most demanding of all on > the pilots flying widebodies and a totally unique thrill of a lifetime for > any civilian who has experienced it in the jumpseat, then what is ? ;-) > > > >