Most extreme airport in the world?

[Drew99GT]

I've never heard of the Paro airport in Bhutan until I came across these videos. At least for passenger jets, I've never seen an approach this extreme! I read only 8 pilots in the world are certified to land here??? Only VFR operations during daylight.

 

[CourierDriver]

wow, looks like a helicopter would do better, but they did not ask me.lol

 

[tommygunn]

I'm sure any military pilot would laugh at that in contrast to a hot landing where you can get hit by S.A.M.s but, for commercial pilots with regular people, thats fairly insane.

Edit: Whoever has that house on the hill must have a great view...and no hearing, lol.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Speaking of small margin of error... landing at St. Maarten:

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: tommygunn


Edit: Whoever has that house on the hill must have a great view...and no hearing, lol.


Indeed!

 

[Vikas]

Why is the Drukeair takeoff plane making a 450 degree turn?

 

[ChiTDI]

Airport in Gibraltar is pretty "extreme" also.
They have a road intersecting the runway about halfway down the tarmac.
Hope nobody runs a redlight.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Why is the Drukeair takeoff plane making a 450 degree turn?


So he doesn't hit the side of the mountains?

 

[Astro14]

Pretty extreme!

There is a mountain airport in France - can't recall the name, but the runway is severely sloped, you land going up, take off going down...and there is a 1500 foot cliff at the end...it's even more extreme than this one, but no passenger jets, only turboprops.

St. Maarten is just cool...not extreme, really, lots of airports have similar terrain challenges to St. Maarten...but watching teh Air France 747 land from the tiki bar by the end of the runway with a mai-tai in your hand? Cool...and the tourists who don't know about the runway? make me wince when they get blown over...

 

[Astro14]

The runway 15 landing looks challenging...but not a lot more than some places I've been (e.g. Kai Tek, the old Hong kong airport...the 747 had a bit more momentum to contend with on final than the A-319)...

What makes this one challenging is going missed approach and contending with the terrain...

The takeoff profile is much like Orange county...John Wayne airport, flaps 3, hold brakes, full power, rotate right to V2+10 and hold the nose up...accelerate and clean up when clear...

But were an engine to quit? I don't know what you would do with that rising terrain - except, uh, crash...

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: tommygunn
I'm sure any military pilot would laugh at that in contrast to a hot landing where you can get hit by S.A.M.s but, for commercial pilots with regular people, thats fairly insane.

Edit: Whoever has that house on the hill must have a great view...and no hearing, lol.


They're ALL easier than a moving runway with a continuous crosswind, that has a touchdown zone of only 120 feet, and is pitching up and down while you're trying to land...

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
There is a mountain airport in France - can't recall the name, but the runway is severely sloped, you land going up, take off going down...and there is a 1500 foot cliff at the end...it's even more extreme than this one, but no passenger jets, only turboprops.

Courchevel

 

[Astro14]

Courcheval - that's the one!

I would rather land on a carrier...

 

[Drew99GT]

This one looks pretty scary; if the brakes go out or you lose an engine on this one, you're gonna get wet.

 

[ms21043]

Google Lukla Nepal. This is the most dangerous airport. Once the aircraft is on approach it's commited. There's no go around, to low and you fly into the side of a mountain. To high and you miss and fly into the side of a mountain. Then there's fog that rolls in with no warning and if you're on an approach... And to top it off, the runway slopes like Courcheval.