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One of the world's most difficult approaches

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This is footage of an A320 making one of the world's most difficult approaches. Approach into this airport in Bhutan is visual flight rules only. (youtu.be) More...

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preacher1
preacher1 6
I think when you get into the story, it says there are only 8 pilots in the world certified for this airport, and besides the approach, you only got 6500" so not only do you have to make a good approach, you had better kiss the marks; not much room for error here.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 3
I still think Lukla is worse.
jrbeejay
John Beech 0
Lukla cannot take aircraft of this size only twotters and D228
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 0
And they can have it..lol
preacher1
preacher1 2
only think worse than Kai Tak is that they ain't no checkerboard to call on that last turn.lol
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 1
I think there was a board about half way up the hill that they flew to right before the last right hand turn.
preacher1
preacher1 1
lol. I must have missed that
svalbard
bruce barton 0
PAN AMERICAN PILOTS MADE THAT LOOK EASY EVERY TIME....
I MISS THAT CHECKERBOARD!
svalbard
bruce barton 0
PAN AMERICAN PILOTS DID THAT ONE WITH GRACE
I REMEMBER WATCHING THE WINGS FLEXING ON THE 707 AS THEY TURNED AWAY FROM THAT MOUNTAIN ARTWORK! RAIN AND/OR SHINE
MEMORIES!
preacher1
preacher1 0
Bruce, I can agree with you. Lots of us used to( and I wasn't Pan Am), but you can watch some of the you tube stuff that is still up and a lot of the newer generation weren't near that graceful.lol Even trying to be graceful didn't eliminate the pucker factor if there was a decent crosswind though. It was challenging with a straight in, let alone having to crab a little.lol
medvind77
medvind77 4
I have landed and taken off four times from Paro airport in Bhutan. The landing was OK, but the turbulence scared the shit out of me! The A320s flying in and out of Bhutan are modified to handle the high altitude take off and steep climb out of the valley. A few weeks prior to my second visit, a plane hit some birds after take off. Everything went well, but I can´t think of a worse place than this to loose engine power...
preacher1
preacher1 2
Do you know exactly what modification has been done to them?

jrbeejay
John Beech 2
As I stated previously, this is an A319 with the engines from the A320/1
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 2
I'm curious, who are the MORONS that attempt to eject these comments for no apparent reason.
You got a zero Preacherman for what???
Some people on here really need to get a life!!!
preacher1
preacher1 1
Well, at least bounce me 1 so it won't be a 0.lol
preacher1
preacher1 0
at least my top one had a 6.lol
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 0
Don't worry, it'll be a 5 soon
preacher1
preacher1 0
Thank You.lol I'm outa here a few. Gonna watch NASCAR from Texas.ttyl
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 0
There ya go!!!
preacher1
preacher1 0
you a fine fellow, regardless of what they sy about you.lol
chuckmtl
chuckmtl 2
A pilot needs nerves of steel and a good sense of humour to make this landing. How extraordinary!
Speedbird0099
Speedbird0099 2
DCA's river visual is a challenging approach as well.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 2
true but more than 8 people are allowed to fly it
billv
billv 2
Tim, You must go there and fly this one. Then you can come back to Shelby and show us the video.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 1
At first I was like how does this person know I am from Shelby then I looked at your pics...lol.....I would be more than willing to but darn it you sold the Navajo so I guess that will never happen....oh darn..lol
daveblevins52
Dave Blevins 1
As a retired helicopter pilot, I think these fellas did a good job with a large aircraft, and only a single runway with not much room to maneuver, and no taxiway once they were landed ! Very nice 180 to taxi back. Good job.
zennermd
zennermd 1
Just a slightly abbreviated final approach.
spatr
spatr 1
Actually, there are more than 8 allowed to fly into Paro. 8 of them work for this airline. Several other charter/corporate pilots are authorized to fly into Paro after getting trained in Bhutan to do so.
preacher1
preacher1 0
I was wondering about that. One of the other links(it wouldn't come up for me) but it was titled about a G-IV pilot or pilots going in there. I told Tim the other day that it didn't look much worse than the old KaiTak.lol He said there was a board about halfway up that hill before that last turn. I never did see it but that is seat of the pants flying, anyway you cut it.lol.
SkyBaby2
Kira Andreola 1
I think this is the same airport and possibly the same plane from a different perspective.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=77awaQQNQ1A
preacher1
preacher1 0
Could very well be but You Tube and the titles come up on mine and when you click on one, IE deceides it can't display
joelwiley
joel wiley 1
Airport code is VQPR. I found the approach plate at:
http://www.dca.gov.bt/Bhutan%20IAIP/MAPS/VQ_AD_2_VQPR_6-1_en.pdf
I wonder who Mr. Smith is to appear on the plate.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 0
Didn't know you had already commented on Mr. Smith...sorry.....but it does make you wonder who he is.....the last name Smith doesn't seem like it would be common in that area; it's probably a pretty well off persons mansion or something.
preacher1
preacher1 0
Dang, they call that an approach plate?lol. That's kinda like whoop, dere it is, figure it out. I like that part about "not flying over the yellow rooftops.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 0
I found one better than the yellow roof part.....look for the landmark that says "Mr. Smith's House"...lol.....who the heck is Mr.Smith?...lol
preacher1
preacher1 0
I missed that. It was in the post above with the link but I didn't see it on the plate.Either way, looking at the video's, both of them, why in the Sam Hill would you even want a plate, other than to give you peak height. 172 or 320, that is seat of the pants flying. Dodge a hill and drop her down. I liked the video you sent last night that showed the shot from the terminal and the plane coming round the bend. You ought to post that link. It looks a lot more open from that shot but it's still bad. lol
preacher1
preacher1 1
As you look at how they execute it, it seems 2nd nature to them,and may be, but to know what it takes to do that is the scary part. I guess if I was living in Bhutan and had a chance to be a commercial pilot, with that being the only game in town, I'd do it and not know any better.lol
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 0
One more view of Bhutan.......http://youtu.be/EhEKl4anJkU
howej011
Joseph Howes 0
bloody hell that is a scary landing to do, a pilot has got to have one hell of a love for flying to do that approach, i would do tricky landings but that is a seriously tricky one to do
webersider
morton sider 0
luv it
jsulk
Joe Sulkowski 0
That makes me pucker even if I wasn't flying the airplane. Good job by the pilots.
flyerh
flyerh 0
This is even more exciting than the old Hong Kong. Makes Ozamiz, Philippines seem easy re no Nav Aids. Let down over water then start looking when you're under the cloud cover. But it's easy in a C-172...on a clear day. flyerh
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 0
That was really cool. I don't remember ever seeing this one mentioned on that Dangerous Airports show.
preacher1
preacher1 0
I don't think it was. It should have been but with no more frequency on flights, they probably missed it. I think it was posted here on FA a few months back and gathered comments out the wazoo.
sparkie624
sparkie624 1
You could fly this down preacher1.... Become number 9 :) ... was surprised on a runway that size that he was able to turn around on the runway... Did not think a 320 could turn that tight. Sure it plays havic with the main tires turning that tight.
preacher1
preacher1 0
I have no interest in becoming #9. It does look like that turn on the main would give a chance for FOD off the runway side. I figured that was an RJ of some type until Tim sent that other video shot from the terminal and I saw what it was.
sparkie624
sparkie624 0
If you do it, I will fly Jump Seat and make a nice video for you... How can you refuse an offer like that... Besides, you never know where your next Employer may take you :)
preacher1
preacher1 0
One thing about it, that little CRJ won't go that far, at least on one hop, and it ain't going to take me there.lol
sparkie624
sparkie624 0
LOL... Darn... I was already planning a vacation for it.. :)
daveblevins52
Dave Blevins 0
Hey wait ! Aren't you guys supposed to be flying instead of surfing the net ? Ha Ha !
Hope all of you are doing well. I think I work way harder now than when I had my helicopter flying job. Love being retired, but....! What a honey-do list. God bless.
Dhelens
patrick tit 0
Really amazing! No double chance in case of error.
malons7
Manuel Alonso 0
No available
Doobs
Dee Lowry 0
Kai Tak was probably the worst...especially when you were landing on the edge of a Typhoon! Wasn't pretty but we walked away from it!
SootBox
SootBox 0
1st punchlist item on "Go Around" is a new pair of BVDs...
preacher1
preacher1 0
Where would you go around to there? It would take another 1/2 day to do that.lol
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 0
Another view of Bhutan.....http://youtu.be/OSRjPezTMOc
gmpalm
Gena Palm 0
Wow! Guess I won't be traveling to Bhutan anytime soon.
gigagoga
Wow! yes!
hiflier32
ric lang 0
NO, DON'T THINK SO!
preacher1
preacher1 1
Aw, c'mon ric; where's your spirit of adventure.lol
bcurrie1
Brian Currie 0
At what point did they disconnect the autopilot?
preacher1
preacher1 1
I don't think I heard them call it. You never know, as small as that country is and no more length of flight than there is, they might not have ever had it engaged; if they did, it could not have been for very long and if it was engaged it was probably off before the video ever started. Seems to me he was hand flying at that point.
flyingtiger17
flyingtiger17 0
Very exciting to say the least. One could do that with HITS but still would be down right scary.
pusser
Mike Hill 0
Always a good video but I saw it posted in here a long time ago.
CaptainPPE
Jim Woelber 0
Ho__ S___!! those pilots earn their money....even more impressive from the other videos taken outside from different locales
USAFcptnShades
USAFcptnShades 0
WOW! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Great share and hats off to those pilots.
jrbeejay
John Beech 0
I think you will find this is an A319 fitted with the more powerfull engines
davidplatt
David Platt -1
Very skillful and that why I always feel safe when flying . Would have loved to be on board.Awesome indeed .
mycessna
Richard Parmelee -1
I can't even begin to imagine trying this approach at night! I'd do it in my 172, but in a jet..........NO thanks!
elgrullon
Johnny Broderick -1
just copy and paste "Most difficult landing in the world - Bhutan" and you should be able to see the video.
mycessna
Richard Parmelee -1
Good grief! This approach wouldn't be too bad in my 172, but in a jet! NO thanks!

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