The visual to 31 at night was a lot easier when the red neon Taystyee bread sign was still there

 

These are all cool but since this is a United thread and because we consider Mexico and Central America “domestic “ around here I’ll throw in TGU. By far, and I maintain currency on EGE/BOG/JAC/GUA as well but,TGU is hands down the most challenging of what we do on the 737.

 

Visual 28L SFO, circle to land 1R if you really want to have some fun, especially for the heavies.

Only happens a couple days per year, but cars pull over on the side of the freeway to watch the show. It is spectacular.

 

Oh ... I remember the first time I did it after the sign came down ... The shock that my crutch was missing ...

 

I'd say LGA 31. Sitting on the left, I'm fine flying it, but letting a new FO, whose also sitting on the right making that blind left turn is a little nerve wracking. It's also hard to judge at what altitude to shoot for while making the turn. Our virtual glide path wasn't very good at that point. Awesome approach and I loved doing it though.

I'd also say looking for your "landing partner" in SFO is a hair raiser too. Finally you spot him and gently ease up next to them. I'll say looking at YouTube comments on this approach is a fun read though.

 

^^^
Yup, when I was on the 737 EGE/BOG/JAC/GUA were all typical layovers and the arrivals were always fun. I’ll take your word on TGU as I never made it there, unfortunately. As a senior FO I always found bidding special airports was....advantageous.

 

Lajes. Haven’t been to any of the Canary Islands, but heard they were similar.


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I did the expressway visual 31 at night on my IOE. It......was fun.

 

Eons ago into DCA (NATIONAL!!!)

River Visual to 18 but circle to 21 instead (before 0700) FUN. Not diff, just ask for it.
River Visual to 15 over the Pentagon. But, hold short of 18.
Anacostia River Vis to 21 but circle to land on 18 instead. FUN. Not diff. just ask for it.
River Visual to 36 but circle to 33. But, hold short of 36.

LGA...

Visual to 4 from the N. ATC would bring you right down the spine of NYC till you got to the WTC. Then give you a quick descent and a hard left turn. We'd get slow and dirty so that when the clearance came (just as you approached the N tower from the N) you could jam it downhill in a tight left turn for 4. If you were aggressive enough you could look into the windows of the south tower as you rolled out on final. Good times!

And anything down the river.

YYZ...
Flying several 360's over Niagara Falls at 2000' on a clear day. Putting all the pax on the downwing side. ATC - "Report when ready to leave the fix" Fun.

SFO...

Doing the Golden Gate visual departure at 2000'. Off of 1, straight out, to 2000. Left turn to near the prison. Left to the bridge. Left to LAX. Climb when able. All vectors. All cool. In one of UALs airplanes.

etc etc etc

The job has changed. It's not anything like it used to be.

 

It’s a straight in from over the ocean! Only tough because it usually follows an 8-hour flight and it’s very windy. With the hills on both sides of the runway, the breeze typically dies in the last 200 feet, resulting in a firm TD. Followed shortly after by Super Bock, steak on a rock, and Portuguese wine.

One of my favorite places in the world.