Airline Pilot Central Forums - Most Challenging Visual Approach?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Vernon Demerest (Post 3101962)

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.

1000%!!!! Saw it once on a check out, spent the rest of my 737 days avoiding it. No thank you.

1L/R SFO, lots of fun, even ok for wide bodies. Just look out the window and fly the plane....oh....sorry...

10L/R SFO, watching the international carriers try to land.

Channel visual 8L HNL. Not really hairy, but fun to watch when sitting holding short 8L for takeoff.

4 stacks to 15 in BUR. When properly flown, you get the GPWS on the hill. Some spectacular sights on the way down, impressive out the L side windows.

Full procedure, raw data VOR-A, circle 24 in KGUC. That one gets fun when the winds are howling, and even more fun when there’s weather.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dougdrvr (Post 3101958)

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

Saturday's at LGA when 22 is closed, using ILS 22 circle 13.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speed Select (Post 3102271)

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.

Yeah, the winds are my point, I can do tight turns and avoid mountains all day, but I guarantee that place has as many go arounds and unstable approaches as any.

Quote:

Originally Posted by D B Cooper (Post 3102385)

Saturday's at LGA when 22 is closed, using ILS 22 circle 13.

That’s what I was gonna say. That one’s not in the box!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaded N Cynical (Post 3102302)

1000%!!!! Saw it once on a check out, spent the rest of my 737 days avoiding it. No thank you.

flew into TGU once in the 727, they faxed us the charts to our hotel the night before ( non sched fun ) , we came over that ridge , looked deep into that bowl and beheld a tiny runway, made it in, after a lot of prayer, laced with profanity, ignoring sink rate, sink rate, and the hill that seemed to be close enough to touch on our banking, descending finals, called the chiefy afterwards and said it probably would not be a good idea to send anymore crews down here, just saying, he took our advice. Domestically, Aspen in my wee jet, and the Canarsie approach to 13L over my old sod at my beloved JFK , Cheers .

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotoriousCPZ (Post 3101747)

I have also heard great things about the Kai-Tak Heart Attack on the old Rope Starts and 400s into the old Hong Kong airport. Apparently it could only be flown by first officers, since it required an insane right turn at a low altitude going base to final. Don't know how true that is, but those are the stories I have heard.

Not true about only FO’s. Some carriers only allowed the captain to do the IGS approach. The approach mostly was a long straight in which would have plane’s fly downwind until turning base to final over the now current airport off Lantau. Some days a visual step down was done off Chueng Chau Island or south of Hong Kong Island wrapping around Repulse Bay and then onwards to Stone Cutters Island. They used a localizer aid that would guide you right towards the big red and white checkerboard hill that was used to assist in acquiring visual reference to perform the turn off the middle marker which was generally around 650 feet of memory serves me right. Big curving approach lighting was on top of all the buildings bellow to help with the procedure. A southerly wind would generally result in some dramatic bank angles which was just jaw dropping at times watching a 400 cranking out a 30 degree bank at 500 feet over a densely populated approach path. The Cathay Pilots tended to break left off the approach path towards the checker board which would allow them the ability to have more wiggle room with the turn. If you look at pictures of videos you’d notice often when foreign airlines where left wing way up in the turn Cathay was already wings level. Yes, I do miss Kai Tak!

I did a visual to 34L in Denver once.....that was scary. Only coupled ILSs from that point on for me.

Shamsi, Pakistan. At night. No goggles.