Scary flights

[strozzi]

There's some not-too-pleasant airports to fly into around the world. For instance, Gibraltar has a very short runway with sea at both ends of it. Hong Kong always seemed like you were going to hit the rooftops or the mountains. Where are your memorable hairy landings ?

[Squirrel]

I haven't flown very much, so I don't know if this is normal, but there was one time when it was just my brother and about 20 other passengers inside a tiny little jet, getting ready to take off for Denmark. There had been a long delay, and cheers went up as the plane finally started to gather speed up the runway; we were about to take off, and then a croaky Danish voice filled the aircraft, "Uhh, sorry about that....slight engine trouble there...got a red light" the pilot laughed briefly as the plane slowed to a halt, 20 people looking white in the face. The added Dalek quality that the engines gave his voice as it came through the speakers did not fill anyone with confidence. The plane managed to lurch into the air second time round, and before long we were bracing ourselves to repeat the process in reverse. Pitch black, raining and thundering, we hurtled shakily downwards, nearing the Aarhus runway, closer, closer, then a little further away, then we were hovering barely a few metres above the ground for what felt like forever (I've heard it's called the "ground effect") then suddenly our pilot caused plane and Earth to meet so forcefully that everyone jumped a foot in the air and several children began to cry. Few people thanked the stewardess as we disembarked, and as I turned round at the bottom of the steps and looked up, a fork of lightning tearing across the sky, I half expected her to say "Roooom for one more..."

Maybe I dramatised that a bit (and took up too much message space), but it was an adventure at the time!

[cupra]

Chambery and Innsbruck are good places to fly to - you approach the airport down mountain valleys (not so much scary as spectacular!) with peaks to each side as you land!

[feelap]

Hong Kongs old airport 'Kaitak' has undoubtedly one of the most awesome approaches. The plane flew so low that you could see into peoples apartments and TV screens.The plane would meander past sky scrapers and towers. It was scary because you thought the wings would clip a building or something but the approach is well known amongst the worlds pilots as a real test of ability.

[Gef]

Funchal airport on Madeira is meant to be one of the worst. Mountains on one side, the sea on the other and strong cross-winds. Apparently it's not unusual for planes to have to abort their landing and try again. Personally, I find every landing hairy.

[KARL]

I think most people are fine so long as they can see the ground and the engine sounds and attitude of the aircraft seem about correct. It is a bit different when you are in cloud and the movements seem irregular or the throttle is adjusted back and forth. Although having flown a lot (including into Kai Tak, etc.) I don't think I could mention any single airport as having scared me by itself, but the time I felt least comfortable was when I had full view of the pilot and co-pilot while circling in thick cloud (holding pattern). They were studying a map very intently, and then they seemed to begin arguing ....

[CymruAMbyth]

Flight from Birmingham to Faro airport in Portugal. Pilot said it'll be nice and sunny but when we got there, there was thick fog. We started to land and we went lower and lower and we still couldn't see the ground, just whiteness. The plane was wobbling and then all of a sudden the plane tilted and the engines started roaring and we went back up. The pilot said ok, i'll have 1 more attempt at landing but otherwise we'll have to divert to Seville. We had another go and got even lower but in the end we had to divert to Seville.