Balls of steel? Nah...balls of titanium more like. Just a fun video

Landing in Paro, Bhutan...in a commercial jet. Nuts.

skip this vid to 6 mins in for the impatient:



and 4m20s in for this one



Clearly, it seems from the comments that only a handful of pilots are qualified to land here. Probably a good thing,

I gave you a flag and star because I am less ignorant after looking for this place in a map and learning like 20 countries I had no idea existed

a reply to: 3danimator2014

That's good. Not Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Napal, crazy though. However, I have been watching world's craziest airports for as long as the internet has been publicly available. An A319 is bigger than good size to be scouting an airport hidden in camouflage practically. Yes! My Bum Bum Sucked some fabric watching this. 😅

Beautiful stretch of ravine for a crazy airport. Good catch👍

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: 3danimator2014

That's good. Not Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Napal, crazy though. However, I have been watching world's craziest airports for as long as the internet has been publicly available. An A319 is bigger than good size to be scouting an airport hidden in camouflage practically. Yes! My Bum Bum Sucked some fabric watching this. 😅

Beautiful stretch of ravine for a crazy airport. Good catch👍

Well, i was watching a few old Kai Tak landing videos (NUTS!) and found this. At first glance, this seems harder than the Lukla landings, but i guess, the down and updrafts in the himalayas would be far more treacherous.

Also, this is an A319, the planes landing in Nepal are smaller as far as i know.

im sure Zaphod will be here soon to correct and educate us all.

originally posted by: Indigent
I gave you a flag and star because I am less ignorant after looking for this place in a map and learning like 20 countries I had no idea existed

Out of curiosity, what are the other countries you discovered existed?

"Reading" the atlas was one of my favourite pastimes as a kid. Google earth is a godsend, now i look for really far out places in my atlas and then see what they look like for real. Yes, its nerdy, but i love it.

a reply to: 3danimator2014

WoW! First it looked like jets perched on a hill next to hotels.. then the runway. Note! Lights on runways change colors if you are to high on aproach.. or to low. That's a great video. I never seen that one.

From time to time I get to South America. The trip is mundane into Peru. From there it's usually a boat ride into the Amazon river. But! One time at band camp.. no no no. My uncle thought it would be funny to fly me in once on a Cessna Elite 150.. small plane! The pilot had over 40 years of the same experience it seemed. Not kidding my first flight in was landing on a bike path. Aproach, Stall the plane then aproach. Land very fast going towards a tree. 😂
Nevermind my underwear. It was flawless. Pilot got out, handed me my duffle bag. Pushed down on the tail of the airplane. Turned it around. And left. To this day I still taste my undies in my mouth.😁


San Pablo de loreto.. was the last stop before Brazil.😊

a reply to: 3danimator2014

It seems I discovered India states and not countries weeeeeeee, back to sleep

a reply to: 3danimator2014

I know this isn't the same but given it's location I'm sure the pucker factor is equally as high given the potential for mishaps and freak up/down drafts.

Saba/Yrausquin airport:
The airport's risky reputation arises from the airport's physical position: it is flanked on one side by high hills; and on the runway's other side and both ends, cliffs drop into the sea. Additionally, the runway at the airport is extremely short (400m) this creates the possibility that an airplane could under/overshoot the runway during landing or takeoff and end up in the sea or dashed on the rocky cliffs.

YouTube Link

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: 3danimator2014

WoW! First it looked like jets perched on a hill next to hotels.. then the runway. Note! Lights on runways change colors if you are to high on aproach.. or to low. That's a great video. I never seen that one.

From time to time I get to South America. The trip is mundane into Peru. From there it's usually a boat ride into the Amazon river. But! One time at band camp.. no no no. My uncle thought it would be funny to fly me in once on a Cessna Elite 150.. small plane! The pilot had over 40 years of the same experience it seemed. Not kidding my first flight in was landing on a bike path. Aproach, Stall the plane then aproach. Land very fast going towards a tree. 😂
Nevermind my underwear. It was flawless. Pilot got out, handed me my duffle bag. Pushed down on the tail of the airplane. Turned it around. And left. To this day I still taste my undies in my mouth.😁

Haha..ive seen videos of the Amazonian pilots. Its amazing where they land and take off from.
There was an interesting series of program in the Uk last year, or the year before, following the pilots that fly people and supplies around Papua. Insane conditions. Visual only, people on the runway, sloped landings etc...

So many people used to just be on the runway, after one crash where all onboard died, the company operating the planes gave the order that if anything is on the runway and its too late to slow down or abort to just knock em down rather than try to avoid them (which is what caused the crash). Big respect to anyone who flies anything in conditions like that

originally posted by: ShadowLink
a reply to: 3danimator2014

I know this isn't the same but given it's location I'm sure the pucker factor is equally as high given the potential for mishaps and freak up/down drafts.

Saba/Yrausquin airport:
The airport's risky reputation arises from the airport's physical position: it is flanked on one side by high hills; and on the runway's other side and both ends, cliffs drop into the sea. Additionally, the runway at the airport is extremely short (400m) this creates the possibility that an airplane could under/overshoot the runway during landing or takeoff and end up in the sea or dashed on the rocky cliffs.

YouTube Link

Yeah, ive seen videos of those runways. Are they twin otters than land on that strip? I know those planes can stop on a dime. And take off on one too. They use them for arctic missions for this reason.

Thanks forsharing

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: 3danimator2014

It seems I discovered India states and not countries weeeeeeee, back to sleep

HAHA..yeah, that would be weird if there were suddenly LOTS of countris you had never heard of.

a reply to: ShadowLink

Omg! Seen and heard of it. Yes that is hairy. Me? Saint Maarten is my end goal. Not actually dangerous. The tourist have a blast on the beach.😊

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: ShadowLink

Omg! Seen and heard of it. Yes that is hairy. Me? Saint Maarten is my end goal. Not actually dangerous. The tourist have a blast on the beach.😊

I told my wife in no uncertain terms that we are going to St Maarten in 2017. If she doesn't want to come thats fine (but she does), but THAT is our summer 2017 holiday. End of story.

If i don't experience that before they shut that airport down due to an accident, i will never forgive myself.

By the way, for those in Europe. Try Skiathos airport. Cheap to get to. No heavies, but just as low, and in fact, CLOSER to you on the take offs

a reply to: 3danimator2014

Though it's Hollywood. Try to catch the airplane landing footage from the movie "Air America". The footage did happen. 😊

Edit the pilots. The pilots landing those aircraft.

a reply to: 3danimator2014

Lol.. yes saint maartin of the med.😉

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: 3danimator2014

Though it's Hollywood. Try to catch the airplane landing footage from the movie "Air America". The footage did happen. 😊

Yeah, seen it. Thats the kind of thing they do in Papua as well. Amazing skill.

a reply to: 3danimator2014

Great thread👍

But I have to be up at 4am.. 2 hrs from now. This was fun. 😉 thanks!

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: 3danimator2014

Great thread👍

But I have to be up at 4am.. 2 hrs from now. This was fun. 😉 thanks!

Go to sleep you crazy fool!

a reply to: 3danimator2014

Gibraltar. The road and walkway cross the runway.