Operating the last flight out of Addis with US Embassy personnel in the late seventies when Ethiopia went communist.
A DC8-63, wouldn't slow under braking on the downhill backtrack to runway threshold after a tropical shower, only assymetric reverse thrust (very slow procedure on a dc8-63) swung the airplane around at the threshold but took out some lights in the process. Took off at max thrust immed, without clearance and with total disregard for epr ( put your trust in God and Pratt and Whitney) and field altitude and persistent calls from tower to return immed. Shadowed by Migs until Egyptian border. Landed Cairo with two tires blown.
Hitting tropopause in dc8-63 mid atlantic eastbound tracks. Air temp went to something like plus 20. Had to go to gradually to take off power and disconnect autopilot, but ias dropped to stall speed, stick shaker, and altimeter unwinding like crazy through westbound altitudes. Unable raise shanwick or gander on hf. Eery lack of wind noise in cockpit, troubling max power engine parameters for forty minutes just to maintain ias above stall. Dest was Madrid, had to eventually continue at fl270 below tracks and land Lisbon due excess fuel burn. Put your trust in....
Flying night Shannon approach in MD11, severe crosswind component. Sitting in cockpit jump seat, had a straight ahead view of runway out of side window. Wet runway, severe turbulence, instrument panel and pilot's hands a blur...not one bounce on landing...pretty severe assymetric braking though...a masterful display and not a drop of sweat...except on copilot's head! And mine.