Helen - all those procedures you describe (Kai Tak, JFK etc) are very, very different to what RAT5 described, and indeed your idea about manoeuvring at low level in a passenger transport at a parallel runway airport. The key difference being that they are approved instrument procedures, for which performance, obstacle clearance etc has all been calculated.
Are you really a pilot? If so, please let me know the airline so I can stay away from it. A long way away...