I'm sure that even in the days of the 707 and VC10, it must have been tricky.
... I used to fly VC10s into there and as long as you planned ahead, made sure you were at the right speed and turned at the right time then you were OK.
Oh yes, you also had to be prepared to admit when it was NOT going well - some airlines/pilots displayed a certain flair for "press-on-itis".