Crazy Approaches
 

Was wondering whats sort of crazy approaches are out there.

What are the most interesting approaches you have come across.
What are the most difficult approaches you have flown :eek:

Some I can think of are the Mount Magnet NDB as a difficult one and the Tindal 14 ILS as an interesting one.

What are your thoughts?

Not sure what you mean about the Tindal ILS, it is the simplest approach I know of.

I don't think he said it was hard, he said it was interesting.

I like the approach to YSHR.

The old VHHH of course.

Some of the new RNP approaches are looking like fun - e.g. NZQN.

Some of those recent photos of the PNG highland strips look like the most fun.

Lismore and Narromine NDB's a bit of fun

The old Mt ISA and Gunnedah NDB's were interesting with proceedure turns, Phillip Island with timed missed approach.

Alice Springs NDB would have to take the cake, two NDB's, a proceedure turn, timed missed approach point, followed by RH circling approach. Always a fun one to test students out on!

Tindal is not a difficult approach even with approach turned off.

Have a look at the offset LLZ for 16 to Macau (VMMC), or the Canarsie VOR approach for rwys 13 in New York JFK (KJFK)

Just got back from a trip to Jackson hole, Wyoming.
Very interesting approach!

http://www.airnav.com/depart?http://.../00504IL19.PDF

GPWS has a heart attack, my hat goes off the old frontier airline guys who use to shoot this approach with nothing but an NDB in the DC-3's!

Have flown the Kathmandu VOR/DME RWY 02 approach a bunch of times...mostly in the clag from 30k to the minima and once or twice with 60k crosswinds on the first part of the approach. Then I flew in there on a nice sunny day about my 4th time and you look at the Himalayas and inhale the seat.:ok:

The approach is down a not very wide valley (LOTS of radial scalloping) and the airport sits in a cross valley at the end at about 4500'...two valleys making a T and the MSA to the north is 20800':uhoh:

Innsbruck, foehn winds up to 50 kt, gliders, high terrain, one loc used for the approach, another used for the missed.

http://local.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=...,0.462799&om=1

The FreedomAir guys coming into Dunedin have done some visual approaches in the A320 that would make your average light twin driver cringe:eek:

:ok: :ok:

Chambery, France. Teardrop reversal down the 'V' shaped valley. :ooh:

Worst I've seen was "Hi,I'm a pilot and I drive a sports car":eek:
Needless to say waved off:p

CKN NDB appch :yuk:

The OLD Canberra NDB Approach
 

The old Canberra NDB approach (1986), which was given to me as a simulator exercise during my IFR training (sadistic b#*st#*rd):

The approach consisted of a RH 1 minute holding pattern at 5000ft (230/050 degrees), an 80/260 procedure turn to the right at the end of the inbound leg of the holding pattern (230 bearing) to position you to track outbound on the reciprocal heading to the inbound leg of the holding pattern (050 bearing), followed by another 80/260 procedure turn to the left at the end of the outbound track to put you back on the inbound track of the holding pattern (230 bearing) which was also the final leg of the approach.

So far so good - until you had to conduct the missed approach which required a straight ahead climb (230) to 4000ft followed by ANOTHER procedure turn to the right to put you back to the NDB (050) and another track outbound which was reciprocal to the inbound leg of the holding pattern !

I've still got the approach plate if anyone is a bit interested in testing their IFR skills, particularly with wind effect!

glekichi
Interesting...I would not have though Dunedin was much of a "knarly" approach,
what exactly are you referring to? Are they coming from swampy then making a visual left downwind for the NthEasterly runway? Surely you're not talking about a visual straight in from Swampy?

P?? Dixons Cider>

Hell no... these guys/gals often join visual well before reaching swampy or berridale. Dont know how much local knowledge you have but once they get visual on the way from slope hill its straight to the airfield, on occasion to join a right base for 21 that is tighter than what I teach PPL students in a 152!!

Good on em too!

..............scarey:-)
 

...............the most interesting approach?................not that I have had the pleasure but what about an approach, at night onto a pitching carrier deck in a $40 mill (guestamation) fighter all the while the 'rwy' is moving about as if it's in the hands of a midless kid playing a video game !:-)

..............now that's an appraoch!

Capt Wally :-)

[QUOTE=Chimbu chuckles;2943158]Have flown the Kathmandu VOR/DME RWY 02 approach a bunch of times...mostly in the clag from 30k to the minima and once or twice with 60k crosswinds on the first part of the approach. Then I flew in there on a nice sunny day about my 4th time and you look at the Himalayas and inhale the seat.:ok:

I take my hat off to you. :D I went in there as a pax on a Royal Nepal Airlines 727-100 in 1975. The take off from Delhi was scary enough, full load, 40C + temperature and a dot feet turn onto course. I was sitting next to a Brazilian guy who was also a pilot. We both felt our last day had come.:uhoh:

The approach to Kathmandu was totally in cloud until not long before landing. I didn't appreciate that approach until I departed about a week later in clear weather. I was totally gobsmacked by what I saw. :ooh: That was on an Indian Air 737-100 where the cockpit door used to vibrate open on take off every time. Ah the folly of youth. :ok:

glekichi
My local knowledge is a bit dated true, but a visual into Dunedin from Queenstown..??? aahhhh gotta love those clear blue 60km vis NZ days....

Lukla in the Himalayas looks trouser-changing:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukla_Airport

Very pronounced slope, short and no real scopt to go-around...and it's at about 10,000'!

Queenstown, and Dunney-din are a walk in the park (please note my top gun reference:rolleyes: ) compared to Innsbruk (austria) and Chambery (france)

Innsbruk..all as described..with the rapid wind changes, and SEVERE turb

Chambery...4.4 degree glideslope onto a 6000ft runway.....with a 9000 ft lump of granite 2.7 miles off the end of it...so one way in and one way out:uhoh:

Not saying NZQN isnt tough....rather that it is in a different league for public transport aircraft due to the escape routes available:ok:

Innsbruck in Austria gets my vote. What a cracker!!
D:ok:

Maybe not interesting...but f@cking magic...
 

..any visual approach into Cairns on a Gorgeous FNQ day....

in particular stony creek @ 3000' then drop on to RWY 15....

Good stuff :ok:

Inbound

Crazy, no; Interesting? Yes
 

I always enjoyed the seaward, straight-in approach to NZGS from NZNR in the F27. Always fun with a new F/O in the RHS. Despite briefing them, the extra "Check for trains" call usually threw them.

And there was fun to be had on the 07 approach to NZNR using what is now officially listed as a 'composite' paved runway 07. It was mown grass and baked clay back then. Cross the shoreline,bunny-hop the power lines, over the fence to touchdown and STICK IT THERE! The slight curvature of the main runway where it crossed 07 made a mean 'ramp' which meant you became airborne again if you hadn't lost enough speed. More than once I hit the top of my straps when someone didn't get it quite right. :bored:

you gotta watch out for those bugsmashers though
 

Was Instructing at Ardmore Saturday while runway 03 was in use. Joined overhead, and found that there was an AFS aircraft joining overhead for 21! After a quick vacate to let the disoriented student in the AFS aircraft land, we re-joined for a well-deserved drink at the AFC bar. (non-alcoholic).
ECT?

Now THIS is a crazy approach..... all i can say is Super Cub in Alaska...

short vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4idAwr1B0eQ

60k x-wind doing vor/dme 02-ktm is madness(not flight sim right?:P)...i'm planning to work there..

Never flew it myself but was fortunate enough to have the Jumpseat several times into Kai Tak.

The approach into the old Albatross field (ALA) Northern Gold Coast, brilliant fun, the wheels virtually skimming the tree tops and then a quick side slip (no flaps - Drifter Ultralight) to wash off enough height and land on the clay pan, side slipping and cross winds in the lee of the McPherson ranges could be a real eye opener in the winter westerlies. Like Kai Tak sadly it no longer exists either, a victim of urban sprawl, there's houses where the field used to be.

I have a video of it, one day I'll get someone to put it onto the computer and then on to you tube??

No not flightsim...if you work there you'll see it sooner rather than later, crossing Nopen with a howling westerly...it does die away as you descend ...have fun:ok:

Check out the Tumut RNAV GNSS approach.

Tabubil at wet time
Gunpowder at dark time (when it was headlights for landing between)

Certainly good fun some days would be Glentanner (NZGT), get a good South West wind up top, the wind funnels down the Tasman Valley to Lake Pukaki, which is fine - straight down 33 at 30 knots, then add the wind also funnelling out the Twin Stream (the 33 threshold is almost right in the middle of mouth of that valley), so you can be landing with 30 knots on the nose, then without warning 30 knots plus across just as you're about to touchdown.

It is also the only aerodrome I have seen a windsock limp at the mast, then stand out at 90 degrees to the mast, then spin a 360 degree clockwise windchange in about 30 seconds, steady, then a 360 degree windchange anti clockwise in 30 seconds, then go limp.

I have also got airbourne from Glentanner in a 207 with just me on board, climbed to about 200' by mid runway length, then while holding full power, 10 degrees flap, the aircraft descended (while holding best angle of climb speed), back on to the runway about 75% length, then back into the air.

All good fun - and keeps you on your toes!! But 95% of the time, it is a predictable easy aerodrome, 5% of the time it can be a good workout! But I realise there can be worse places out there some others have flown into and out of!

Innsbruck airport
 

certainly some high ground here
http://static1.bareka.com/photos/med...close-high.jpg

Wellington NZ. RWY34....blowing its cahonas off

Must admit I'm rather surprised, given the events you described, that you elected to continue the second takeoff. I doubt I'd have wanted to try it again from that far down the runway in that sort of wind, myself.

Innsbruck's fine for the big fellas.

If you want some hairy flying, google "Big rocks, Long Props".

Everything you thought could never be done :uhoh:

Merredin, any runway & anytime its VMC. Now thats a crazy approach. IMC or the weekend, you'll be bored...!

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Innsbruk have the "luxury" of and ILS for both runways.
No such luxury Here

Not a difficult approach, but the plate for alice springs ILS rwy 12 has so much information on it, it becomes quite difficult to read in the turbulence and windshear! hehe:ok:

Old Canberra NDB approach
 

QSK
I used to use this approach for practising NDB approaches. Although not particularly difficult, it had all the things you were likely to find, and the missed approach level was high enough to be used at Alice Springs. The missed approach took you right back to the NDB at the correct height to immediately begin another approach. You could keep doing this all day with no lost time. (except when the Boeings were coming)
In those days we also used to practise "DME" approaches, using only the DME. No other ground aids. You used the compass and ground speed to fly a pattern to the minima. It worked.