Oh dear! What a tale of woe in this post. How do pilots, even amateur weekend flyers like me, nevertheless manage to land and takeoff all these expensive aircraft day after day?
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> it reminded me of those movies where you see someone steal a plane who does not know how to fly the plane. </font>
Ah yes. Those scenes shot using experienced pilots who have to roll the plane around to please the director. Back in the bar afterwards all the pilots will be having a good laugh about it (ridiculous scenes in Spielberg's "Always" with aircraft ostensibly flown by Holly Hunter come to mind!). Anyone with no flight instruction would never make it lift off in the first place.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> and we were totally enveloped in low clouds. No visibility whatsoever </font>
That's what those dials on the flight deck are for. Notice how the pilot got you unerringly to your destination.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> and the pilot seemed quite nervous. </font>
Probably through worrying that an over-nervous passenger was going to you-know-what! Guess who has to deal with it .....
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> However, because the runway is so short, they have to be very low when making this u-turn </font>
Not really; if the runway is short you come in steeper; it gives better slow speed control.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> If you've even flown into Funchal on Madeira Island, you know what a harrowing flight is.</font>
There's a new 8,000 ft runway at Funchal, opened last year. It's a shame, all the good approaches (Funchal, Hong Kong Kai Tak) are slowly disappearing.