I can't view that video but if it's the one I think it is, that plane has special purpose high powered RR engines.

Oh . . . my . . . god! Are there night landings there? IFR?

I once was on a passenger on Eastern Airlines shortly after they got 757s. I was flying LGA to LAX with a stop a PHL. Apparently, most pax were boarding in PHL -- there couldn't have been more than 10 other pax in coach with me when we left LGA. For whatever reason, our pilot decided to have some fun with the plane -- climb out made the takeoff from SNA look like a tricycle ride. When we got to PHL, I went up to the cockpit and said to the captain, "Listen, about that takeoff . . ." He said, "Yeah, wasn't that great! Man this thing can fly!" I was still green from the "express elevator to the sky" effect and just went back to me seat after asking the FA (we called them stewardesses then) for another bourbon or three.

Mine, too! Welcome to FlyerTalk and thanks for sharing your views with us.

Here's a cockpit view of landing at TGU:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAxAs...eature=related

That airport is absolutely crazy. I would hate to have to fly routes like that often.

How about the EWR 29 fully loaded from the north over TEB? Not much longer than TGU (6500LDA) and a restricted approach.

You know, with domestic destinations I like to mix it up. I love our long SEA layovers. Great town to get out and walk around -- shopping, Pike Place market, good restaurants downtown, etc. I enjoy SFO for the same reason. Need to get a LAS hit every now and then....anything more than once a month though and I get burned out on it quickly. Have to get down to MCO every now and then to spend a morning at the pool......

Since I never learned how to play a guitar, or wear my hair over my ears, I guess I'll have to be content with being #2 on the cool list....

I think the busiest takeoff (procedure wise for us) can be the RWY 22R departure at EWR. It's a turn at 400 feet, tower is switching us to departure control (radio change), thrust change at 1000 feet, talk to departure at that same point who assigns a new heading and new climb limit, clean up the airplane, read the checklist......it's probably the busiest one we do.

The most challenging landing airport can be either LAX or SFO (at least for us 757 types). LAX has an arrival procedure that starts fairly far out, and you really have to be on your 'A' game the whole way down. Lots of threats (other airplanes), a change of runways, busy taxi, etc.....my vote is with LAX. Arrival in SFO is similar and you have to keep an eye on the profile. MCO requires that we stay at 2,500 feet until past Executive and unless you have the aircraft configured early, you can get high (and behind your profile) fairly quickly. Requires anticipation and flexibility to get it right.

Comfortable with center yoke as that's all I've ever flown. Most of the guys with the side stick said it wasn't that difficult of a transition. Think I'd feel funny without something between my legs though...

Best jet with 'oomph' would be either the 762 or the 752. Have flown 752's with both the Pratt and Whitney's and the Rolls Royce engines. Rolls have more thrust, but I thought the reversers on the Pratts were higher performing than those on the Rolls. When you pulled the reversers up on the Pratt's you were coming to a stop....not so much so with the Rolls.

DRW

Very interesting and somewhat surprising answers. Thanks!

Related to your mention of the 22R departure at EWR, was there a recent change to the departure path? In recent months, I've noticed a very quick (maybe 1-2 degree) turn to the left before the longer turn to the right. Is this left turn/"wiggle" new? Since it is so short, what is it actually doing?

Haha! ^

We normally fly the EWR 7 departure procedure off of Runway 22R. At 400 feet we start that turn to a heading of 190, and at about two miles we reverse it back to 220. Somewhere in the reversal to 220 departure continues the turn to the west and a climb clearance above 2,500 feet.

I've been told we do that to avoid a church that is somewhere south of the extended runway centerline. Don't know if that is indeed the case, or it's more for a noise abatement profile that puts us over the water channel down there.

The pilot flying pulls the stick back, does a roll to the left, then one to the right. The other guy is absolutely jumping through hoops trying to keep up with all the switches we are throwing up there!

DRW

In the back, it always felt like a much smaller turn - I'll have to pay closer attention next time we depart 22R. Thanks again for the explanation. ^

Hi DRW,

We're on a 762 out of EWR tomorrow afternoon and if the wind cooperates I'll pay a lot of attention to the takeoff pattern.

As always, thanks for the wealth of info.

Not considering crazy airports like TGU, is it more difficult / more concentration effort to land on a short runway compared to a takeoff with a full passenger and luggage/cargo load including full fuel load? I'll use BRS as an example with the ski-slope drop off at the end to add into the equation.

Definitely more concentration required! Our focus when landing on a short runway is to put it down in the forward part of the touchdown zone and get it stopped. You may experience a firmer than normal touchdown with a much more dramatic deceleration as a passenger sitting in the back. I have flown out of BRS many times. Not terribly challenging, but definitely an odd runway. I�ve never had a great landing on that runway due to optical illusions associated with the hump in the middle.


Oh . . . my . . . god! Are there night landings there? IFR?

Regarding TGU, night landings are not allowed to my knowledge. I don�t think the airport is accessible with IFR conditions present. On a side note, in order for a pilot to fly into TGU, you must have a �special checkout� and fly in there with a check airman for your first trip.


How about the EWR 29 fully loaded from the north over TEB? Not much longer than TGU (6500LDA) and a restricted approach.

The runway is actually decently long. They were actually departing some mainline aircraft off that runway last week when winds were gusting out of the west at 45 knots. The approach can be challenging considering they want us to keep it tight and fly a �short approach.� When I was EWR based, I loved using that runway when parking at the international gates as it was a very quick taxi to the gate. You can easily make up 10 plus minutes of taxi time landing on this runway.

If you depart on 4L, we make an immediate turn at 400 feet to a heading of 060. Once again, once we switch to departure, they will generally give us a turn back to the left to north (Europe departures), or west (most everyone else).

The turn to 60 degrees is done to initially de-conflict us with any traffic inbound on the instrument approach to TEB. Once departure determines there won't be a conflict with TEB traffic, they bring us back to the left for the remainder of the departure.

Either way, 22R or 4L you'll see things in a bit different perspective next time you blast out of EWR...

DRW

1) I have rode on some crazy landing patterns on my way to LGA - is it as challenging in the front office as it seems to us riding in back?

2) Can one of you 767 jockeys explain to me why there are load balance issues when departing ZRH? I have experience this a handful of times, and it is quite the show watching people scramble for their permanent seats after we are gear up.

3) Have any of you done the GUM rotation?

MBM3 took care of asking about ZRH, but I'm still curious about the ohers I've listed. I've heard that flying the River visual into DCA is some of the most challenging domestic commercial hand-flying out there. Comments?

Any and all gripes, complaints, or insight on the other three destinations also much appreciated.

After I experience a jarring landing at BRS, I took a moment on the airstairs to look at the odd hump in the middle. It was a lot more pronounced than I expected! One wonders if it was a beneficial feature in WWII when it was an air base.