Left a bit, right a bit.....

[CharlieOneSix]

FD2 emailed me an MP4 of this but online this is a rather poorer quality.....

[llondel]

It looked like the chap in the RH seat was also videoing the approach on his phone. Add that to the list of airlines I prefer to avoid.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Gibraltar used to require a 100 degree turn on finals starting at about 300 ft if you flew fighters, due to the Spanish being awkward about national borders and the Falklands War.
It was a lot less scary than watching these two idiots.
The primary problems appear to be that the handling pilot seems to have completely forgotten the brief (if there was one), and the Captain can't instruct to save his life (literally).

[Ex-Ascot]

Strewth.

Be careful, don't worry.

Love it.

Yes Fox Gib was always a problem especially when you got turbulence off the rock. If you went outside the buoys into Spic airspace you just had to go up to the tower and sign the book. No action taken.

[Boac]

The alternative, in 1981, was to let the USM exchange lead the two-ship detachment where-upon all the Spanish beaches on the Bay had a flypast of two of Betty's Harriers................

[TheGreenAnger]

Good grief!

I am surprised the cabin crew didn't offer their opinion on how to fly the approach as well! Not since Karachi Airlines nearly lost a 737 due to a cockroach in the captain's tea has such a haphazard approach been flown.

"Unstable approach, go around, go around, oh no what is that? There is a cockroach my tea. THUMP!"

[k3k3]

Which airline and where?

I don't think it'll be long before they are statistics.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Gib appeared to have different rules for different crews. The Nimrod chaps were told as you were, whereas the fighter boys were given the impression by Wg Cdr Ops that an 'interview' by the Spanish Inquisition would follow any infringement.
Needless to say, we weren't expecting that!
The Levanter could be very nasty, with a 15 kt wind limit IIRC. I knew a Jag pilot who did a recovery in 15kts and gusting, which I witnessed, and he literally needed a change of underwear afterwards.

[Boac]

I think a change of underwear every flight in a Jag, non?

[larsssnowpharter]

As a 15 or 16 year old, I used to sit on the officer's beach at North Front, Gibraltar looking out over the bay towards Spain.

My father was a Captain on 37 Sqn flying Mk 2 Shacklebombers with the tailwheel. This was just at the time the Spanish set up the conditions and restricted border access this putting many ladies of night in La Linea out of business.

The entertainment when it came to 'manders' (mandatory takeoffs and landings) was good and became great when the Levanter was blowing.

Dad relates that he had one copilot who never successfully set up a safe approach in those conditions.

[CharlieOneSix]

Which airline and where?

I don't think it'll be long before they are statistics.

The airline is Tri-MG Airlines, based in Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia. They have written off two cargo 737's, one in 2005 and one in 2017, and have eight left(Wikipedia).

The airfield is Paro, Bhutan.

From Wikipedia:

Paro Airport has been described as "the most difficult commercial airport in the world", The airport has only one runway. Airplanes on approach pass by 5,500m Himalayan mountain peaks, and the 1,980m runway length presents a double challenge, due to the extremely high density altitude at the site. As a result, only a handful of airline pilots (8 as of December 2014) are certified to operate commercial aeroplanes there. About 30,000 persons arrive at the airport each year.

[CharlieOneSix]

...... restricted border access this putting many ladies of night in La Linea out of business......

As an 18 year old Dartmouth cadet on my first sea going experience on HMS Belfast I was taken to La Linea by a more worldly wise cadet and after being assaulted by many calls of "Exhibish, Exhibish" experienced how far ping pong balls could be fired by the ladies of the night....

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The Tornado F3 was possibly the easiest fast jet to land (just as well with my skills), and I never experienced much of a problem at Gib.
The CSAS system was designed to take out the gusts, so the stick was really a manoeuvre rate demand device. Hold it in the middle and the wiggly amps would make the approach smooth.

The high density altitude is a big factor. Highest airport I've been into was 6,700 feet, and that was quite interesting, even in a jet trainer. The takeoff was the really difficult bit, as I had to manoeuvre shortly after takeoff, as happens in Bhutan. Others have doubtless landed higher in heavier, and I'd be interested to know about that.

[unifoxos]

Thread drift - is density altitude catered for in simulators - i.e. if one elects to take off or land at Paro will the sim respond the same as a real a/c at that altitude?

[larsssnowpharter]

C16:
In my case I was 16 and three of headed out to La Linea and were greeted with the same cry. It took a few cervezas for us to pluck up courage to go to a back room where a couple of ladies of the night (middle aged slags, one fat, one skinny who took a pee in the bucket in the corner of the room before her performance).

The piece de resistance, so to speak, was the dual launching of a pair of lit candles to the far side of the room.

Even we had the good taste to say "No" to the extra £1.00 each for a more intimate encounter!

[CharlieOneSix]

....Even we had the good taste to say "No" to the extra £1.00 each for a more intimate encounter!

I hasten to add that we also did not partake of "extras"!

[TheGreenAnger]

....Even we had the good taste to say "No" to the extra £1.00 each for a more intimate encounter!

I hasten to add that we also did not partake of "extras"!

You mean Madame Wong's 1001'st pleasure where you get to bat the ping pong ball back!

Left a bit, right bit! Seems very apt all of a sudden.

[PHXPhlyer]

The real problem with the approach was the fact that there were three captains in the cockpit.
Captain PF, Captain PM/videographer in right seat, and check airman on the jumpseat coaching.
Also notice the PM had his hand on/near the wheel at one point ready to take over?

PP

[FD2]

When we were operating from Gib while the ship was alongside, if the traffic permitted when the wind was causing turbulence, the ATCOs would allow us to approach 09 and do a fast stop before turning into wind and landing near the resident Hunter squadron. That was preferable after a couple of severe shakings on finals to 27!

We heard a lot about the expeditions to La Linea but the Border was closed just before we got there, which was probably just as well. There was always Patpong to look forward to.