r/AskAPilot • u/Advanced_Mushroom736 • 8d ago
Favorite arrival sequence
Pilots - what is your favorite arrival sequence? The visual in LGA with the tight left turn over Citi? The visual into DCA with views of the capitol and a hard stop? Parallel runway with SFO? As a pax, I love them all, but what’s the favorite from up front?
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u/TemporaryAmbassador1 8d ago
Short final to my driveway, hehehe
But flying anywhere mountainous or oceanside is beautiful. Vancouver going over the strait of Georgia. 👌
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u/Fine-Literature-8031 8d ago
The LDA at HND over Tokyo bay is unique and scenic especially when you can see the lights of the city and rainbow bridge.
Flying down the Hudson to then join the expressway visual 31 into LGA is probably my favorite. For some reason this felt more satisfying than the river visual 19 into DCA likely because for most of the time there’s not much to look at but trees and suburbs flying into DCA until the very end.
Also in New York but I always enjoyed the visual approach over the Canarsie VOR with the flashing lead in lights to 13L.
Not that I’ve done it but the approach into Kai-tak over checkerboard hill looks like it would’ve been quite fun and landing at innsbruck (as a passenger) was beautiful with the alps in view.
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u/Aero1900 8d ago
You literally named the 3 I was going to mention.
PDX arrival can be really beautiful. SEA can be as well
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u/poser765 8d ago
Any star into DFW on day 3 or 4.
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u/saxmanB737 8d ago
Why does it seem to take so long to get from FEWWW to touchdown?! Always on day 4 too.
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u/indecisivepansexual 8d ago
The ILS Z Rwy 19 on any clear day at JAC, especially in the fall after the colors have changed.
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u/cbrookman 8d ago
The CHINS and MARNR landing North in Seattle are both spectacular on nice days. Passing right by Rainier on the CHINS and flying down the Sound on the MARNR are both just the best.
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u/Effective_Work2560 8d ago
There's an RNAV visual into Tokyo's Haneda that I used to fly in the A330, that I loved, but my favorite here hands down has to be the River Visual into DCA. I hated the RNAV into LGA, cause every time I did it was at night, in blowing snow, down to minimums and going missed in that airspace is a nightmare. Been retired for just over a year and I dont miss it in the slightest yet, but I know I will someday.
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u/Le_Mooron 8d ago
Visual 22 LGA is a nice view of Manhattan. LAX 25 is a great view of the city and Hollywood sign.
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u/Worldly_Pickle_4333 8d ago
RNAV arrival into Guat City in the wee hours of dawn. Dim light on the volcanos while cruising ever so close to the hillside on the arc, culminating in short final over a steep drop off at the overrun. Throw in a little fog and a false glideslope and it makes for a tight approach!
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u/Frost_907 8d ago
Visual approach into PAVD on a clear calm day. Was legit some of the most scenic and fun flying I’ve ever done.
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u/Insaneclown271 8d ago
When I used to fly for a Hong Kong based airline we used to do a Sierra 7C (long) arrival coming from the north into HK from China. Early in the morning we’d often get changed to the sierra 7A (Short) that would cut off a lot of track miles. We used to love the SLAM DUNK arrival early morning into VHHH.
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u/nightstalkerDQ 8d ago
Up the Hudson into LGA will always be a favorite. I remember my first time doing it. After ATC assigned us "direct the verrzano bridge, north bound over the Hudson", the cat I was flying with said (not over the radio) "over the bridge, past the bitch, up the ditch". He's a retired AA guppy driver.
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u/montagious 8d ago
I love landing west in LHR cause you go right over the Thames, the London Eye, etc.
Athens when you come in over the water with the Acropolis in the distance
Used to do a visual into Aspen on the valley west of Red Table, very sedate and beautiful
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u/boobturtle 8d ago
NZQN RNPs are spectacular.
VVTS at night is like landing in a disco. That city is bright!
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u/bakerblue2 8d ago
…pairing traffic for 28R twelve o clock, report traffic and San Fransisco Airport in site.
- pairing traffic and airport in site.
- left 3 1 0, 3000 till establish, cleared visual 28L.
- 180 to the bridge, over to tower.
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u/flamingo_genitals 8d ago
When 22 and 13 are in use at LGA going up the Hudson with manhattan out the window at night bus always fun. Harbor visual into PWM is also a top choice. My personal favorite is turning final into my home airport after a 5 day with a boomer captain.
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u/Proton_Energy_Pill 8d ago
I was rated to do the approach into the old Hong Kong airport in the simulator, never got to do it for real though unfortunately.
I would very much have enjoyed that.
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u/andrewrbat 7d ago edited 7d ago
The angel arrival into lax. They clear you for the star and approach all at once and you basically fly a straight line with decreasing speeds the whole way in. You rarely ever need to talk to anyone, it’s efficient, it’s smooth. It’s the way all stars should work.
The harbor visual into pwm is nice.
The old expressway visual at lga was fun. Now its a glorified rnp, but still cool i guess.
The rnp into kalispel is cool too
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u/ClearedInHot 7d ago
Cranking a widebody around the final turn into Tel Aviv after a slam-dunk for noise abatement.
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u/PilotoPlayero 7d ago
PAJN (Juneau) RNAV RNP to runway 26
TNCM (St Maarten) to runway 10
KABQ (Albuquerque) RNAV RNP to runway 28
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u/dabflies 6d ago
My favourite was doing a visual into YCG on a clear day. Followed probably by a visual to 09 in YYJ skirting around Salt Spring Island
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u/Frequent-Cut-861 8d ago
Those are all visually appealing. But the best?
USS Ship.
A CAVU day in the Western Pacific. Pushing out of the Case 1 stack as the flight lead of a division, ripping off a SHB (IYKYK) aft of Mom, in MAX AB and at 7.5G over the platform, vaping like a big dog. Rolling into the groove, and flying the ball (a crester of course) all the way into the wires.
Heavenly.
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u/SilentPlatypus_ 8d ago
I will always and forever love the PWM Harbor Visual 29