Sunday, October 20, 2024

Landing at Paro Airport

It is not everytime you get to see a plane landing at close quarters and that too at an airport which is considered to be the most difficult to land.
As Captain Chimi Dorji says, "Paro airport is difficult but not dangerous." (Captain Chimi Dorji has been working for Druk Air aka Royal Bhutan Airlines for 25 years)
Most airports offer about 10 nautical miles (about 18 kms) of distance for pilots to gauge the most aligned approach onto the landing strip, this airport accords only one or two nautical miles, which literally means there is no room for error.  
Only 50 pilots are certified to land at Paro due to the demanding conditions.
I was also fortunate enough to videograph the landing.  It was a lucky day for me as I could capture three aircrafts landing and one helicopter taking off.
The third aircraft I videographed was a small plane with propellers 
While waiting for the aircraft, I saw these Raven (national bird of Bhutan) circling above. Murder in the air?
As I did not carry my tripod, I could not use my big camera, so had to make do with my mobile camera. Made a video on it and that is one item ticked off my bucket list.
Read somewhere that there is a Budha in the cockpit.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quite the vantage points!

trees said...

I was once at this beautiful airport and saw, at close quarters, how tricky the landing can be.

Rabbit said...

Well captured. Can appreciate the demanding conditions there, quite similar to that in Lukla, Nepal where only STOL aircrafts, mostly Dorniers operate.

Giorgio said...

Interesting post about Paro airport!
I have also heard of other dangerous airports, such as Gibraltar one, where the runway is between a rock and a crowded city and the sea on either side.
Have a nice new week !

Anonymous said...

Hi Joe,

Thanks for sharing - lovely photographs and videography and video compilation excellent as usual. Well done you talented soul.

Love & Regards,
George

Shoyeb Ahmed said...

THANKS FOR SHARING THE LANDING OF THE PLANE AT THIS DIFFICULT AIRPORT

Bill said...

Thanks for sharing this video, I enjoyed watching it.

Elephant's Child said...

That looks very tricky indeed. Years back, landing at Ushuaia (another tricky airport) many of the passengers applauded the pilot when we landed safely.

Anonymous said...

The landing dangerously beautiful. The place looks simply beautiful Thanks for the lovely video.