[Leica] Paro Airport landing Bhutan

[photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman)]

Awesome! I prefer airports like the one in Seoul, on flat land and by the 
sea :-) Although I noticed some course changes evidently to ensure not even 
coming close to North Korean airspace ;-)

Cheers,
Nathan

On 2 Dec 2013, at 23:41, H&ECummer <cummer at netvigator.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> Esther and I are just back from a fascinating week visiting Bhutan ?
> the mountain kingdom nestled between India, China (Tibet) and Nepal ? and 
> famous for measuring its Gross National Happiness  (GNH) rather than the 
> usual Gross Domestic Product. Also it is a no smoking country ? that?s 
> right country!
> 
> Sharing this visit with you I want to start with the Paro Airport ? 
> located in the Western end of Bhutan. Travel and Leisure in 2009 named it 
> the most dangerous airport in the world for landings. The 6500 foot runway 
> is at 7,300 feet elevation and Paro is surrounded by mountain peaks up to 
> 18,000 feet high. The zig zag landing approach down the valleys ? with 
> severe cross winds - means that only day time visual landings are allowed. 
> No instrument landings and certainly no night flights. Initally only 8 
> pilots (2009) were certified to fly into Paro ? but I am sure there are 
> more now.
> 
> Flying to Paro from Bangkok Druk Air stops at the Indian airport of 
> Bagdogra to off load pilgrims and to fuel up ? there being no jet fuel at 
> Paro. This pretty well empties the plane and allows passengers to crowd on 
> to the left side in order to get a full view of the Himalayas in the 20 
> minute flight from Bagdogra to Paro.
> 
> We got a good seat:
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/DistantHimalayasW.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/l6xcm6h
> 
> More Mountain views
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/HimaMtn1w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/kqukaes
> 
> Yet another view
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/HimaMtn3w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/oq97lsy
> 
> A third view - this time of Jhomolhari (24,000 ft) The Dalai Lama fled 
> Tibet through the Chumbi valley on the western side of Jhomolhari ?  
> considered a sacred mountain by both Tibetan and Bhutanese Buddhists.
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/JhomolhariW.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/n8t2h4y
> 
> Our goal ? the Paro Airport runway ? far away deep in the valley:
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/ParoAirportfmairW.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/kmpfyo9
> 
> Another view of the runway:
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/Parorunwayw.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/m4jo3xc
> 
> The Druk Air Airbus 319 coming in for its approach
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/DrukAir1w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/l9n2ah2
> 
> Closer and turning
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/Druk2w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/km4tlpr
> 
> Lining up for the runway
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/Druk3w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/knsyfl8
> 
> Touch down!
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/Druk4w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/lp25xxv
> 
> The Airbus on the ground.
> 
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Bhutan/DrukAirbus319w.jpg.html
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/kwnsuc3
> 
> Please look large. C& C always welcome. More pictures to come (of course)
> 
> Nice to be back,
> 
> Howard
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu

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