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Airbus A319 Cockpit View of Two Female Pilots Landing at World's Most Dangerous Airport, Paro Bhutan (Original Post) BlueWaveNeverEnd Sunday OP
I wonder why... Think. Again. Sunday #1
think again NoRethugFriends Sunday #2
OH! Now I see,.... Think. Again. Sunday #3
Someone? Try 1/3 of the damn country. paleotn Sunday #5
How can they do that??? Don't their boobs get in the way? sunflowerseed Sunday #29
I know right?!? Think. Again. Sunday #39
Only 4-6% of airline pilots are female Renew Deal Sunday #4
This! paleotn Sunday #6
Making it seem like it's a far-fetched, surprising idea that women can fly planes well... Think. Again. Sunday #8
Thanks for letting us know Renew Deal Sunday #11
I know! I see a plane landed by 2 pilots. Callie1979 Sunday #17
Landing at this airport is pretty crazy Renew Deal Sunday #7
That definitely requires finesse. Those beautiful homes hugging the mountain tops may have hlthe2b Sunday #10
exactly! peacebuzzard Sunday #16
You also need to be certified to use that airport. Not just any airline pilot can go their! n/t Cheezoholic Sunday #36
No way this airport has landing with low visibility/instrument requirements necessary. peacebuzzard Sunday #9
Ha!!! Absolutely not!! paleotn Sunday #13
Thank you! Delphinus Sunday #14
I saw the co-pilot doing that and it almost looked like she crossed herself ('kind of doubt she hlthe2b Sunday #15
that is not a Catholic sign of the cross but it certainly seemed Like a religious ritual. peacebuzzard Sunday #18
I SAID it "kinda looked like she crossed herself" Are we going to get into a religious discussion now? hlthe2b Sunday #20
At 1:37 the first officer (co-pilot) did a series of prayer gestures. Bo Zarts Sunday #31
probably a sacred temple underneath / nearby miyazaki Sunday #34
Nice thread the needle. paleotn Sunday #12
Important to know: Only around 50 pilots globally are certified to land here (Times of India) hlthe2b Sunday #19
LACK OF RADAR ?? Shouldn't someone be thinking of fixing that sometime soon ? eppur_se_muova Monday #42
Watching the topography/terrain in those videos, I'd wonder how useful radar would be hlthe2b Monday #43
Wonder how many hours you need before the airline will LET you land here? Callie1979 Sunday #21
Go ladies. My doc is female. I have no question about women's abilities. Never have. twodogsbarking Sunday #22
Two female women actually landed an airplane! What next? Ocelot II Sunday #23
I agree, the title makes it seem the amazing part of that landing is that it was done by women. Think. Again. Sunday #25
They just did it between coffee services! NewLarry Sunday #41
Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal is no easy one either tornado34jh Sunday #24
Bhutan is on my bucket list big time. Lucky Luciano Sunday #26
Dumb question, where are the yokes? Bluetus Sunday #27
It's an Airbus. They don't have yokes; there's a side-stick Ocelot II Sunday #30
Thanks, I think Bluetus Sunday #37
Yikes! Faux pas Sunday #28
It don't get any better than that LilElf70 Sunday #32
The quick prayer of the copilot Historic NY Sunday #33
Great! Now they've gotta get outta there NBachers Sunday #35
As the Great Stuart Scott would've said Devilsun Sunday #38
Today - flying big jets...soon - getting credit cards without a male cosigner. rubbersole Sunday #40

Think. Again.

(19,027 posts)
3. OH! Now I see,....
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 08:08 AM
Sunday

Because someone thinks it's extraordinary that women could do skilled work.

Of course. Silly me.

Think. Again.

(19,027 posts)
8. Making it seem like it's a far-fetched, surprising idea that women can fly planes well...
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:11 AM
Sunday

....isn't going to help those numbers.

Callie1979

(264 posts)
17. I know! I see a plane landed by 2 pilots.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:25 AM
Sunday

I fly many times a year; I've never looked up & thought "Oh, we've got a WOMAN today!"
I just want them to be SOBER

Renew Deal

(83,064 posts)
7. Landing at this airport is pretty crazy
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:06 AM
Sunday

You have to fly into the mountains without being able to see the runway.

hlthe2b

(106,737 posts)
10. That definitely requires finesse. Those beautiful homes hugging the mountain tops may have
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:13 AM
Sunday

wonderful views, but I might think twice about being under the path. It would be so easy for something to go wrong.

Cheezoholic

(2,645 posts)
36. You also need to be certified to use that airport. Not just any airline pilot can go their! n/t
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 12:08 PM
Sunday

peacebuzzard

(5,300 posts)
9. No way this airport has landing with low visibility/instrument requirements necessary.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:13 AM
Sunday

It must be a perfect day in other words.
It's not a good sign to see the copilot praying b4 landing either
P.S. On edit: 2nd video shows a hard-core, hard right b4 the final touchdown. Wow.

paleotn

(19,515 posts)
13. Ha!!! Absolutely not!!
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:17 AM
Sunday

Love that miniscule room for error just short of the runway. Jebus!!!!

hlthe2b

(106,737 posts)
15. I saw the co-pilot doing that and it almost looked like she crossed herself ('kind of doubt she
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:20 AM
Sunday

is Catholic, but I'm sure the gesture is similar). But, yes, it certainly seemed like she did a little prayer.

I'm no pilot but it does seem like ground control was giving directions at every single opportunity. Undoubtedly necessary. I wonder what the unfortunate incident history is there.

peacebuzzard

(5,300 posts)
18. that is not a Catholic sign of the cross but it certainly seemed Like a religious ritual.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:26 AM
Sunday

I bet they have dedicated pilots for that route.

hlthe2b

(106,737 posts)
20. I SAID it "kinda looked like she crossed herself" Are we going to get into a religious discussion now?
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:29 AM
Sunday

REALLY? I also said it was highly doubtful she was Catholic. Geez. I was agreeing with YOU.

Bo Zarts

(25,705 posts)
31. At 1:37 the first officer (co-pilot) did a series of prayer gestures.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 10:42 AM
Sunday

It looked like the Buddhist "Wah" gesture with the hands.

paleotn

(19,515 posts)
12. Nice thread the needle.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:16 AM
Sunday

That was fun! And who says women can't drive.

Notice something different about the A319's controls? No yoke. The funny steering wheel like thing most folks are use to in front of pilot and copilot. Airbus is all sidestick now. A kind of joy stick on the pilot's left side, copilot's right. Throttles in the middle. Boeing is sticking with the old fashioned yoke for now. Significant debate over which is better. Both sides make good points.

hlthe2b

(106,737 posts)
19. Important to know: Only around 50 pilots globally are certified to land here (Times of India)
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:27 AM
Sunday

Paro International Airport in Bhutan is known for its challenging approach through 18,000-foot mountains. Only around 50 pilots globally are certified to land here due to its small runway and lack of radar assistance.

15,000-foot mountains TOO, I might add!

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/why-are-only-50-pilots-certified-to-land-on-this-challenging-airport-know-reasons/articleshow/113694872.cms#:~:text=Paro%20International%20Airport%20in%20Bhutan,and%20lack%20of%20radar%20assistance.

eppur_se_muova

(37,653 posts)
42. LACK OF RADAR ?? Shouldn't someone be thinking of fixing that sometime soon ?
Mon Dec 23, 2024, 07:14 AM
Monday

Or does the geography render radar somehow less effective ? I can sort of imagine lots of problems with multiple reflections, but I would think modern radars could handle that ...

hlthe2b

(106,737 posts)
43. Watching the topography/terrain in those videos, I'd wonder how useful radar would be
Mon Dec 23, 2024, 08:39 AM
Monday

But, I also notice that ground control literally "walks" the pilots through every moment of their traverse over and around those mountains where, at one point, they don't seem to even be able to visualize the runway.

And, if you read the article the unexpected weather, fog, ice, hail, windshear, microbursts, etc. etc. that can come up so quickly in the area, requiring all landings to occur in the morning and in clear conditions at the start. Not my area of expertise by any means and nor will it be. But I can appreciate what it takes to land there. Yikes!

Ocelot II

(121,460 posts)
23. Two female women actually landed an airplane! What next?
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:53 AM
Sunday

Are they letting us be pilots now? How extraordinary that a couple of ladies were allowed to do this!

Think. Again.

(19,027 posts)
25. I agree, the title makes it seem the amazing part of that landing is that it was done by women.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 10:09 AM
Sunday

Shocking I tell you, shocking!

Who knew women had hand/eye coordination!

tornado34jh

(1,311 posts)
24. Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal is no easy one either
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:54 AM
Sunday

It's a single runway and there is low success rate of a go-around because of the terrain. There is also the Princess Juliana Airport in Saint Maarten in the Caribbean, known for being just above beachgoers heads. There is one in Madiera where there are cliffs and ocean and it is turbulent at times, and that is just to name a few. I think for these kinds of airports, and I'm not a pilot, you have to get special training beyond what you would normally get to be allowed to fly to these places.

Bluetus

(284 posts)
27. Dumb question, where are the yokes?
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 10:17 AM
Sunday

It looks like they retract into the console, but I'd think the first officer would want the yoke at the ready. Maybe the Captain was using her yoke, just slightly out of view of the camera.

Ocelot II

(121,460 posts)
30. It's an Airbus. They don't have yokes; there's a side-stick
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 10:37 AM
Sunday

for manual control on each side, right under the side window. The airplane is highly automated and most of the time it's controlled by the autopilot, based on a course loaded into the flight control computer. The direction and altitude can be changed using the dials along the top of the instrument panel (you can see the first officer changing these settings in the video). Most of the time the pilots don't use the side-stick, but a tricky approach like that one would have to be flown manually.

Bluetus

(284 posts)
37. Thanks, I think
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 12:22 PM
Sunday

I don't know if that makes me feel any safer, making that approach into Paru.

And take-off is no picnic either. They have to circle over the runway to gain enough altitude to get over the mountains.

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