Jump to content

You're browsing the 2004-2023 VATSIM Forums archive. All content is preserved in a read-only fashion.
For the latest forum posts, please visit https://forum.vatsim.net.

Need to find something? Use the Google search below.

Tour of the hardest approaches in Europe

  • challenging
  • approach
  • europe
Alessio Prencia

By Alessio Prencia,
in Pilot Talk

 Share

Recommended Posts

Alessio Prencia

Alessio Prencia

Posted
Posted

Hello guys, I'm trying to make a list of the hardest approaches in Europe so that I can make a "hard approach tour" out of them. I have made a list and hopefully you can help me add destination to it. I'm looking for obscure ones especially because I'm tired of the usual Innsbruck and Madeira. The only requirement is that the airport has to have charts. So here's what I have so far:

LICR
LPMA
LYTV
LOWI
LGSK
LGKR
LAKU
LXGB
LGSM
BIAR
LQMO
LDSB
LSZA
LSGS
LDSP
LTFE
LOWS
LFKJ
EKVG
ENSB
ENSD

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Alistair Thomson

Alistair Thomson

Posted
Posted

One pilot's hard approach is another one's walk in the park. :)

How do you define a hard approach?

Alistair Thomson

===

Definition: a gentleman is a flying instructor in a Piper Cherokee who can change tanks without getting his face slapped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Michael Eamer

Michael Eamer

Posted
Posted

A hard approach is one where the arrival controller switches arrival runway on you at the last allowable time limit and also offers you the latest ATIS at the same time. Being alone on the flight deck, now that's going to be a hard approach!😄

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
nebojsa milosavljevic

nebojsa milosavljevic

Posted
Posted
Quote

A hard approach is one where the arrival controller switches arrival runway on you at the last allowable time limit and also offers you the latest ATIS at the same time. Being alone on the flight deck, now that's going to be a hard approach!

I agree 100% with that.

nebojsa

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jonas Eberle

Jonas Eberle

Posted
Posted (edited)

I like the DME arcs. This is an easier appetizer without pesky mountains: Santorini LGSR VORb to RWY33.

I agree with Skiathos LGSK (L) RWY 19 + 01 (VOR/DME out, NDB in).

 

 

Can you amend your list with which approach(es) you exactly mean for that airport? I think that would make the list more useful to others.

 

Edited by Jonas Eberle
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Alessio Prencia

Alessio Prencia

Posted
  • Author
Posted
33 minutes ago, Jonas Eberle said:

I like the DME arcs. This is an easier appetizer without pesky mountains: Santorini LGSR VORb to RWY33.

I agree with Skiathos LGSK (L) RWY 19 + 01 (VOR/DME out, NDB in).

 

 

Can you amend your list with which approach(es) you exactly mean for that airport? I think that would the list more useful to others.

 

LICR (LOC RNW 33)
LPMA (RNP Visual RNW 05)
LYTV (NDB Z-Y RNW 14)
LOWI (Visual APP circle to land RNW 08)
LGSK (LCTR APP, Both runways)
LGKR (LCTR A, RNW 34)
LAKU (RNP (PLUS VISUAL) RNW 19)
LXGB (VISUAL)
LGSM (NDB APP)
BIAR (LOC ASR RNW 01)
LQMO (ILS Z RNW 33)
LDSB (VOR A)
LSZA (CIRCLE TO LAND AND IGS RNW 01)
LSGS (IGS RNW 25)
LDSP (VISUAL RNW 23)
LTFE (VOR A AND NDB A)
LOWS (RNP VISUAL V RNW 33)
LFKJ (VPT B RNW 20)
EKVG (MY NDB)
ENSB (RNP RNW 28)
ENSD (RNP RNW 08)

 

Here you go mate

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Roger Hanson

Roger Hanson

Posted
Posted (edited)

BIIS Visual

image.png.f30703f95e7ad81322319abd7688c3e2.png

Edited by Roger Hanson
  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1

Regards, Rog Hanson

Link to comment
Share on other sites
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

Try a par approach..just you fog and controller with vectors and decent rate..hopefully you can get line up on the rabbits..lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

I remember lowi being exciting as a newbee..But once at rattenburg the loc 26 becomes pretty standard as time goes on..lol

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

I do like the rtt4h departure at lowi..tight turn for downwind east..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

Sorry left turn for downwind and east..

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lauri Uusitalo

Lauri Uusitalo

Posted
Posted

There is an edit option available in the forum interface.

  • Like 2
ACH2118.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Luca Melis

Luca Melis

Posted
Posted

Very interesting list

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jonas Eberle

Jonas Eberle

Posted
Posted

The circle-to-land in LOWI with Easterly winds requires a lot of of attention and judgement. (LOC 26 with breakoff and circle-to-land https://chartfox.org/LOWI#LOWI_98353)
The new RNP procedures everywhere take most of the fun out of it. Nowadays there's  a published RNP approach to RWY 08. Some years ago that was not available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

never tried 080 appr because winds allways was in favour of 260..sounds like fun

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Alessio Prencia

Alessio Prencia

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hey guys, this is a chart for the circling approach in LICR (Runway 33). This seems to be really fun. I couldn't find the chart anywhere and this was sent to me by a pilot. Imma just leave it here in case anyone is interested.

unknown.png.png

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Simon Leeves

Simon Leeves

Posted
Posted (edited)

EGLC, tough approach RW27 at 5.5° ILS / NDB. I recently did NDB approach with zero visibility. Scary. 

Edited by Simon Leeves
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brad Littlejohn

Brad Littlejohn

Posted
Posted
On 12/31/2021 at 8:36 AM, Jonas Eberle said:

I like the DME arcs. This is an easier appetizer without pesky mountains: Santorini LGSR VORb to RWY33.

I agree with Skiathos LGSK (L) RWY 19 + 01 (VOR/DME out, NDB in).

 

 

Can you amend your list with which approach(es) you exactly mean for that airport? I think that would make the list more useful to others.

 

 

+1 on Skiathos. That's Europe's TNCM. if you get the chance to visit that island, do so. the landing traffic is just as exciting as you'd see at TNCM.

BL.

 

  • Like 1

Brad Littlejohn

ZLA Senior Controller

27

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Reinhard Ziegler

Reinhard Ziegler

Posted
Posted
On 1/4/2022 at 12:59 AM, Jonas Eberle said:

The circle-to-land in LOWI with Easterly winds requires a lot of of attention and judgement. (LOC 26 with breakoff and circle-to-land https://chartfox.org/LOWI#LOWI_98353)
The new RNP procedures everywhere take most of the fun out of it. Nowadays there's  a published RNP approach to RWY 08. Some years ago that was not available.

 

You've described the LOC DME EAST approach into RWY08, which is challenging, but definitely manageable for a good sim pilot.

If that's not enough fun for some folks, LOC DME WEST approach into RWY08 is even more challenging:

 

You basically overfly the airport from the west...

MhxYyOM.jpeg

about 5nm past the field, you turn right into right-hand downwind...

I3RUvU3.jpeg

fly on a 255° track, then 264° and at D14.2 OEJ you turn right into short final RWY08.

Or try LOC DME WEST for RWY26, which is a steep 225° right turn onto the 290° track after the LOC DME WEST procedure.

That's fun to fly, I guarantee!

 

On 12/31/2021 at 6:09 PM, Alessio Prencia said:

LICR (LOC RNW 33)
LPMA (RNP Visual RNW 05)
LYTV (NDB Z-Y RNW 14)
LOWI (Visual APP circle to land RNW 08)
LGSK (LCTR APP, Both runways)
LGKR (LCTR A, RNW 34)
LAKU (RNP (PLUS VISUAL) RNW 19)
LXGB (VISUAL)
LGSM (NDB APP)
BIAR (LOC ASR RNW 01)
LQMO (ILS Z RNW 33)
LDSB (VOR A)
LSZA (CIRCLE TO LAND AND IGS RNW 01)
LSGS (IGS RNW 25)
LDSP (VISUAL RNW 23)
LTFE (VOR A AND NDB A)
LOWS (RNP VISUAL V RNW 33)
LFKJ (VPT B RNW 20)
EKVG (MY NDB)
ENSB (RNP RNW 28)
ENSD (RNP RNW 08)

 

Here you go mate

 

Regarding LOWS: RNP V 33 is  just a wide 180° right hand turn from the north east of the field onto short final RWY 33.

A little more challenging is the circling RWY33 following an ILS15 approach:
Break off on a 125° track to the left at SI NDB and do a tight 210° right turn into final RWY33...

 

1NZicq1.jpeg

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 7 months later...
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

on the list above..no kase ?? 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
john charles

john charles

Posted
Posted

sorry europe only..

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Brad Littlejohn

Brad Littlejohn

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, john charles said:

on the list above..no kase ?? 

 

 

Honestly, there are much much harder than KASE. I'd throw VNLK, VQPR, WMBT, and TFFJ in before KASE. And actually in that order. and if I remember right, WMBT has a checkerboard approach, similar to what Kai Tak had.

But as this list is for Europe, I'm surprised LFLJ is not on that list.

BL.

 

Brad Littlejohn

ZLA Senior Controller

27

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Miguel Albano

Miguel Albano

Posted
Posted

LESU.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chriss Klosowski

Chriss Klosowski

Posted
Posted

LFKC Calvi Circle to Land is a good one too 😉

CHRISS KLOSOWSKI
Division Director, VATSIM Middle East & North Africa  
VATSIM Network Senior Supervisor, Team 5
##  [email protected] 
##
 http://vatsim.me/    
     

1185353147_Signature(1).png.e6818c4256541cb309a1888bad7c9d33.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing