A Nice Compilation Of Landings and Take Offs

Nice video, Jim…thanks for posting. Just another 223 days until our next flight to paradise, God willing, but who’s counting!
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The one thing that always strikes me, is how high you are prior to landing. There is no gradual decent, it's like you are looking down on the island, as opposed to at it, when you are approaching runway.
 
The one thing that always strikes me, is how high you are prior to landing. There is no gradual decent, it's like you are looking down on the island, as opposed to at it, when you are approaching runway.

I compare it to landing on an aircraft carrier.
 
Interesting to be along on this flight! Always seemed to have take your breath away drop when on Winair flights. Tradewind not as noticeable.
 
Interesting to be along on this flight! Always seemed to have take your breath away drop when on Winair flights. Tradewind not as noticeable.
Is there an aviator among us who can explain why this is so? The Tradewind landings are noticeably smoother, either watching the webcam or in the passenger seats. Is it company training, or innate characteristics of the aircraft? The WinAir flights sometimes look as if they are going to drag their tail on the way in.
 
The one thing that always strikes me, is how high you are prior to landing. There is no gradual decent, it's like you are looking down on the island, as opposed to at it, when you are approaching runway.

That's because the glide path is above standard. This is what makes it so special and spectacular. St Barth approach isn't your usual 3-degree glide slope, hence the feeling of being "high" on the approach to runway 10. The airplane needs to clear the obstacle (tourmente hill) prior to landing. Once the obstacle is cleared, it's a nose dive to the runway.

It is the same procedure for all airplanes landing here. PC12 or Twin-Otter or Cessna Caravan. Pilot technique has little input on the landing show, despite the different types of aircraft. The rest is perception.
 
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