Your all-time favourite take-off or landing??
 

What has been your all-time favourite/most memorable take-off or landing and why?

For me it was in a B767-300 out of Cairns in low cloud and rain. The 767 is such a powerful aircraft, I remember the feel of being pushed backwards hard into my seat as we accelerated, we rotated and the force pushing me down was equally as hard as we climbed out steeply. Seconds later a hard left bank as we were passing through the low cloud and rain, the aircraft was dancing around quite a bit.

I think most of my 767 departures have all been great, no other aircraft seems to climb out so steep.

Trust you to be the 767 Nick;)

Mine was landing in LAX on VH-OEJ as QF107 for the 2nd time but 1st time being and plane spotter and acctually knowing all the planes I was looking at. It was such a good feeling to see aircraft like I remember a Kalitta Air 742F parked there as we taxiied in and even just UA 767's and 777's that you only used to see on Airliners.net.

MD11 out of ALK. I had never climbed out so steeply in any aircraft previously. I thought there was a malfunction and the aircraft was going to keep nosing up till it stalled.

This was with Mandarin Airlines (but a CI flight)

Favourite take-off probably will go to a Qantas B747-300 departing Perth heading back to Sydney last year. This was purely because of the aircraft I think, being a daylight take off and realising this is something I won't experience again. Although I was wrong, because I headed back to Perth later in the year for one more B743 flight.

Favourite landing is any of the times at Kai Tak aboard a Cathay Pacific B747-400. (At least three times). Not so much for the aircraft, but as a young kid, and now realising that this can never be experienced again it's at least burned into memory. I *think* two of the approaches were for Rwy 13 and the other for Rwy 31.

Dan

Favourite Landing was at Kai Tak in the jump seat on an Ansett 747-300


Favourite take off to many to mention but were ll in the jump seat.

Favorite Take off and landing have to be E190 Perth to Karratha.

The take off was 5:45am, early, the sun just coming up...and the power of the takeoff was phenomenal. The angle we were going...i was scared we were going to stall!

Then the landing into Karratha...banking around the entire airfield, through cloud, coming in seeing ocean and lakes...awesome.

A close 2nd landing was in a 767 Mel-Per, had to go around and the power and acceleration was just amazing.

The GOOD:

As to the departures, I think it would have been either, JL773 out of LHR in 2004: - Recent heavy thunderstorm left tarmac wet so lots of spray. I was in the second last row, so I got to see it all! OR QF 20 from NRT:- Just the shear noise of those shinny RR engines! Sounded great!!!!

The bad:

DJ 737 in OOL: - HARD landing, so much so the FO came over the PA to apologise (for his stuff up OR the Captains, I don't know :D )

The UGLY!

A6-EDD Arrival into DXB was a little... rough! It felt (to me at least) and looked with the aid of the tail cam, more than a little off the center line! Almost like those 'drifting' car races!!!

You too? My last DJ landing there was nothing short of awful, I am sure I felt vertebrae in my neck compressing. We drifted above the runway forever and then finally just dropped like a stone on the deck. I am sure we overshot our touchdown point, there were 2 rounds of hard reverse thrust and we pulled up just in time to make the last exit at the southern end of the runway.

The best take off

On a short hop from Lindeman Island to Hamiton Island (on numerous occasions) on board VH-HAM (usually) a Cessna 208. The strip on LDC is pretty bummy and not very level but as soon as you get in the air wonderful wonderful views of the Whitsunday passage.

Best landing

On board a QF763 coming back into Sydney through a storm one night, probably about 3 or 4 years ago. Was sitting in the middle so couldn't see anything except the lightening and the aircraft was jumping all over the shop. There were more then a few concerned looks from a few pax onboard.

Funniest landing

Again coming into SYD one night on board a TG 744. We were on very very short finals when a girl, about 10 years old got up and went to the bathroom. The cabin crew who were only a few metres from the lavatory didn't bother trying to get her out because they new if they did, just as they would be unbuckling themselves we would be hitting the deck. Sure enough we landed with the girl on the loo. Cabin crew didn't even give her or the parents a talking to.

Best landing:

Landing from the east at Svalbard Longyearbyen (LYR) airport, in midnight sun. Some impressive valley glaciers can be seen while approaching the airport.

Best takeoff:
Taking off from SFO during the busiest afternoon peak, waiting for 30 minutes in a queue next to the runway and then seeing aircraft taking off from the parallell runway while we were taking off.