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

[Stephen Harris]

Best landing

Travelling through a storm with lightning all around us in 1997 into OOL. Was on an Ansett 737, very steep landing to hit the deck...

Best takeoff

Newark New Jersey in a A319 in 2006, very long plane 'traffic jam' waiting 75mins to take off... Saw loads of aircraft and then a very long take off roll

[Edward Terry]

Best takeoff: Rocket launch in a 767-300ER off 34R at Sydney for Canberra with only about 70 people on board and probably a hugely derated takeoff too! Check out airliners.net for the visual proof .

Best landing: Jumpseat on QF11 into LAX in 2001. I remember the pilots saying "Southwest 737s are like blowflies around here", seeing Long Beach airport, being alarmed at the water dripping down from the ceilling, and the F/O saying "Buuueatiful!" to compliment the Captain's landing.

[Matt_L]

Best Takeoff:
American Eagle ERJ145 on a snow laden runway at DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington) in 2005 to New York City. Was a rapid takeoff and steep climbout as per the departures at the said airport.

Best Landing:
Also at DCA :P. Onboard Delta Shuttle 737-200 from Kennedy to DCA- we flew the River Visual approach which is awesome.

[Grahame Hutchison]

Favourite all time take off was in the jump seat of a Qantas B747-400 out of Honolulu at night. The takeoff was fairly normal, a great view of Honolulu and then straight into the jetwash of a preceeding Air New Zealand B747-400. It felt like the bottom dropped out of the cockpit, quite a violent movenment down and sideways but all over in a few seconds.

My favourite landing was in the Qantas 767 simulator, I did a standard departure from Kai Tak, turning left at the Checkerboard and then climbing out along the hills. About a minute after the turn I was given an engine failure, lots or right rudder to correct the yaw before trimming out and turning back to Kai Tak for the Checkerboard approach. The approach was quite good however touchdown was a little way down the runway and full reverse thrust and braking pulled us up on the paino keys at the bay end. I could hear a tyre or two blow during the braking.

[Justin L]

Memorable take off:

In January 2009 on a morning departure on a QantasLink 717 from Darwin (DRW) to Cairns (CNS). I was in seat 1A and the view out the left hand side of the Darwin CBD and surrounding ocean in the early morning sun was magnificent. I am a bit disappointed that I didn't have my camera out.

Memorable landing (1):

In 1993 on a Japan Air System MD80 flying from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Kumamoto (KMJ). We were approaching KMJ in heavy rain and I was in an aisle seat in the rear of the plane on a full flight and couldn't see out the windows so couldn't tell how close we were to actually landing. I remember remembering about an anecdote from a book I read that the safest place in a place is at the rear of an aircraft because you never see planes back into a mountain. At that point we hit the tarmac hard and some of the overhead lockers opened and luggage fell out. It gave me a right old shock!

Memorable landing (2):

In 2000 on a China Northwest flight from Xian (XIY) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA). The flight crew were not enforcing the seatbelt rule for landing and there were kids jumping around on their parents' laps and lying on the tops on the seat headrests and jumping around right until landing. I also remember that when we landed, many of the passengers also broke out into applause.

Memorable landing (3):

In 2007 on a Malev Hungarian flight from Varna, Bulgaria (VAR) to Budapest, Hungary (BUD) on a 737-500. The plane was ten minutes ahead of schedule and the pilot asked cabin crew to prepare the cabin for landing while they were still clearing up from the inflight service. The cabin crew virtually ran down the aisle with their trolley picking up what they could and leaving cans and cups with the passengers. They then very quickly stowed the trolleys and ran to their seats. I remember seeing the last flight attendant buckle her seat belt literally five seconds before we landed.

[Michael Morrison]

Best Take Off.

On a Thai A330 departing Phuket for Bangkok. We had started rolling down the runway whilst the crew were still standing for the safety demo.

They quickly ran for their seats, but the safety demo finished after we were airborne! Not sure if that is a flight deck issue (ie taking off with out the cabin crew saying htey had compelted their tasks)

Best Landing

Has to be St Barts in the Caribbean! Coming down that little mountain and having the ater at the other end is pretty cool! Not to mention you can see all the action as it was only a little 6 seater

[Anthony T]

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!!!

Had one of those this morning on EK404 into MEL, touched down on 16 near the intersection, seemed off centre on the nose cam, and slid a bit from side to side after touching down, thought it was going full length to Kilo at the end, but decided to exit at Julliet.

I still have the impression of the seatbelt buckle on my belly

Anthony T

[Dan Collins]

I'm going to ammend my post with what will be a flight I'll always remember.

This morning aboard a Cessna 152 I conducted my first solo flight and it all felt like it came together perfectly (for a first solo anyway!). I doubt I'll forget it in a hurry.

Dan

[Nigel C]

Congrats on the first solo!

[Robert S]

It's hard to forget the first takeoff after I was old enough to remember... that was a TAA/Australian B727 in 1986. It was raining and I remember being disappointed that I wouldn't be able to see much out the window due to the rain. Cue turning onto the runway and that problem being quickly resolved.

Most memorable landing was on 16R in a Qantas 767 with the aircraft only hitting the deck south of General Holmes Drive, followed by a very rough roll down to A6... on a domestic flight, followed by the PA announcement starting with "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have definitely landed in Sydney..."

This is excluding a jump seat take-off from BNE and landing in SYD on VH-EAJ once... not an experience I expect to be having again.