It's almost a shame you have to land! Pilots reveal the 26 most beautiful views you can see while approaching airports around the world
By Amanda Williams|
These beautiful views have topped a poll by a host of seasoned pilots, travel writers, and industry experts of the most scenic airport approaches.
Users of the private-jet charter firm PrivateFly.com voted on approaches as diverse as the beach-skimming descent onto the Caribbean island St Maarten, to the thrill inducing - but perhaps slightly greyer - bumpy ride into Barra Airport, in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, which is submerged when the tide is high
The poll by PrivateFly.com also took in some of the world's most iconic airports, including Amsterdam, Gibraltar, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Sochi, gateway to this year's Winter Olympics.
Also in the running is Cape Town Airport - which bears a striking resemblance to the Thunderbirds Tracy Island - and is surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges, and nestled just below - a sprawl of squatter shacks.
The poll is currently open to the public, with votes being taken at http://www.privatefly.com
Squamish Airport, Canada, is competing for top
spot in a poll of the most beautiful landings by PrivateFly.com. It is
described as 'sublime... in any season, surrounded by banks of pine
trees, mountains and a river'
Venice Marco Polo Airport, Italy, is surrounded
by a beautiful seascape, on the approach to Italy's city of canal.
According to one judge on the poll - sit on the right hand side of the
aircraft for the best view
The emerald green approach to the Virgin Gorda
Island - the third largest of the British Virgin Islands. Clive Jacobs
(Chairman of Travel Weekly) said: 'True definition of a dust strip but
on a beautiful island and a very tricky approach'
Lacking some of the glamour of its fellow poll
contenders, Sochi International Airport, Russia, earned a mention for
the descent over the Black Sea 'watching the city and Olympic Park
unfold in front of you, with a beautiful mountain backdrop'
St Barts Airport is described as one of the
'most breathtaking (hair-raising) landing strips in the world'.
Beautiful circular approach of the island takes in the yachts at the
harbour in Gustavia and a thrilling short runway landing almost places
you on the beach at St Jean
The full island nestled in clear blue seas can
be seen on the approach to Mustique Airport. According to one voter:
'Got to get over the hill pretty quick otherwise you end up in the sea,
makes it exciting'
Male (Ibrahim Nasir International) gives passengers fantastic views over thousand of small islands, in the stunning Maldives
Aside from the stunning cityscape of Los
Angeles, the descent into LAX sees passengers coast over the Grand
Canyon before a drop in from the Rocky Mountains and into the LA basin
with a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean in the background
Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport offers passengers incredible view of Guanabara Bay
Queenstown Airport, New Zealand, provides views
of 'Pure nature, mountains, hills and sea'. Bill Prince said:
'Incredible approach in the shadow of the peaks with a view seemingly
all the way to Milford Sound. Truly an arrival of a lifetime'
A descent into Paro Airport, Bhutan, provides
outstanding views of the highest mountains on earth. 'The seat clenching
view of the tiny runway, culminating in the shortest heart thumping
landing!', one voter says
Nice Cote d'Azur International Airport, France
gives passengers a 'beautiful approach either from North East over the
Alps then Monaco or West with the red Esterel mountains on the left and
blue Med on the right'
Newquay's airport is virtually on the Cornish coast giving passengers perfect views of the sea and beautiful beaches
LaGuardia Airport, in the New York City borough
of Queens gives those on the left hand side of the plane a sightseeing
view of Manhattan
JFK International Airport, New York, offers the quintessential city view of the Manhattan skyscrapers
London City Airport gives fantastic views. From
the East, passengers can see the Thames estuary from QE2 bridge to
Silvertown. From the west, the approach takes flights Canary Wharf and
you may see Westminster, London Eye, Tower Bridge, St. Pauls
Surrounded by mountains Innsbruck Airport, in Western Tyrol, Austria offers somewhat of a dramatic landing
Hong Kong Airport, built on the island of Chek Lap Kok offers breathtaking cityscape views
A flight to Gibraltar Airport, according Patrick
Jephson: 'Every arrival an adventure, thanks to airspace restrictions
and critically-variable winds. And what a dramatic setting - Africa,
Europe and The Rock: the antidote to boring bus-stop airline flights'
Cape Town Airport - which bears a striking
resemblance to the Thunderbirds Tracy Island - is surrounded by dramatic
mountain ranges, and nestled just below - a sprawl of squatter shacks
The beauty of Belfast City Aiport is more that
of an industrial heartland. But it also gives great views over the coast
and countryside - and of the shipyard where the Titanic was built
Barra Airport, on the island of Barra, in the
Outer Hebrides. It has previously topped a poll of the most dangerous
descents for its infamous beach runway - now the only one on the planet
regularly used by scheduled flights
Aruba (Queen Beatrix International) Airport.
According to voters: 'There is nothing more beautiful than seeing the
sparkling blue waters of Aruba on approach. The color of the buildings
against the clear waters is picture perfect!'
Aqaba (King Hussein International) Airport is
'at the apex of where four countries meet the Red Sea on Jordan's
solitary, tiny coastline'
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is a special treat for passengers on private planes with its rooftop views over the city
No comments:
Post a Comment