Thursday, February 12, 2009

That Pilot Must Have Been Praying Real Hard

This hair-raising descent and landing of an airplane in Northern Spain was captured by some enterprising soul. Perhaps they were in a plane following behind in a close airport pattern?


Barcepundit, from whom I stole the video, says:

THIS is how is was to land in the Bilbao airport, in northern Spain, this last few days, amid very strong winds. If it looks scary from the outside, I can just imagine how it was for the people on the plane…

Unfortunately, we never see the end of this landing, or so it appears on the video. Perhaps someone else can tell if the pilot ever manages to bring the aircraft to a halt.

Be sure to visit Barcepundit (English edition). He's an ace blogger with many interesting links. As he says in the header:

My English is not perfect? Well, it's not my mother tongue, so sue me!


Actually his English is better than the Spanish of 99.5 per cent of Americans (no fair counting our Hispanic citizens. They have a headstart).

[the landing ends here]

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Ehh. I always preferred this one of a Japan Air flight landing at Kai Tak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtnL4KYVtDE

Afonso Henriques said...

"Actually his English is better than the Spanish of 99.5 per cent of Americans (no fair counting our Hispanic citizens. They have a headstart)."

But some "Hispanics"'s Spanish is... well...

And besides, "Bilbao, Northern Spain"? Why not Bilbao, Basque Country?

Dymphna said...

@Brian Wohlgemuth

You'll notice in the header of the comment box an html template which we request that commenters use when leaving links.

We are lazy around here.

Using the template allows everyone to simply to click on to your information rather than have to tediously cut and paste it in a new window.

Here is what I mean:

Brian Wohlgemuth's video link.

On behalf of the slothful, of whom I am one, I thank you.

BTW, here's a comment on the maneuver by one of the viewers:

The wind is blowing perpindicular to the runway, or in other words, pushing the airplane sideways. To compensate for this, the airplane turn a little bit into the wind. It's called crabbing.

Dymphna said...

@Afonso:

And besides, "Bilbao, Northern Spain"? Why not Bilbao, Basque Country?

I dunno, Afonso, why? Is this a trick question?

A suggestion: click on Barcepundit's link and open his email. He's friendly fellow and will be glad to tell you...in Spanish, too.

Baron Bodissey said...

Actually, I'll pre-empt Afonso here, and say that Barcepundit will tell us in Castilian.

Dear old A. will then undoubtedly regale us with much information about Catalunya, Asturias, Gallegas etc. (I'm probably not spelling those words right, alas)...

livfreerdie said...

A quick Wiki check says this pilot, as odd as it looked, was using a sideslip maneuver to keep the plane centered on the runway. Harold Head remarked once they could have ended up "flatter than p--- on a platter."

Tom

livfreerdie said...

Head =Hedd

Tom

Afonso Henriques said...

Baron & Dymphna,

He has indeed a nice Spanish blog, however I don't know if he's from Bilbao or Madrid or Sevilla...

Meanwhile, all Basques speak Castillan Spanish but only some Spaniards speak Basque...
... and knowing me as you do, would you think I would not bark over this?

P.S. - I will not comment on the images because the most serene flight is already an horrible experience to me ;l