October 28, 2013
Monday PM

The people who decide the exciting landings for airplanes must not have gone to Sitka, where the tail of the plane landing is over the water at High Tide, when the wheels hit the tarmac, and when the plane finally stops, the nose of said jet plane is hanging over the far end of the runway. I would say that makes for an exciting landing every time, and I've done that a few more times than desired.

On one flight I met a young man going to Sitka for the first time, and I told him of the excitement involved, well he looked at me like I was pulling his leg, you know square eye and all. I could tell he thought I was full of BS, right up until we landed, his eyes got as big as saucers, and he looked at me like I was God, and said, "I thought you were full of it, but you told me the truth. Didn't you?"

I just looked back and didn't have to say anything, the jet, a 737 had done exactly what I said.

So Ketchikan is small potatoes and Sitka is the place for the most exciting landing. Although it could be a contest between Tegulcigalpa, Honduras, 2 degrees more landing slope path than any other airport, or Sitka, Alaska, for pure excitement.

Yours, in exciting, but safe, landings,

Alan Rudolf (Rudy) McGillvray
rmcgillvray [at] gci.net
Ketchikan, Alaska

Received October 24, 2013 - Published October 28, 2013

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