Innsbruck Airport in Austria and Madeira Airport are each regulars in lists of the world’s most hair-raising landings for passenger plane. And for good motive.

Innsbruck Airport is surrounded by towering 9,000ft mountains and pilots typically have to deal with the ‘Foehn wind’, which may create sturdy turbulence close to the runway.

Planes touchdown and taking off at Madeira Airport, in the meantime, cannot fly straight out and in due to rocky promontories at both finish of the runway, so should financial institution in dramatically upon arrival and prove to sea quickly after taking to the air. And as with Innsbruck, planes might be buffeted by tempestuous gusts within the moments earlier than they contact down. You’ve got in all probability seen the movies.

The challenges related to working plane at each these airports imply that solely captains can take off and land at them (and even then, solely after additional coaching). So simply how arduous a process is it in in the present day’s fashionable plane?

I used to be given a uncommon alternative by British Airways to search out out. The provider invited me into certainly one of its state-of-the-art Airbus A320 flight simulators at its Flight Coaching Centre close to Heathrow Airport for classes in touchdown and taking off at each Innsbruck and Madeira. My teacher was Captain Ross Lynch, an A320 Coaching Requirements Captain who wasted no time in introducing me to the artwork of flying by means of Alpine valleys…

INNSBRUCK

Flying to Innsbruck as a passenger is a panoramic expertise, with the aircraft passing mesmerisingly near towering peaks on the method – inside waving distance of skiers.

For the pilots, being mesmerised is most definitely not an choice.

Captain Lynch reveals that BA has 30 captains permitted to land and take off at Innsbruck.

BA’s spectacular Flight Coaching Centre close to Heathrow Airport

When Ted enters the A320 simulator (above) the method to Innsbruck is prepared and ready

As with Madeira, these permissions have been granted solely after rigorous coaching – a 90-minute temporary, a four-hour sim session protecting ‘all of the variations and failures’ that would happen and a real-life first-time flight to the airport below the steerage of an teacher.

‘We do extra coaching than the authorities require,’ stresses Captain Lynch, who provides that flying to airports reminiscent of Innsbruck and Madeira ‘are a privilege and pleasant’.

‘They’re stunning locations to return and actually attention-grabbing for pilots,’ he continues. ‘These locations are an actual privilege to return in to as a result of, nicely, pilots wish to use their abilities. They wish to use their abilities to make every part appear regular. They’re more difficult airfields however we wish to function at them to the identical excessive ranges of security as we’d wherever else.

Captain Ross Lynch (left) demonstrates a textbook ‘go round’ at Innsbruck as Ted (proper) watches on

‘And that is the problem. Making one thing that is tougher simple. We at all times wish to make the expertise for passengers as on a regular basis as potential.’

And what is the secret to a protected touchdown at Innsbruck?

‘Preparation, preparation, preparation,’ says Captain Lynch.

There is not a lot room for manoeuvre if one thing goes fallacious mechanically or if unhealthy climate prevents a protected touchdown. On prime of normal snowy circumstances, the Foehn wind can create ‘actually sturdy turbulence about 1,000ft or so from the runway… like a hairdryer impact’.

In gentle of this, Captain Lynch reveals that the crew can be speaking about their choices for the method and within the occasion of one thing going fallacious with the aircraft ‘virtually the entire means throughout’ from the UK. For instance, angles of method to keep away from sturdy winds.

As I buckle up within the first officer’s seat, the ‘aircraft’ is sitting round 25 miles out, approaching from the east.

Above is the real-life model of the British Airways A320

The autopilot is on and our pace is 180 knots (207mph).

For a traditional airfield the method pace can be 230 (264mph) or 240 knots (276mph), says Captain Lynch, however right here it is ‘all about controlling our power as we head into the valley’.

And the way in which into the valley is to go shut over the summit of a close-by mountain – so shut that this could immediate the radio altimeter to start out asserting distances to the bottom – then drop down.

It is a case, says Captain Lynch, of being excessive sufficient to recover from the mountain, however low sufficient to land afterwards.

As soon as within the valley 154 knots (177mph) is the utmost pace, ‘as a result of it is all about how tightly you may flip – the faster you fly, the larger your flip radius’.

Ought to the crew deem a touchdown unsafe there are solely two escape routes – a plateau to the left-hand facet, over which the plane might be turned proper round, and a slender valley to the best.

Sim metropolis: Captain Lynch briefs Ted on touchdown the A320 at Innsbruck

Ted within the first officer’s seat

We fly safely over the mountain and decrease the flaps barely – to the ‘flap two’ lever place out of 5 – to cut back our pace as we descend.

Quickly we’re simply eight miles out and it is time to put the plane into the final stage of configuration for touchdown.

I instruct Captain Lynch to proceed to ‘flap 4’, then it is time for the touchdown test record to be ticked off: a cabin report – the crew would get safe early, notably if turbulence is anticipated – and we set the autobrake.

As town looms bigger I can see steerage lights known as ‘rabbit’ lights on the roofs of buildings marking the runway method.

However even at this late stage, Captain Lynch explains that the aircraft is not fairly lined up but – another excuse why it is a captain’s touchdown.

He deftly aligns the aircraft (he is clearly accomplished this earlier than), however at simply 30ft above the runway applies thrust and pulls again for a ‘go round’ – as he needs to point out me the escape path to the best.

‘It is a unusual airfield in that you need to transfer with precision laterally to maintain your self protected,’ says Captain Lynch.

We fly up the slender valley, which then opens up fairly considerably.

Right here there’s room to show round and land from the wrong way.

Which is now my job.

Slight gulp.

I take over guide management at 180 knots (207mph) and make a schoolboy error straightaway – I feel I am controlling the inexperienced steerage strains on the first flight show in entrance of me, when in precise reality I needs to be utilizing the sidestick (which controls the motion of the plane) to nudge slightly sq. within the show that represents the ‘nostril’ of the aircraft in the direction of the place they intersect, to steer the aircraft alongside the method trajectory.

Toga celebration: Ted units off down the runway at Innsbruck at most energy

Captain Lynch patiently corrects me till the warning alarms indicating I am off-course cease sounding.

We are available at a four-degree angle – in comparison with three levels for an everyday airport – with Captain Lynch explaining that simply above the tarmac he’ll say ‘flare’. At that second I need to pull again on the sidestick about an inch and shut the thrust levers.

Then I am going to steer the aircraft on the runway utilizing the rudder pedals. Braking? The autobrakes are engaged, in order that’s one much less job.

Sounds simple, proper?

It is not.

I am rolling the aircraft too far to the left and proper on the method and I can see Captain Lynch correcting this out of the nook of my eye.

‘Left a bit, ahead a bit, push ahead, little bit of proper enter, nearly there, roll left a bit… you are within the slot, ‘says Captain Lynch.

‘100, fifty… ‘ says the radio altimeter.

‘Flare,’ says Captain Lynch.

I pull again on the sidestick nevertheless it’s not essentially the most sleek of touchdowns – two heavy thuds observe as the principle touchdown gear hits the tarmac, adopted by the entrance wheels.

Oops.

‘We made it,’ says Captain Lynch, diplomatically.

A British Airways plane at Innsbruck Airport, which is surrounded by 9,000ft mountains

Earlier than heading to Madeira I carry out an Innsbruck take-off, which I discover a bit extra easy.

Captain Lynch explains that in actual life it is a captains-only operation partly as a result of within the occasion of an engine failure the aircraft must be positioned near the valley wall to the left to yield a large enough radius to show round and get out.

I am not given this complication to deal with.

My process is to push the thrust levers all the way in which to most as it is a full-power take-off right here (identified within the commerce as a toga take-off, toga standing for ‘take-off/go round’ thrust), steer the aircraft utilizing the rudder pedals then pull again on the sidestick when Captain Lynch says ‘rotate’.

All goes in keeping with plan and it is off to the North Atlantic Ocean we go.

MADEIRA

Planes touchdown and taking off at Madeira Airport cannot fly straight out and in due to rocky promontories at both finish of the runway. Image courtesy of Inventive Commons

Captain Lynch exhibits Ted the flight plan for a Madeira departure

The sim A320 is reset for me to carry out a take-off at Madeira Airport (often known as Funchal Airport and the Cristiano Ronaldo Worldwide Airport), a process that in actual life a roster of 25 BA captains can carry out.

Similar to Innsbruck, it is a full-power affair – thrust levers to full, steer with the rudder pedals, pull again upon listening to ‘rotate’ and it is up, up and away, with the promontory on the finish that means we flip instantly out to sea.

I am positively getting the hold of the take-offs.

The landings right here, nevertheless, are layered with much more challenges.

For example, the aforementioned wind that may buffet planes as they close to the runway would not have to be very sturdy to have an effect on their stability, explains Captain Lynch.

At Madeira Airport (often known as Funchal Airport) planes might be buffeted by tempestuous gusts within the moments earlier than they contact down

Captain Lynch exhibits Ted a ‘wind limitation’ chart that the crew use for Funchal operations

Captain Lynch expertly banks the A320 round to line it as much as the runway at Madeira Airport

Ted brings the A320 in for a touchdown at Madeira Airport

He reveals: ‘Funchal shouldn’t be as procedurally complicated as Innsbruck, however flying into Heathrow we might land with winds of as much as 38 knots (43mph) throughout the runway. Right here we’re restricted to fifteen/20/25 knots (17 to 28mph). These can be pretty regular wherever else. And you need to work out what the wind patterns are.’

Captain Lynch exhibits me a ‘wind limitation’ chart that the crew use for Funchal operations. This means how the utmost wind speeds the aircraft can fly in change relying on the angle of the wind.

Then there’s the method, which is spectacular.

Ted’s teacher: Ross Lynch, a British Airways A320 Coaching Requirements Captain

We fly parallel to the runway at 1,140ft earlier than swooping round in a U-turn and lining up simply 1,000ft or so above the tarmac.

Captain Lynch exhibits me the way it’s accomplished, earlier than letting me carry the aircraft down – this time a bit extra easily.

It has been an interesting, eye-opening expertise – and reassuring to see how completely nothing is left to probability.

Fancy being a British Airways pilot? Go to the International Studying Academy web site – www.britishairways.com/en-gb/baft.