737NGX To Paro, Bhutan

[ALF1 15]

I just bought this challenging airport and have had a lot of fun over the weekend making the difficult approach into RWY 15. Here is a quick idea for those interested, I know our Alaska Airlines jocks will be challenged by this approach, and I bet that an RNP could be easily developed for fun in the sim.

 

Do a flight from VEBD passing over BBD VOR climbing to 16,000 direct TAKTI, cross TAKTI at 16,000 and 240 KIAS, then direct PRO VOR on the 180 radial. Cross PRO at 13,500 and 180 KIAS, track the PRO 328 radial outbound and use the PR NDB to home in to the airport. Cross over the airport and decide if a visual is feasible. After crossing the NDB.................you will have to do your homework and see what happens.

[NM5K 1]

I like doing that one.. Good practice for doing a descending turn. As far as the gear, I fly it Airbus style and drop

the gear when flying towards the gorge.  The Airbus has to drop them at that time, or they will have a bank angle

restriction if not in landing cfg. In theory the 737 can wait until the rollout to the river, but I can't stand the gear

warning horn going off due to landing flaps set, and drop them early at the same time an Airbus would. 

I descend to 12500 at 1 DME, and 11500 at 5 DME. I'll usually be almost down to 11500 before the left turn to the gorge.

11500 until the descending turn, and you want to roll out on the river at about 9500. 

Good wholesome entertainment for the whole family. 

I've made three or four videos going there.. The last I made was in August. I'm using freeware Paro, and wanted to

see how it looked with FTX Global and Vector. Came out fairly decent I thought as far as the textures.

And the scenery at VEBD looked fairly good too. That flight "VEBD to VQPR" is one that DrukAir does with the A319's.

It was raining and I landed pretty firm..    I might have been a wee bit high when passing over the temples.  

These are not any kind of tutorial or anything.. Just for the entertainment value. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2J_H-Qjp7E&feature=youtu.be

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ExNusquam 11]

The real fun is flying the EO profiles that Boeing demonstrated to Druk air. That's a challenge.

 

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_23/737-700Bhutan_story.html

[ALF1 15]

Thanks for posting the addons guys, both of you, very interesting.

 

Mark, nice approach. You should put another title in the video so it is easy to find on youtube doing a search, you'll get more views. If it were not for you posting the link here, I would have never seen it. Consider buying the airport.

[NM5K 1]

I have all my videos unlisted. What improvement does the pay version offer vs the free version I'm using?

I looked at one that came out not too long ago, may be the one you bought, and except for a few extra

eye candy objects, I didn't see a whole lot of difference. How does the terrain compare? That's probably

what I'm most concerned about, and the runway and it's placement in it's "bowl" so to speak.. The version I'm

using now does use custom mesh for the area.

Another fun airport for the 737 is Toncontin. I've been using the Latin VFR scenery for it.

[kevinh 409]

It's an interesting approach for sure. Putting the gear down does not change the bank angle limits in an Airbus. However there is no reason to delay gear extension in either a Boeing or an Airbus. Whenever I fly tricky approaches like this I prefer to get configured well ahead of time rather than attempting to limit drag and noise as you might on a straightforward approach.

[ALF1 15]

Definitely agree. In fact, I go to flaps 25 and lower airspeed through the turn and use only 25 degrees bank angle. Its the prudent thing to do with 160 KIAS or slightly below. You have to lose 2,000 ft in the turn so it is pretty much ok for standard rate. After you roll out, you are so busy with the ground reference maneuvers like you say that there is barely time for flaps 40 and Vref and checklist.

 

Mark, I will post some screenshots as soon as I have some time. From what I can see, there is not much difference in the terrain. You can see the huge temple at the end of the river when you are nearing the first ridge for easy referencing, but you already have the river in the right place and the terrain too.

[NM5K 1]

It's an interesting approach for sure. Putting the gear down does not change the bank angle limits in an Airbus. However there is no reason to delay gear extension in either a Boeing or an Airbus. Whenever I fly tricky approaches like this I prefer to get configured well ahead of time rather than attempting to limit drag and noise as you might on a straightforward approach.

 

As far as the bank angle, I got that from a guy that did a video for Paro. He claimed that the 319 could'nt use it's max bank

angle for the descending turn unless the plane was in landing config with gear down. 

Being I don't fly the artificial Airbii, myself, I wouldn't have a clue if that is true or not.

[kevinh 409]

As far as the bank angle, I got that from a guy that did a video for Paro. He claimed that the 319 could'nt use it's max bank

angle for the descending turn unless the plane was in landing config with gear down. 

Being I don't fly the artificial Airbii, myself, I wouldn't have a clue if that is true or not.

A real life video or an FSX video? I don't know of any reason why having the gear up limits max bank angle, in the real Airbus or an FSX sim. FBW bank angle limits are the same regardless of configuration. I suppose there might be an operational limit, but I think having the gear down in good time is best anyway. More drag to help control speed in the descent. Also being configured allows a slower speed and reduced turning radius for the same bank angle.

 

The videos of the landing on 15 I've seen have the gear being extended while over the runway on the reciprocal course.

[ALF1 15]

Right, they lower the gear over PR NDB (airport), turn left along the mountain slopes at 160 kts or below, so I have my gear down, flaps 15, and speed brake armed, descending to 11,500.

[NM5K 1]

A real life video or an FSX video? I don't know of any reason why having the gear up limits max bank angle, in the real Airbus or an FSX sim. FBW bank angle limits are the same regardless of configuration. I suppose there might be an operational limit, but I think having the gear down in good time is best anyway. More drag to help control speed in the descent. Also being configured allows a slower speed and reduced turning radius for the same bank angle.

 

The videos of the landing on 15 I've seen have the gear being extended while over the runway on the reciprocal course.

 

His video was a Paro tutorial for FSX, but his comment about the gear was about real world.  He was using a 737 for his demo.

I'd have to go back and watch again just to make sure that's what he said..

I tried landing the 800 there just as a challange, which I managed to pull off, and the extra drag from the gear sure helped with

that plane and it's higher speeds.  The lower speeds with the 600 make it a good bit easier. But even with the 800, I didn't drop

gear until alongside the mountain, heading for the gorge. Of course, the 700 was used by Boeing for their demos.

[kevinh 409]

His video was a Paro tutorial for FSX, but his comment about the gear was about real world. He was using a 737 for his demo.

I'd have to go back and watch again just to make sure that's what he said..

I tried landing the 800 there just as a challange, which I managed to pull off, and the extra drag from the gear sure helped with

that plane and it's higher speeds. The lower speeds with the 600 make it a good bit easier. But even with the 800, I didn't drop

gear until alongside the mountain, heading for the gorge. Of course, the 700 was used by Boeing for their demos.

That just goes to show that FSX tutorial videos often include misleading information. Maybe he assumed dropping the gear before descent was an Airbus limitation when in fact it's simply the recommended procedure for any aircraft on the approach.