New York woman reveals cockpit landing footage at airport so challenging few commercial pilots are allowed there
Published on Jul 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM (UTC+4)
by Grace Donohoe
Last updated on Jul 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This New York woman revealed cockpit landing footage at a runway so challenging that very few commercial pilots are allowed to land there – welcome to Paro airport.
Paro Airport, located in Bhutan, is surrounded by the Himalayas, making the runway one of the most challenging in the world.
In fact, only a select number of pilots are allowed to land there under a strict set of guidelines.
But be warned, when you see the surroundings, your stomach may drop.
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This woman shared cockpit footage at a challenging airport
When taking a trip overseas, the bit that most people dread is the takeoff and landing at the airport, even on a calm, spacious runway.
Enter Paro Airport, an airspace with breathtaking, but dangerous, surroundings.
Located in Bhutan, the airport is so challenging that only a handful of select pilots are actually allowed to land a plane there, and it’s not hard to see why it requires a high level of skill.
One travel content creator shared exciting cockpit landing footage that showed just how nerve-wracking the experience is from both passengers and pilots.
Creator elona shared how close to the Himalayan mountains the plane gets, and it may make your stomach drop.
She noted in the caption of the video that ‘there’s no radar guidance, no instrument landing system, and no straight-in approach.’
Which means that planes are flown manually and use visual references to descend into the mountainous area.
The airport is surrounded by 18,000 ft, and flights to and from Paro only happen during daylight hours and are allowed ‘under visual meteorological conditions.’
Plus, it was actually the only airport in Bhutan until 2011.
“The aircraft goes through a series of high-banked descending turns, and the final turn happens just seconds before aligning with the runway, which only becomes visible in the last few hundred feet,” she explained.
Paro isn’t the only airport that has provided scary cockpit landing footage
Thanks to Earth’s many high and low peaks, some airports have tricky terrain for pilots to contend with.
In fact, Madeira Airport’s runway is also incredibly challenging to land at. One airport spotter even managed to capture a very rare view of a huge Airbus landing on the ocean.
But, that isn’t all.
Courchevel airport is one of the world’s most dangerous landing spots, located on the edge of a ski slope. Thanks to some serious concentration skills, one pilot managed to tackle the landing with ease.
For now, though, enjoy Elona’s footage of Paro airport below, and try not to watch through your hands.
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