"The main factor that makes the airport in Greenland so dangerous is that practically no pilots can pronounce its name, making it impossible to ask for directions to it."

The video he’s reviewing really loves to exaggerate. You could say this about almost anything. “This is a 1997 Toyota Corolla. It’s over a ton of metal and machine with an engine capable of producing over a hundred horse power that can bring this vehicle to speeds of up to 170 km/hour. At these speeds, soft flesh would be ripped to shreds if hit by this powerhouse. Because of this, pedestrians need to keep a sharp eye when crossing the street, or risk being turned into Swiss cheese.”

"Is it possible for a plane to land SO hard that it collapses the columns?" That is called a "crash"

This happens all the time. You can say “ horses are massive beasts capable of killing you in an instant” vs horses in real life : “look hooman! I made a mess of my bed! Is u proud?”

Any runway actually "built" by engineers would be truly terrifying. That's why _contractors_ build what engineers design. ;P

"a busload of victorias secret models showing up at one of my pool partys is definitely possible." he said with much hope in his heart.

Most of these are just: "If something that dozens of people are working round the clock to prevent would happen, then potentially something bad would result from that." It' kind of like saying "This operation is very dangerous, because if the entire team of surgeons would just leave mid operation, you might die."

"The runway is covered in slick ice" This is wrong and is actually less interesting than the truth: The runway is made of ice. There is no asphalt underneath. The runway at McMurdo is just a rectangular zone on the ice that they keep clear (and plow and flatten with machines).

Love that the video narrator said that runway on pylons was “one of the only runways designed *by engineers*” As opposed to regular runways that are built by… goldfish?

Kelsey seizing every opportunity to convey he's single, in the video 🤣🤣

I like how Kelsey switches between amused and confused, seems like a great guy. The column runway comments were my favourite...

Video: “only the best of the best can land at this airport” Kelsey: and I took that personally

Let’s also talk about how Madeira “is the only runway built by engineers”…. Uhhhh I guarantee every runway ever made with concrete or asphalt was made by engineers.

6:42 "A real pilot could have come up with 10 airports that could be dangerous." I want to see Kelsey make this video, it would be awesome!

Fun fact: Im turkish and I come to turkey every 2-3 years and I saw that a plane skid off the runway in Trabzon airport which is the plane in the thumbnail, and I live in trabzon. and Im in Trabzon as of right now. Every time I go somewhere called Koy which is like house in mountains, I see a junkyard with that same plane.

I've flown in/out of Gibraltar as a passenger and walked across the runway. There are actually armed police officers guarding the barriers. It is a pretty awesome spectacle to watch a plane land, but the chance of anybody getting on the runway is probably lower than one protected only by fences. It is 'common knowledge' there, so it could be urban myth, that it is considered tricky by pilots because the Spanish don't like planes landing there flying over their territorials waters. So they come in from the south and make a steep right turn to land. It is a fun ride. The runways seems short to me as a civilian but the planes are usually taxiing by the time they reach that crossing. I have seen RAF pilots doing touch and go on it, but I'm sure they do it for the training, but perhaps just for the lolz.

"Pilot vs. Fearmonger.....comin' up!" I like it, Kelsey! It's catchy!

Based on the tone here I think you can call this series "Kelsey's had it with your bullshit"

I am afraid of flying and genuinely appreciate “pilots against aviation fear-mongering.” Thank you, Kelsey! 😘

Greetings Kelsey, love your channel, As someone who has been to Antarctica (McMurdo station) twice, and who specializes in occupational safety and specifically ground operations at Pegasus Runway (ice runway). I can assure everyone that landing on one of our ice runways is almost no different than landing on a concrete runway. Sure there are the obvious differences, but the airfield manager goes to great lengths to ensure the ice runways are compacted and monitored constantly. During the summer months (24 hours of daylight) aircraft operations are quite busy in operating the USAP (United Sates Antarctica Program). During the winter months, (24 hours of darkness) aircraft operations are reduced almost to zero, due to the extreme low temperatures. Therefore there is little need for night vision protocols in aircraft operations. Though if needed, the fine USAF and Air National Guard personnel are well trained in night-vision operations.

This might have been Kelsey's thirstiest video: Hot scientist in Antartica, and Victoria's Secret models at his pool party....

Off-topic question: I was a lightning protection tester for the 777X program prior to the COVID layoffs, and I'd love to see a video about all the tech we worked into the planes in order to ensure that lightning strikes have no effect on them -- some of it is really interesting (at least to electrical nerds like me). It also might ease some peoples' fears knowing how safe they are in a plane that is struck. (For those of you who have this fear, the short version is that planes are so well-protected that most lightning strikes go completely unnoticed. If you fly regularly there's a good chance that your plane was struck and you didn't even realize it.)

In regards to Paro, that map doesn't show it but the approach to Paro is more complicated than you think. The plane has to weave through the valley and not only face strong winds but also houses scattered among it without scraping the roofs (Kai Tak much?). And you can't see Paro until the last moment. Until 2011, only one airline was allowed to fly there, Druk Air. And for international flyers heading to Bhutan, this airport is the only way in. Even Boeing themselves back in 2003 have said that Paro is one of the most difficult for takeoffs and landings. A plane could wait for hours on the runway for fog to clear

My favorite part of the story where that BA 747 had all 4 engines shut down is that the captain announced over the PA something along the lines of, “We have a small problem, all of our engines have stopped.” So very British.

Re the runway:13:38 "Without proper up-keep an accident is definitely possible." Isn't that the case at EVERY airport everywhere on earth?

Between the drama-king announcer and the overblown rhetoric, this definitely comes across as click-bait for someone desperate for views/subs. Thanks for bringing this down to earth with the truth!

'getting a little fast and loose with the term cliffs, aren't we?' sent me lmfao

I love this community and everything it represents. I'm going for it, guys! Discovery flight coming up in about a month here, and from there I'll be enrolling under the wing (not sorry) of a local instructor. I've never been more excited for anything in my entire life. I hope to continue to post updates about my journey, and I hope it can inspire anyone who's interested in any field to just go for it! Thank you to everyone who's ever posted something positive and motivational here, and special thanks to Kelsey of course for reminding me of a dream I lost a decade ago and found again. Cheers!

I like your comments on the fear mongering video, but I have a different view on Paro. I have landed at Paro myself during 2013 as part of an around-the-world flight in my Silver Eagle (a P210 with turbine conversion). While this was not overly challenging for a small SE aircraft, I have the greatest respect for the guys flying A319s into that airport. The issue is not the altitude difference on the approach, but the fact that terrain does not allow for instrument approaches, like ILS, RNAV or other. The approach is entirely VFR and VERY close to mountains while descending and following the turns of a valley. KZfaq videos reveal that on an A319 you will see the runway for the first time 20 seconds before touchdown. And yes, you would not want to depart until you had good visibility towards the mountain tops unless you're happy to rely on your GPWS (terrain warning) to get you out of the valley. Landing a B747 there? Good luck!

The scary part about LAX, is when you get on the 405FWY, right by the airport, full of West LA drivers, who are texting, and not paying attention to the road !

12:50 don't you remember that air canada flight that almost landed on a taxiway? ATC: "you were a little left of the centerline there" pilot: "i know, and my co-pilot was a little right of the centerline."

As soon as I heard the narrator emphasize the height of the mountains, I knew there would be some serious horse manure to follow. The altitude of the peak and the prominence from the surrounding landscape are two different things.

A lot of flying depends on where you started to fly. I started back in1990 at Salida, CO, elev. 7582. At that elevation you flew a C172 as if it were a glider. as you looked for orographic lift to aid in gaining altitude. I was regularly flying “dangerous” mountain passes that most pilots don’t fly. What was weird for me was my first trip to Colorado Springs (COS) and experiencing the thicker air than what I was used to. It’s all about the training.

"Only 8 pilots in the world can land here". That's cool, but really means nothing wothout the amount of airtraffic that airport gets. If there were, just as an example, three planes landing and taking off there per week, that would mean having 8 pilots qualified to do so would probably simply be enough. No need to waste training for an airport hardly anyone ever flies to.

*in British accent* "Mayday Mayday Mayday! This is Speedbird 9. We've lost all FOUR engines" That episode where the volcanic ash played merry merry havoc with a planes engines is just absolutely terrifying and thrilling to watch. It's up there as one of the great saves like Sully on the Hudson. Thank you for your videos, Kelsey. They are so eye-opening and give me a greater appreciation of what is involved in the flying world. I can't get enough. Bravo!

I flew in and out of Paro in the early 90's and it was . . . interesting. At the time they didn't have instruments so it was VFR when you got to Paro. On the inbound they held us at Calcutta until they got the all clear (it was monsoon season), and on the outbound the morning mist in the Himalayas hides the mountain tops. We had to board at 6:30AM for the only scheduled flight of the day, the pilot taxied to the middle of the runway, turned the plane 90 degrees to be perpendicular to the axis of the runway, and shut down the engines, explaining that we would only go when he could see the mountains clearly at both ends of the valley. We sat there almost three hours, the clouds parted, and off we went. The pilot had to climb, make a turn at the end of the valley, and then climb some more on a second pass to clear the mountains. The flight did come with a breathtaking views of both Mt. Everest and K2 on our way to Kathmandu. The pilot both ways was an older American that looked like he had been flying around Asia since the days of Air America, just the kind of guy you want in the left seat of a BA-146.

I was a SkyWest (Mountain Region) Captain for a year into Aspen on the CRJ 700. We completed sim training, six observations from the jumpseat, six flown legs, and a line check. The missed approach inside the FAF was called " the emergency extraction maneuver" and was practiced from 100 feet on a go-around, single engine. Most people hit the mountain on their first attempt. The missed approach uses a B/C localizer to get out of the valley. The crews really work together on the approach since the CA calls out any changes to the autopilot (" give me 1500 fpm" or "set 5000") and just keeps his eyes on the instruments. The flying is rewarding. The passengers are worth avoiding.

Dude you're hilariously awesome. Is it definitely possible for Victoria's secret models to end up at one of your pool parties? XD I laughed so hard. I guess it's less possible now because allegedly they're getting rid of their models. That's more dangerous than all of these airports.

Madeira Airport is kinda problematic and does need special training but because of a completely different reason: sheerwinds. Those actually make landing impossible very frequently. Planes have to divert to the neighbouring island Porto Santo veeeery frequently.

The thing about McMurdo though, it's not covered in ice, it literally IS ice. They use equipment to scrape the ice level and keep it that way. It's almost like a road grader. The US Air Force has special ski equipped C-130s that they fly into there, and there are a number of BT-67s with skis that operate in and out of there as well, and De Havilland Twin Otters and many types of helicopters, and the odd C-17 too, so I don't get the whole doom and gloom in regards to that strip. They do it all the time.

Pyongyang Sunan is the safest airport in the world, safety is our number one priority when it comes to travelers Only the finest airport can be the base of the finest airline out there, Air Koryo. Where my dad's invention of the "double bread with meat" was first tested

Best part is his face at "This is one of the only airports whose runway was built by engineers."

"This is not a traditional airport, it is a place where an airplane was forced to make an emergency landing" By that definition, the Hudson River should be on the list.

Honestly, when talking about Gibraltar, the fact the didn't mention how the Rock actually can cause some highly unpredictable winds that can make landing difficult kinda discredits them having any idea what they're talking about. But then again, at worst you'd have to do a go-around or maybe divert somewhere else if it's currently too bad to land safely.

7:02 I actually genuinely appreciate the contextual humour that you specify the planes cost and the planes getting destroyed and not mentioning the cars hahahaha Cos frankly, if they are stupid enough to drive across like that…they deserve no sympathy

Pilot vs Aviation Fear Monger is excellent title, just like your channel. Im 1 of 2 generations long haul & 74 pilots, a family that began w/pre WWII Pan Am pilot; & includes almost every DOD civilian air transport assistance, contract traffic control designers, etc, but now all retired. Albeit one lobbied ferociously to extend former mandatory age 60retirement limit( w/limited success as you know). You tube didnt exist during most of our busy years, yet had it been around, we still wouldve left this to you and your talents to do this so well. Keep up the good work here and of course keep the blue side up.

I’m guessing the Colorado airport is Telluride. It’s a cool landing, as you fly into a box canyon. Aspen has so many private jets flying in and out, it feels like an international hub.

Paro actually requires a sherpa in the flight deck to assist in navigation

"Don't tell this to a flat earth person" 😂😂😂😂

Re: Aspen & Vail. You actually got them both right. Eagle Vail (my home) requires special certification to fly there per a UAL Eagle-Vail pilot I know well. Aspen OTOH ranks as one of the toughest and it wouldn’t surprise me if it needed certs too - However just given the sheer number of private flights in and out from Hollywood alone; I doubt it needs any “Aspen only” type certs. That said - as a personal note from me? I’ve only flown in and out of Aspen once on a Citation for an ad campaign / photo shoot we did there using the jet and pilots and “girls” (ahem; Kelsey! JK!) and now will only drive there due to it being a “boxed canyon”. Plus it’s safety record isn’t stellar. In percentages (I’m trying hard NOT to be a “fear monger” here!) it’s not terrible - but has had a couple of disturbing instances - the worst being a botched approach which left carnage strewn everywhere including ppl still strapped into their (now unattached) seats in the middle of HWY 6 which runs along side the runway 😢😱. [this coming from a novice PPL w/

Another nice thing about Antartica, Because the air is so cold, it is very dense. Which works in your favor as a pilot. You can slow down more before touchdown, you'll have a lower stall speed, and your thrust reversers will slow you down faster once you do touchdown.

“Only runway built by engineers” So the rest are designed by what, exactly? *looks suspiciously at my cat*

11:07 _"...built by engineers..."_ Unless when they say "engineers", we're talking about the dudes that drive _trains,_ I would say that nearly ALL airports are _designed_ with some engineering input, but I would say that engineers have not "built" ANY airports. Construction workers would be the ones who're good at that.

"Rationable" is one of the most pilot terms I've ever heard in my life.

So glad we found the only airport built by engineers. Who knows who builds those other ones.

Kelsey, you crack me up bro! I spit my cheerios out:) watching this! I always get a good laugh from your videos! I don't fly but if I did, I would want you as the pilot flying!

Video: "Definitely possible..." Kelsy: "Definitely possible for a bunch of Victoria's Secret models to end up at my pool party." I'm dead hahaha I want to get invited to one of those pool party.

I remember that flight. It was a 747-236B British Airways Flight 9 from London Heathrow to Auckland. Plane flew through volcanic ash from erupting Mt. Galunggung, West Java, Indonesia and lost all 4 engines. The pilot and whole flight crew apparently were outstanding, restarting all four engines. Thankfully, like you said, that wouldn’t happen today!

I'm from Madeira Island, and I can assure you, landing here is ABSOLUTELY terrifying.

You know, the Victoria Secret Models are just going to have to answer this challenge...

I always look forward to Sunday with 74Gear. Stay safe everyone!

Kelsey, You are such a refreshing person to watch on YT! Thank you for all you do!

Hey Kelsey, as an infrequent but enthusiastic airline passenger, I’m loving your informative take on things. Just a note in this video though. Please take a moment to check out the other Standard Approach at Madeira International. Because of the mountains (yes they are real, and steep) cause obstruction to a 3 degree glide slope, the approach is a 180 Deg gear down turn over the sea onto the runway. I know because I’ve experienced it more than once. Also due to the mountains if cross winds develop over 10 knots the runway closes then the planes stack.

So who else wants to see Kelsey do a video in his full cap and jacket? I think it would be fun to see him do it at least once.

5:40 Land a 747 at Paro ? 🤔 Kelsey : 😎 Hold my beer...

8:29 my favourite version of this fact being demonstrated was when top gear went to the North Pole… “Now I insisted that the car was fitted with these powerful spot lamps…although I think that may have been a bit of a waste as it’s currently (looks at watch) 11:30 PM…and this is as dark as it ever gets” standing in the town as if it was noon…

In or around 2006, The History Channel made a special “10 most difficult airports” (was in iTunes but has since been removed also may be dangerous not difficult ) where they went over what specifically made each airport difficult like Eagle Vail’s mountains and “escape” routes. And the reason why San Diego made it ( at their #10) was because it was a very busy airport and there was a parking structure at one end of the runway. I hope one day you get to see it

How about “KZfaq vs. reality” for the series title?

AMAZING CONTENT!! You inspired me to get into Aviation. Im learning so much from you.

I’m glad you found 13:00 funny too. It had me in stitches with the tone of his voice

10:56 LOL...you're the man Kelsey!! Love how you put things into perspective!!

Honestly, the scariest landings I've had as a passenger have been at Burbank CA. The sudden dive they pull once you get over that mountain is a little abrupt, but add some turbulence and rain and it's a bumpy ride.

There are no active volcanoes in Greenland, that is complete nonsense! Iceland has plenty, but they are not the same place.

Hey Kelsey, I love your videos! I'm surprised you don't have more subscribers. I tell everyone about your channel! My father was a caption on the 747 for Northwest for 32 years!!! Love your channel....

Just started binging your videos and damn, that coming up is the most exciting and uplifting coming up I've ever heard in my life. (Sorry for bad English)

Actually I *love* the "Pilot vs. Aviation Fear Mongers" title.

Thanks for the content Kelsey 🔥🔥

Pilot vs fearmonger is a great title for a series

Madeira Airport was really dangerous because its runway was very small and if you missed it you would fall in the water, but then they extended it twice. Three planes crashed there in the 70's. More recently on 9/11/2003 a plane crashed, and that was already with the latest extended runway. It was funny because once you landed the plane had to do a very strong break to lose all the momentum.

Call the series '"Soar"-ting Fact from Fiction' lol

Thanks Kelsey! Would love to hear about your opinion on the most difficult airports to land at (or that you've personally landed at)

I think your videos are great! I'm no pilot etc and I've learnt so much from your and others work and contributions. Thanks from Australia.

Dude, great content, keep it up! Don't forget this - '2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull'. Caused utter chaos in a large part of Europe. There were a couple of incidents with commercial and military FJ. Have never seen the London & Scottish FIRs sooooo quiet! Very eerie. Stay safe.

If this guy got ANY more adorable, I wouldn't be able to stand it!

18:09 this picture is literally CGI. It’s from LOST

I've been watching so many of your videos lately and I've got to say, you are a positive guy with a glowing attitude. Seeing you smile is a breath of fresh air apart from those who want to click bait viewers or pull them into their videos.

hahah I love the skeptical look on your face reviewing the videos while trying to hold the laugh back haha

11:08 Madeira is a beautiful island. My parents were born there.

I have always wondered how often I was on a flight and there was an emergency that got handled and we never knew about it.

Me, an Alaskan: welp, airport's down for the winter?

The only good thing about videos like the one you are Reacting to, is that we get to hear you tear it a new one. Love your work, Kelsey.

I really had a laugh watching this one, Kelsey!

Madeira airport is tricky to land on, not because the runway is built on columns but because of the strong and unpredictable cross winds and constantly changing weather, which often lead to failed approaches or flights turning around and going back to where they came from.

the skills of those narrator and scriptwriter is so great that they can easily turn any plain boring domestic airport into the most dangerous airport in the solar system.

Adak, Alaska...world's scariest airport. Why because when the pilot had to bank hard after take off (mountain in the way), 4 year olds sitting next to the window scream we're crashing we're crashing we're crashing at the top of their lungs. I am sure that if they could, many passengers wanted to chuck me out the door. Love your videos. Been binging getting my geek on.

I always believe someone when they talk to me in an over-the-top movie trailer voice.

The story with the airport of Funchal on Madeira is a little bit different from that of Trabzon: It happened indeed three crashes on this particular airport costing the lifes of a lot of people: - On March 5th, 1973, a Caravelle 10R from the Spanish Airline Aviaco (registration EC-BID) plunged into the sea before reaching the runway. All three Pilots were killed. It was a positioning flight so no other people were on board. The reason was Pilots error: they mismanaged the approach. - On November 19th, 1977, only a few month after the Tenerife desaster, a Boeing 727-200 from the flag carrier of Portugal, TAP Air Portugal (registration CS-TBR), while performing the third landing attempt after two go-arounds during bad weather and heavy rain, touched down much too late on the runway by Pilots error, who brought the plane down not recognizing that their approach was unstabilized, the plane faced then severe problems with the brakes caused by aquaplaning on the wet runway and finally overran the runway and crashed from the runway forty metres down into the cliffs. 131 people died. It is still the worst plane crash in the history of Portugal. - Only one month later, on December 18th, 1977, a Caravelle 10R of the Swiss Airline SATA (registration HB-ICK) plunged into the sea before reaching the runway by Pilots error. 36 people were killed. The wreckage of the plane was found only in 2011 (!). The investigation resulted that the Airline never trained their Pilots for this specific Airport. The authorities of Switzerland therefore removed the AOC from SATA finishing at this way its existence. When Captain Joe was still flying Airbus A 320 for Air Berlin he performed a video about this airport stating that it would be the most tricky one he ever experienced and that since that crashes by order of the regulators always the Captain has to be the Pilot Flying while approaching or departing Funchal/ Madeira. Maybe it´s possible to set a link to this video of Captain Joe.

Love your videos buddy keep it coming !!!!

I’m going to grab a 747 and try landing at the runway you first mentioned and just see how “easy” it is Kelsey!!! Lol

The plane you were talking about in Volcanic Ash was British Airways flight 9 in 1982..