Dave J writes:

It's bad form to follow up one's own post, but I thought I would
mention that the first film (Airport) ends with a PAR approach. It
might be worth it to rent and fast-forward just to see that. I've
practiced one in my life with a very bored controller at Travis AFB,
if I remember correctly, but it went like the movie, except the
controller gave me relative turns (left 5 degree, right 5 degrees) not
bearings (left to 285) like in the movie.

I've never figured out why the pilots ask for a PAR approach in that movie. I
guess the only reason is that it makes for more action and dialogue on screen.
The damage to the aircraft was towards the rear, so all the avionics would be
intact.

One odd thing is that the movie shows the vor/glidescope head as they
fly the approach, so it looks like they had a working ILS. That could
have been movie stupidity, or it could have just been an example of
good ADM -- using all available resources.

I think that following the needles on the ILS silently would not have been as
dramatic.

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