CYVR to KSFO
Another airfield constrained by numerous other nearby airports, SFO is famous for its parallel approaches. Most large airports have pairs of runways facing the same direction. Normally one is used for takeoff and one for landing. At SFO, however, things are done slightly differently. To maximise the number of aircraft that can land in a space of time, simultaneous parallel approaches are conducted. This means that two aircraft can make an approach, almost side by side, with a distance of just 750 feet between them. In order to do this, the two aircraft fly slightly different approaches. The aircraft to the south (the one from which the video is filmed below) flies a normal straight in approach. The aircraft to the north flies a slightly angled in approach, just behind the other aircraft. As the trailing aircraft nears the runway, it must have visual contact with the leading aircraft by a certain point. If it achieves this, it is then clear to turn a few degrees to the right and line up with their runway to land. If at any point the minimum lateral distance between the two aircraft is compromised, the ATC will instruct the aircraft to go-around to ensure that safety is not compromised. This is a leg of 696 nm (1,289 km) from Vancouver International Airport (YVR/CYVR) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO/KSFO) .