---
title: "Watch a C-130 pilot’s terrifying view of a combat landing"
date: "2018-03-31"
modified: "2020-10-21"
authors:
  - name: "Paul Szoldra"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/paul.md"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/intel/c130-combat-land-sarajevo-approach/"
categories:
  - "Air Force"
  - "Aircraft"
  - "History"
  - "Tactical"
---

# Watch a C-130 pilot’s terrifying view of a combat landing

![](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/17289119/origin.png>)

Sometimes landing a plane looks much different than a smooth glide in until the wheels touch down.

---

During a "combat landing" that U.S. pilots perfected in Vietnam, the plane basically nose-dived in at a high-rate of speed and pulled up at the last second. The maneuver helped them avoid enemy fire. Now, it's known as the "Sarajevo Approach" — so named for a similar landing pilots had to make in the war-torn nation of Bosnia so they could avoid missile strikes, [according](<https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13690262.html>) to Der Spiegel.

It sounds pretty terrifying, and it looks that way from the ground. But seeing it from the pilot's perspective is even worse. In a video posted to the Facebook page Airplane, we get a sense of what one of these approaches looks like, which takes only about 30 seconds:

**Watch**:

// !\[CDATA\[/pp(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)\[0\]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en\_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1#038;version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));/pp// \]\]

> The 30-second Sarajevo Approach - filmed from the jumpseat of a C130. Remarka...

> Posted by [Airplane](<https://www.facebook.com/Airplane9>) on Tuesday, June 2, 2015

**And here's what it would look like from the ground (although this isn't the same plane as the video above)**:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNQRGOgHrZU

### NOW WATCH: [ISIS fighter with a GoPro camera films himself getting shot](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/intel/isis-fighter-gopro.md>)

## Author
After serving nearly a decade in the U.S. Marines, Paul created [Duffel Blog](<https://www.duffelblog.com>), a site often called "The Onion of the military." Before joining WATM, he reported on defense, tech, and breaking news as the west coast editor for Business Insider. You can learn more [at his website.](<https://www.paulszoldra.com>)

## More

- [A new Civil War film tells the true story of the southerner who seceded from the Confederacy](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/free-state-of-jones.md>)
- [This video shows why quadruple-amputee Travis Mills is an inspiration to all](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/intel/travis-mills-video.md>)
- [Here’s what it looks like when paratroopers jump out of a helicopter](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/intel/paratrooper-airborne-helicopter-jump.md>)
- [This is how pilots pull off insane combat landings](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/pilots-insane-combat-landings.md>)
- [This American-built King Cobra was passed on to the Russians](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/bell-p-63-kingcobra-soviet.md>)
- [The last C-130 out of Vietnam](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/the-last-c-130-out-of-vietnam.md>)
- [Watch crazy Australians fly a C-17 between city buildings](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/crazy-australians-fly-c17.md>)
- [This pilot landed her shot-up A-10 by pulling cables](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/veterans/this-pilot-landed-her-shot-up-a-10-by-pulling-cables.md>)