From the archive record
Crossing over from Nepalese airspace into Bhutanese air space across Sikkim, India, with the distance peaks of western Bhutan looming large in the distance. Agricultural fields on the steep-ish slopes around Paro give way to rice fields and quaint Bhutanese architecture as one speeds into the Paro valley for landing at Bhutan's only airport. The plane's brakes are strained to the maximum as the plane needs to decelerate on a relatively short runway after having laboured down from far higher altitudes within a very short period of decent. The descent into Paro airport in Bhutan is a precipitous affair for any pilot - he or she has to suddenly negotiate a steep descent into the relatively narrow valley, dropping altitude rapidly after crossing the steep ridges before. In the distance, one ca