* * * * * Flag of Belgium Back to my first international flight for SIA, after two delightful nights in Zürich (remember I was brand-new to Switzerland), we then launched for Brussels, Belgium, on 27th August 1987. After a short one hour and six-minute flight, we arrived at Brussels National Airport ( Brussel- Zaventem ) situated 6.9 miles northeast of the city. I found Brussels to be a modern, well laid out airport with three long runways, each possessing an ILS, able to handle 747s. The taxiways were equally well planned, allowing us to easily locate our parking gate. In short, from a pilot’s perspective, Brussels was a pleasant international airport to get in and out of. Unlike the nightmare o...