Samos is the island airport with the most notorious landing approaches in Greece. It involves pure “stick n’ rudder” demanding hand-type of flying in between mountains, without navigation instruments guidance, moderate or higher turbulence due to terrain, the FIR border just on the airport’s pattern and tight turns short before lining up for last stage of final approach to land.
“I have operated for years into some really demanding airports such as Gibraltar, Innsbruck, Madeira, La Palma. But Samos approaches are still at the top of my list as the most challenging and exciting!" - Giorgio La Pira, A380 Pilot (formerly A320 Examiner)