Worst/Best Airports

Polar742 said:
6) Mackinac Island MI
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Mackinac is BEAUTIFUL to fly into...absolutely loved it!

Other good GA airports:
Dauphin Island, AL (4R9)...surrounded by water on 3 sides...and nothing there but tie downs and a brisk walk to the beach.
Cedar Key, FL (KCDK)...short runway (2355ft) and water at both ends, not for those who are used to 5000ft+ runways.
St. George Island, FL (F47)...nice approach over the water and a shorter runway (3300ft).
Merritt Island (KCOI)...coming off the water as you approach from the east....does it get any better? Esp at sunset?
 
Screaming_Emu said:
I also hate ORD with a passion. That place was designed drunk in a bar on the back of a napkin. Combine the fact that it's often so busy they don't allow you to read back clearances it's no wonder they have so many runway incursions.
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jdlilfan said:
ORD has to be the worst to deal with. Random runway configs, weird taxi routes, congested ground freqs, busy alleys, and bad at dealing with weather. The controllers do a great job with what they have though.
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You guys definitely aren't based there and don't go in there very often. After about a week of flying in and out of there, it may look like chaos, but it makes absolutely, perfect sense. Everything around the terminals moves in a circle. If they're busy, don't read anything back, just pull out of the alley and go. And as stated before, follow 3 simple rules for ORD:
1. Don't cross an active runway.
2. Don't hit anything.
3. For God's sake, whatever you do, DON'T STOP! EVER!!
 
ERfly said:
You guys definitely aren't based there and don't go in there very often. After about a week of flying in and out of there, it may look like chaos, but it makes absolutely, perfect sense. Everything around the terminals moves in a circle. If they're busy, don't read anything back, just pull out of the alley and go. And as stated before, follow 3 simple rules for ORD:
1. Don't cross an active runway.
2. Don't hit anything.
3. For God's sake, whatever you do, DON'T STOP! EVER!!
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Those three "rules" are exactly why I dont like it. Giving up on how things should be done for the sake of efficiency sounds like a pretty stupid idea to me. That's like saying "crap we are next in line for departure...I guess we don't have time for the before takeoff check"

This is very similar to the "you are always cleared to land" myth in ATL. Sure you might get away with it, but if things go wrong it'll still be your ass. I'm not going to be rushed because airlines schedule too many flights into an airport that has runway layouts like pickup sticks. When we are ready, and can do things correctly, we will go. Even if it means pissing off a controller and hanging out in the penalty box.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Just had the pleasure of buzzing, errr, staying well clear of Navy traffic over one 2 weeks ago (tower asked me to square my base over it for the visual!)
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Polar742 said:
3) EYW - Visual to 9 in the evening with a cruise ship docked downtown....
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Like this?

53149549.jpg
 
BobDDuck said:
As much as I am desperately trying to leave the world of regional hell, I am slightly worried that doing STARS to 10 mile finals every single day is going to drive me crazy. There is something to be said for being left at FL250 40 miles from the airport and being cleared for a visual approach from there (I'm looking at you Mobile...)
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Technically, it's every other day if you get both legs. But the chances of that, unless you're national strike chair, are slim to none.

Still as programmed as European flying is, I really have no psychological desire to go back to hub flying, aircraft swaps, massive amounts of MEL's and dealing with the Clampetts.

Or short layovers.
 
I like flying the following approachs:

BOS ILS 15R cricle to 4L with restriction(not cross harbor)
DCA river visual 19 and land on 15. or DCA visual 33 while you are following another river
LGA ILS 22 circle 13
BTV
 
adreamer said:
I like flying the following approachs:

BOS ILS 15R cricle to 4L with restriction(not cross harbor)
DCA river visual 19 and land on 15. or DCA visual 33 while you are following another river
LGA ILS 22 circle 13
BTV
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Lots of votes for BTV here... Cute town, but I don't recall it being that memorable. KSLK on the other side of the lake however-
 
BobDDuck said:
Traffic, flow times, traffic, high landing and fuel fees, annoying arrival and departure procedures, traffic.

My list:

Worst
-AVP (they CAN NOT manage traffic at all... ever.)
-ABE (on weekends it is a nightmare trying to fit a jet into the cessna pattern)
-BHM (the TSA and I have had an ongoing battle for 4 years)

BEST
-Philly (LOT'S of food options during long sits)
-DCA (tower people love having us come up and bother them)
-BTV tied with PWM (for the prettiest approaches)
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Love the overnight but when you are trying to get back to EWR in the middle of the afternoon... Yeah they suck... It is also a training base for the smaller approach centers around the area. Not that thats a problem until the guy training doesn't realize that a 50knt wind across the ils course WILL change the vector you need to give for intercept... and when coupled with the fact the airport is 700' down in a valley you can kill someone...
 
jdlilfan said:
I am based there and usually do out and back flying nearly everyday. I'm just not a big fan of the place.
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I try to do Denver and Dulles flying as much as possible. I'm fine with the controllers, it's the fox alleyway and the ramp controllers in there that makes my head explode. What's his name, the inept guy, will load like 5 airplanes onto the east line and then wonder why nobody can push and why it's a giant mess, then he'll transition people to the west line, and then nobody on that side of the alley can push.

Basically he's an idiot.
 
I'm pretty sure that dude is married to the C gate ramp chick at ORD.

Cleared us in, then pushed company right in front of us. Off to the penalty box.
A day later: we pushed, over to metering, company pushed right in front of us. To make it better, we were blocking the C line out.
 
Another GA airport is fun to fly into is L35, Big Bear. Flying next to the ski resorts is pretty awesome.
 
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