Difficult Airports

[sweptback]

This thred would be even nice if people would not just use the identifier because I am sure a lot of people like me don't know all of those. And I don't feel like banging it into some website somewhere. Lazy me.

Sorry, if you're a pilot, you'll deal with the airport codes. It kind of comes with the job.

 

[24 carat]

Sweptback, fair point. But you will have to admit that when I would be discussing the great airports of JNB, T67, VGT, MLE and ACE, you too might not know exactly where they are. Would it not be more helpful for everybody to just mention the airport as well? Or is this the equivalent of a secret handshake?

Anyway, didn't mean to hijack this thred. I enjoy it.

 

[amaineiac]

I'll agree that HPN sucks, but PHL is the absolute worst. Those controllers are the worst group I've ever come across. Stevie wonder with a case of laryngitis could do a better job.

 

[FlyingFish]

Herrera Intl (MDHE) Santo Domingo Dominican Republic...difficult because they point guns in your face when you dont pay the landing fee.

 

[FLYnMONKEYS]

Telluride....KTEX

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KTEX

I'll take LGA any day.

 

[labbats]

All good stuff, hope to fly into the likes of Chicago O'Hare one day in my C-152

This thred would be even nicer if people would not use only the identifier because I am sure a lot of people, like me, don't know all of those. And I don't feel like banging it into some website somewhere. Lazy me.

Use www.airnav.com to put in any identifier and see the airport.

 

[Say Again Over]

Never been to Telluride but it looks scary from my altitude, see it on the trans-con.

 

[XTW]

TEX isn't bad. Wide open departing to the west. You can get a bit of a bumpy ride in and out though.

X

 

[Gorilla]

Guatemala City when the weather is down. Roller-coaster runway, slippery, bumpy final due to winds off the mountains, volcanos, etc etc. Any of the ski resort airports demand respect. ORD - great operation there, I have respect for the excellent controllers. LGA - can be a PITA in the winter, but overall not too bad. The SOCAL airports, dense traffic with GA airplanes... nothing against those guys, but the pattern and final approach speeds don't mix well.

 

[Caveman]

HPN is my least favorite, followed closely by SCE. Nothing against the GA guys, but airliners and 172's just don't mix well at uncontrolled airports. Flying in and out of JFK/LGA/ATL/ORD in bad WX isn't a big deal for me, but SCE on a VFR weekend stresses me out. I'm not crazy about HVN or ISP on a sunny afternoon either but at least they have operating control towers.

 

[hawkercpt]

Telluride....KTEX

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KTEX

I'll take LGA any day.

Definately followed by ASE...

then CGF. (corporate HQ)

 

[Lrjtcaptain]

Well, SFO has the most delays and G.S. EDCTs.... etc....its always foggy but most common CFR are LAX, LAS, EWR, HPN, TEB, ....most of the NE when its snowing cause its a choke point system which screws up the NAS......I gots to go with SFO when its fogged in and the bay is on the SE plan I.E. SJC landing southeast, oakland on 11, and SFO landing 19 departing 10. That is a serious slow down of the bay.

 

[B314Clipper]

What about Dulles, IAD? I dealt with that airport for almost eight years with ACA/IDE. I was very happy to be based in ORD for two years just to get away from that place. ORD and LGA at least have excuses for their delays, namely traffic and crossing runways. IAD just recently got busy and has a very wide open runway lay out. Yet, they still slow everyone down and send you on traffic patterns by way of Manassas and Maryland. You'll look as you pass the airport and see that they are only using one of their parallels, 1R/L. And all departures have to go off of 30. There would often be a huge line for takeoff and everybody had to wait for one runway. Compare that to ORD where they would be launching and recovering aircraft every 30 seconds. Dulles is the only airport where I've heard the ground controller tell everyone on frequency to stop and hold position. The last time I heard this, there were only five airplanes on the ground. Keep in mind all of this happened at an international 121 airport for our capital city. I will admit it was getting better at the end, but they didn't have anywhere to go but up.

I also agree with HPN, hated flying into that place.

 

[Draginass]

Quito, Equador. 9300' PA, high terrain all around the airport. Poor weather much of the time. Complex approach necessitated by terrain, then having to abandon the glideslope close-in to land in the touchdown zone, high TAS on approach, then trying to get stopped without hot brakes.

 

[EagleRJ]

I would agree on HPN. The rich folks deserve every minute they have to sit on the ground waiting for EDCT, a gate, or deice. If they want airline service, but don't want to expand their GA-size airport with its tiny terminal, then they'll have to endure some delays.

As for airports where GA and airline traffic mix, the absolute worst (of the controlled fields at least) is SBP. The airport is in a long valley that concentrates all of the inbound and outbound traffic along one route, and there is one Local controller there who is completely helpless when working aircraft with widely differing groundspeeds