Difficult Airports

[FLYnMONKEYS]

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

X

Try it in a plane with a 40 degree wing sweep!

 

[Captain4242]

ASE and EGE are tough; definetly know what you're doing before venturing in there. I've seen them both about 10 times, and I still get a litttle uptight.
TEB and PHL get my votes for most annoying, though.

 

[Fred Rogers]

I've seen a lot of LGA mentioned, but I haven't seen one mention of the reason LGA sucks. The airport is fine when the Jamaican lady isn't anywhere near the airport. She shows up and ends up with aircraft pointed nose to nose on A and B.

The Gate holds some days are pretty random.. not a cloud in the sky and we are held at the gate for an hour.. by the time we get there.. no one around. Ground can be frustrating sometimes, ESPECIALLY when the aformentioned controller is at the helm. I've heard SEVERAL "everybody be quiet" calls from her. Then someone else takes over and everything is better within 5 min. Crazy. I think it's just a whole bunch of airplanes crammed into a small space.

 

[groundpointsix]

As for BKL...if I want to leave VFR to the East...why do they put me on a hdg/alt restriction that puts me right through CGF's class D. (then CLE app doesn't want me in the Bravo and doesn't want me to talk to CGF tower either...wtf?) I only needed to do that once (after another pilot warned me ) to never go in/out of there VFR again.

-mini

Yeah, but if you go out of there IFR your initial heading is 360 and they send you 5 miles out over the lake at 1500agl, even in a 172. Pick your poison I guess.

 

[PHX767]

Yep, ASE is one of the most gawd awful places to put an airport I have seen. On arrival, it's possible to hear,"TERRAIN,TERRAIN", "TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC", and "OH JEEZ THAT WAS CLOSE" in the same 10 second time span. And on departure you jink right while climbing so as to miss the arriving traffic buzzing by under the left wing.

LGA does suck. I have been number 62 for takeoff on a cold rainy night.

Surprised nobody has mentioned BOS. Some pretty long delays there.

I find lately there is a new trend in annoying ATC controllers at some not really busy airports. The "monitor tower" phrase - then when you forget after about 10 minutes and say, "xxxx holding short, ready" they ask if you know what monitor the tower means. Sigh. Well, I guess not.

 

[wmuflyguy]

Yeah, but if you go out of there IFR your initial heading is 360 and they send you 5 miles out over the lake at 1500agl, even in a 172. Pick your poison I guess.

I had Chicago approach do that. Landed at Midway with a student, went to take off, they wanted direct Gipper (southbend). I said nope and they gave us a vector us right over the middle of southern Lake Michigan. We (me and controller) argued on the radio for a minute (apparently the controller thought we came in over the lake, which we didn't) the fact that i told him we were single engine and repeated attempts to get a vector closer to land he was pissed off and he kept saying unable, about 1/2 the way across this guy said "your half way there anyways, cleared direct gipper" (did I mention it was January and night time).

I guess they were getting even with me for showing up at 7pm on a tuesday nite in a 172.

 

[minitour]

Yeah, but if you go out of there IFR your initial heading is 360 and they send you 5 miles out over the lake at 1500agl, even in a 172. Pick your poison I guess.

To the East? Off the 6s?

My only *thinking* 3? 4? trips into BKL they were using 6R/L and it was always runway heading to X altitude then CXR direct YNG.

I could see getting 360 off of 24R/L though...

I guess its not BKL tower that's the problem there. It's CLE approach that won't clear you into the Bravo...then tries to think you have to talk to them and can't switch to CGF... I understand the safety thing...traffic density, talk to the controller...he's your friend. But from a regulatory standpoint...I can't just go blowing through a class D area without talking to TWR.

A published VFR route could perhaps be a solution?

-mini

 

[groundpointsix]

To the East? Off the 6s?

My only *thinking* 3? 4? trips into BKL they were using 6R/L and it was always runway heading to X altitude then CXR direct YNG.

I could see getting 360 off of 24R/L though...

I guess its not BKL tower that's the problem there. It's CLE approach that won't clear you into the Bravo...then tries to think you have to talk to them and can't switch to CGF... I understand the safety thing...traffic density, talk to the controller...he's your friend. But from a regulatory standpoint...I can't just go blowing through a class D area without talking to TWR.

A published VFR route could perhaps be a solution?

-mini

You know, I think I've only been into BKL and used the 6's once. I don't remember what they gave me as an initial heading. 360 off of the 24s always though and you're right, it's CLE approach that is the problem, they're just trying to keep you out of the approach path into CLE. I have asked for an early turn south and the times I've done it the controllers haven't been able to do it because of traffic. I did get a westerly heading once without asking for it, but I was in a twin and didn't need it either. The 360 heading is also to keep you away from the buildings in downtown I believe, but that's not the tower's fault.

I get where you're coming from on the regulatory thing too and at BKL it's either risk swimming or risk your certificate. Fortunately I've moved south and don't have to go up there anymore.

 

[minitour]

Fortunately I've moved south and don't have to go up there anymore.

Now that makes me jealous....aside from the fact that I'd miss too many of my beloved Tribe's games.

-mini

 

[81Horse]

DUT (Dutch Harbor) is very sporting (especially in a 737).

http://www.alaska.faa.gov/fai/images/AKPEN/DUT-c.jpg