Your favorite regional airport to fly to

[Freightdog75]

AVL - Ashville, NC. On a sunny fall day when all the leaves in the mountains are changing color. HXD - Hilton Head, SC. Right in the coast, beachs, babes, the whole nine yards. He11 of a lot of unbelievable golfing down there too.

 

[acaTerry]

ACA doesn't serve it anymore, but no doubt my favorite was PHF (Newport News, VA). I like Roanoke, VA for small airports. For big ones, I guess Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Except the ground crews at PIT are lousy. CRW, right on General. My first time there it was all the way to approach mins and what a screwy scene to adjust to when you see it! It's an FAR 121 special arpt isn't it?

 

[SilentDave]

Kalispell, Montana is pretty awesome. Coming up through the valley over Flat Head Lake is a heck of a site. It's already been mentioned, but Missoula, MT is beautiful too. We don't go there anymore but Mountain Home, Arkansas was always fun. A little interesting at night with the VOR A and a 4 degree VASI (keeps you out of the power lines) to a 5000' x 60' runway. Beautiful during the day, great pizza, and some of the nicest darn people you will ever meet. Ah, the good ole days when we could drive to work!

 

[Tug Driver]

MBS

boring, simple, friendly....

need i say more

 

[Nindiri]

Not exactly a regional airport, but I always enjoy flying into Mexico City. Lots of mountains, great views, and challenging arrivals including a 110 degree turn to final. Good CRM is definitely required.

Controllers and ground crews do a great job, and it's a great layover. As everyone knows, of course, Latin babes are the most beautiful women in the world.

 

[tarp]

I know its cold and frosty in the NE right now, but my vote is for all our northern cities.

Burlington, VT is a beautiful approach and nice overnight. All spring and summer on clear days, tower and approach couldn't care less about your flight path - so you tool over the lake or the mountains a little bit and then just do a visual to landing.

Portland, ME - Harbor Visual Rwy29 going around the little island up there with all the boats in the water. Short final is messed up with all those commercial boats, but I'm usually looking at the runway at that time. Great overnight - what a beautiful downtown and that prommenade walk/running path around the point is just fantastic.

Nantucket, RI - It's just cool to do the summer trips in there. If company could only work out a 16-18 hour layover, it would be perfect.

Bangor, ME - What? Sorry, I'm a golf-a-holic and our hotel is just a 3/4 mile walk to the public golf course. Rent clubs and play for $35. I've died and gone to regional heaven. Hey, if they're only going to pay me $33/hr(sic) and I have to work like a dog, then this is good stuff.

 

[Mayday911]

Jackson Hole at Sunset.

 

[LearLove]

Key West first timer

Just flew a Duke into Key West with some friends. Second time in KW first time flyin in, Awsome view, I like the old missle silos. We stopped in Marathon, that was pretty cool too. Were going to try to get a reservation on that caravan to head out to the Dry Torguas (sp?) tomorrow. Key West Seaplanes I think it is.

 

[Desiday]

I used to flight instruct in Marathon. I also flew tours around
Key West. What an awesome view. Marathon is also where I did my primary flight training. It doesn't get any sweeter than that!

 

[flipflyr]

SLW

Gotta love Saltillo, Mexico (SLW).

Come in to do a DME arc to intercept a localizer southbound then break off the approach to circle and land to the north. Airport notes state: "Caution high rising terrain East of the field, circling West of the field is prohibited"... Kind of a catch 22 situation. Just keep your circle within 3-5 miles on the East side and you're all set.

When you leave the next morning you look at all the mountains around you and it gives you little goosebumps thinking how close you were the night before to the "cumulus granite"...

 

[gns2005]

I agree with Mayday

JAC off the VOR to 36 circle to 18. Snug right up to the Tetons. Early morning when the suns coming up. Not a bad view.

 

[acaTerry]

gns2005 wrote: "JAC off the VOR to 36 circle to 18."

So tell me, how does one jack-off a VOR?
Sorry, couldn't resist....

 

[CWASaab]

my $.02

Here is my addition to the discussion:

CRW - it certainly is a trip to land on the top of a mountain at night, especially on the ILS (i think it is 23) that gives seriously false GS indications, and that red light on the hill, it looks mighty close everytime. Gotta love an airport that puts curbs on the taxiways.

CYQT- Thunder Bay, Ontario. Beautiful approaches over LS and the islands out there, not to mention the flight up from MSP following MNs northshore.

BEH- Benton Harbor, MI. I still think that runway is a glorified sidewalk, and the lake effect always added fun in the winter.

Ford Island- Honolulu, HI No air service, so it doesn't really count, but doing touch and goes in the middle of Pearl Harbor was pretty cool.

Of course the best flight is always the one home and for the last five years that was into CWA, in the middle of wisconsin. Beautiful fall colors, calling the airport from 90 miles out VFR nights, challenging WX, ILS to make it easy, Arcs, Vors and no radar at intial approach alt, to keep it interesting, and best of all, at home and in bed by your off time.

CWASaab (not any more)

 

[pilotbob53]

I agree with Saberliner....you can fly an approach faster than 90kts. I teach my students to be smart and aware of the traffic they have around them. With an instrument student one day coming in to Concord (JQF) during a Thursday race day, a frazzled controller was trying to mix my Cherokee in with the Lears, Citations, and King Airs. Finally looking for a hole the controller asked my what airspeed I could maintain. I replied 110 kts to final approach fix and 120 kts beyond it. I go faster downhill! All my students know and practice how to make an approach without getting eaten up from behind. It makes their flying the approaches better not having to worry about what's behind them.

 

[KINGAIR PIC]

I heard a joke once about an airliner of some sort was told to do a 360 for spacing. The pilot of the airliner said to the controller, "You know that it costs an extra $2,000 in fuel to do this 360."

The controller came back without hesitation and said, "Great, give me $4,000 worth!!"

 

[SRMairlines]

Hilton Head Island: Only PDT flies here and it is a rush. Only just over 4000ft and 75ft wide... this airport is uncontrolled with plenty of Golfer traffic. The Dash-8 is the only thing that can service this airport successfully. Anything else is too weight restructed to make a revenue trip worth while. This airport is surrounded by 50ft trees and only has non-precision apporaches... A lot of fun for the fellow dash pilots out there.

 

[Saabslime]

I'll have to throw in a vote for St. George Utah. Beautiful red rock scenery, hardly ever a cloud in the sky, and the runway sits on top of a plateau like you're landing on an aircraft carrier.

 

[brew3departure]

CWA?

Okay, it's been a little while...but, I couldn't resist:

CWA? Yes, beautiful, but once you step outside the airplane, hold your nose...yikes. Gotta love paper mills...same goes for Terre Haute, IN, and a whole host of other places I'm sure.

I replied to a post like this a while back, but after mulling it all over, I'll throw La Crosse, WI out there - on the visual to 36, gorgeous bluffs, river, etc...very nice.

-brew3

 

[Diesel]

I'll have to throw a vote in for HXD. Doing it in a buisness jet at night makes you suck the seat into your pants. The only lights out there are the runway lights and it can really mess with your eyes because of the vertigo.

Trying to think of some cool one's. Definetly ASE. Wayyyy awsome place. The Bae-111 was built for that place.

Thinking of more though.

 

[ChinaClipper]

Guymas Mexico....

They are on the Pacific side,for RWY 2, fly between two mountains, from the sea, over a Club Med nudy beach, and nice folks. NDB-A with 2 race track turns for a let down. 2800 ft or so MDA and 2 miles or so vis, as I recall, for the 2 times I shot the approach, no radar......ahhhh, the good old days........They shot the movie "Catch 22" there and the main terminal was used in the movie...

 

[wmudriver]

the armpit of america

Gotta love GYY (Gary, Indiana), the brown smog during the summer, the stench as you fly over it and flashing casino lights on approach

At BTL (Battle Creek, MI) you can smell certain Kellogg cereals as you near the plant on approach, a good way to start the morning

 

[CWASaab]

it still stinks

Yeah,

CWA smells, but as long as you don't live by the airport its manageable. Plus there's the great joying of knowing that you are indeed home on those 200 1/2 days. You can judge minimums by the smell.

And don't discount the fun of making sure the new FO sees you scarfing down the wheel-o-death burrito right before the CWA leg. A few well timed grunts, moans or sighs right before hitting the mosinee musk and let the good times roll. Almost as much fun as getting the new FAs to take air quality samples into ops.

CWASaab
sniffing my way home at a new domicle....

 

[AceCrackshot]

Thread switch to the biggest hole

Let's hear about the biggest hole domicile/worse place to overnight!

Gary is the current leader.

 

[smellthejeta]

Re: it still stinks

Yeah,

CWA smells, but as long as you don't live by the airport its manageable. Plus there's the great joying of knowing that you are indeed home on those 200 1/2 days. You can judge minimums by the smell.

And don't discount the fun of making sure the new FO sees you scarfing down the wheel-o-death burrito right before the CWA leg. A few well timed grunts, moans or sighs right before hitting the mosinee musk and let the good times roll. Almost as much fun as getting the new FAs to take air quality samples into ops.

CWASaab
sniffing my way home at a new domicle....

Have fun in CWA, I kinda miss that joint. I moved, so I haven't used that in awhile. Ya could be in RHI! Re the air quality joke... The minute you think you've heard a bunch of them, there's still more.

 

[bigD]

PT Cruiser crew car? Sweeeeet!

 

[fuzzy077]

TELLURIDE

I'd have to say Telluride, CO takes the cake on the best regional airport. That place rocks.

 

[grog_sit_reserv]

I really like SBP San Luis Obispo in California. Great views of the Channel Islands, Morro Rock and the Sand Dunes at Pismo Beach.

Good Post it has been interesting reading the replies.

 

[CWASaab]

Re: Re: it still stinks

Have fun in CWA, I kinda miss that joint. I moved, so I haven't used that in awhile. Ya could be in RHI! Re the air quality joke... The minute you think you've heard a bunch of them, there's still more.

Well CWA is no longer a crew domicile for us, same fate for RHI, and yes, I did time in RHI as well. We were having too much fun I guess, the company must have caught on to the fact that we could get home before the off time. Now we all get to ride the bus in circles around the airport trying to get home.

CWASaab
well, not anymore.