Scariest Airport to Fly Into
 

While reading a thread on the Professional Pilots Board, discussing flying into Hong Kong's KaiTak, I thought that I too thought it was the scariest place to fly into. Flying directly at a mountain, then turning right at the last minute, and finally flying BELOW windows with clothes hanging on them before landing is not my idea of fun. The second worst would be Cuzco in Peru (for Machu Pichu). Here the city is at 10,000 feet and is surrounded by mountains thousands of feet higher. Finally, clouds form a cap after about noon so that no takeoffs or landings occur afterwards. Its kind of like dropping into a barrel. Because of the altitude, landings are very fast!
What other airports frighten you?
http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/For...ML/009730.html


[This message has been edited by Vulcan (edited 09-06-2000).]

Never been there, but I've heard that Lugano, Switzerland is a very thrilling airport for both takeoffs and landings.

Sedona, Arizona can be unnerving from a pilot's perspective. It lies on a mesa; sort of like a carrier landing.

The "old" airport at Glendale, Arizona required nerves of steel. You flew over a busy boulevard, cleared the power lines and then had to stop in the 2200 feet of runway available.

(Please pardon the private flying examples. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

Taking off from Albuquerque, New Mexico toward the east is scary in big airplanes when heavy or in marginal weather. There is wreckage on the mountain to remind us to be safe.

The reef runway (8R ?) at Honolulu is also scary when heavy, which is always! Making the turn for noise abatement always seems too low, too slow.

San Diego Lindberg Field is kinda hairy. Especially when you watch from the ground as those aircraft look to just miss the top of that parking garage.

Catalina Island (off the Los Angeles coast) is a total thrill for both takeoffs and landings. Small aircraft only though.

But nothing beats the old "Kai Tak Heart Attack!" IMHO!

Telluride, CO. teeny planes, the highest commerical air strip in the US and all those mountains and winds.
Last time I flew in, 8 of the 14 adults on board were green, the happiest flier was a 3 year old who kept saying "whee!" as the plane did a little dance. (Hey, it did feel much like roller coaster.....)

I agree with Sedona, AZ.
I don't really have many places that I fly that are that bad.

I agree with PremEx and cast a vote for San Diego. Even after dozens of flights into the city I still find it thrilling when the plane weaves its way through the downtown buildings to reach the runway. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Jay

Darn, PremEx beat me to it. Catalina is the harriest (sic?) for me...

Too bad Raeban never got to fly into Kai Tak -- I'd have the scars to prove it! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Jueno Alaska, Over the mountain on the island, diving toward the ocean to avoid the mountains on the shore. Over the glacier (which is melting in the ocean) which is covered with fog and (hopefully) onto the runway. Three trys or the plane goes to ancorage or seattle. First airport to have GPS to land. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

Any airport in bad weather. I've had a couple of hairy landings at Midway during blizzards.

I agree about Catalina. As for Kai Tak, I always sat on the left side of the plane and read my book. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

How did I forget Catalina? I left a couple of rivet heads from a Grumman Tiger on the runway. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif Only visit to Catalinia. We were flying from Riverside to Long Beach; the carpool decided to be a planepool. Weather was below minimums at Long Beach, so we took the short hop out to Catalina while the weather cleared. Fortunately, my pride was more damaged than the airplane.

While many people probably agree the old Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong was one of the most thrilling and/or scary landings, I'm sure it was absolute heaven for plane spotters. Some relatives of mine who live there (Hong Kong, I mean, not Kai Tak Airport http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif) say that many people made the trip especially to Hong Kong for plane spotting before the old airport closed.

FewMiles..

I'd have to say - Kai Tak. Although I am glad I was able to land there before it was closed. What an experience!

BUR can be a thrill if the pilot doesn't hit the runway at the right spot. Land long and you are staring at the blast fence*.







*Or the gas station across the street, just ask Southwest Airlines

I'll second the vote for Juneau, AK. Taking off to the south (I think it's the south), the planes need to veer hard to the right in order to avoid smacking into a 2000 foot hill. You seem to skim close enough to the side of it as to see the whites of the moose's eyes!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif <---what you look like taking off from JNU!
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[This message has been edited by MileageAddict (edited 09-06-2000).]