Think you can handle crosswinds? Feel like you have short-field landings down to a science? Then why not challenge yourself? We scoured the country for the most challenging airports and experiences in 10 categories. You may never get the chance to land on a glacier, but by reading our list, you’ll know there’s more to life than practicing short-field takeoffs and landings on 5,000 feet of dry pavement.
“Runway” surface
Denali National Park, Alaska
Your aviation bucket list will never be complete until you’ve experienced a glacier landing in Denali National Park. Combine terrain, high density altitude, short-field operations, visual illusions, and an unknown runway surface, and you have some idea of what it’s like to land on a glacier in the shadow of North America’s tallest peak (20,320 feet).
Although it’s completely legal to fly yourself up there and do this, a better bet is to go with one of the flightseeing operations based in Talkeetna, roughly 50 miles away. Pay the fee and experience something completely out of this world. The flight will fly in deep glacial canyons and wind its way up toward the Sheldon Amphitheatre, a large open area near the south face. Landing sites are somewhat designated, and are generally reliable for certain months of the year.
The approach is difficult. Think upslope with blinding white snow, meaning there is little to no visual reference. Basically the airplane is slowed down and then flown onto the runway, almost from a cruise attitude. And, of course, don’t forget to add power to get to the end of the runway and turn around before shutting down, lest you get stuck facing uphill.
OR Alton Bay ice runway, Alton Bay, New Hampshire Just once a year and often for only a few weeks, a runway appears on Alton Bay in New Hampshire. Volunteers test the strength of the ice, plow the “runway,” and open for business. Check conditions before going, ask the advice of some locals, and watch the Youtube videos or AOPA Online.
Congestion
Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin (OSH)
For one week each year, OSH becomes the busiest airport in the world—and all of the normal rules go out the window. In late July to early August, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture can bring 10,000 or more aircraft to the field. Operations that week are governed by a special AirVenture arrival notam published by the FAA and available online. Student pilot training is not permitted that week—but many instructors would love to accompany you to the event. As you near the airport you will turn your transponder Off, and all your lights On to make your airplane easier to see. Monitor specific radio frequencies; listen but generally don’t talk. You’ll be asked to identify yourself, or acknowledge an instruction, by rocking your wings. Keep a sharp lookout for other traffic. Don’t be surprised if you’re instructed to land on a colored dot along the runway, or even on the taxiway—yes, it’s used as an official runway that week. The goal is to land a lot of airplanes, safely and quickly. Treat your assigned mark as your aim point, touch down, decelerate, and clear the runway. Then, take a deep breath—relax—and enjoy your visit to one of the greatest events in aviation.
OR Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago, Illinois (MDW) Midway is a busy, five-runway Class C airport that underlies the congested Chicago-O’Hare Class B airspace. Call the tower and find out when operations are slower—between airline “pushes”—and plan your arrival for when it’s relatively quiet.
Wind
Kahului Airport, Kahului, Hawaii (PHOG)
Kahului’s airport identifier is PHOG, but fog isn’t the problem. It’s wind. Maui is said to be the airport with the worst crosswinds in the United States.
Wind is all Maui pilots know, even from their student pilot days. Tony Rutherford of Maui Aviators makes sure students can taxi with controls properly positioned. He will approve initial solo for winds in the lower 20s, obviously without much of a crosswind factor.
“They get used to it,” Rutherford said. “They get so accustomed to it, they are good to go. I will approve solo cross-countries in the lower 30s.”
Students initiate crosswind control at 100 feet on approach to see if the aircraft can hold the centerline, and if not, they switch to another runway. If you want to test and improve crosswind techniques for the rest of your life, spend a week at Maui Aviators at Kahului Airport, Maui.
OR Bryce Canyon Airport, Bryce Canyon, Utah (BCE) BCE has such nasty crosswinds that college-level student pilots use it for training. They end up going around most of the time because they can’t make it. There are strong crosswinds most of the time, at 20 knots or greater. About 60 percent of the time, they are at or close to 90 degrees to the runway. The more advanced student reading this is now saying, “That exceeds the ability of my aircraft!” You are correct.
Terrain
Juneau International (PAJN)
Nothing will stir a pilot’s soul like flying in Alaska, and Juneau International gives you a taste of nearly everything the state has to offer. The towered facility has one paved runway and two waterways. In spite of the 8,457-foot paved runway, landplane pilots might want to switch to something with floats. A few minutes’ cruise will enable you to spot one or more gravel-surface landing strips, but they are short and narrow and not for the new pilot. Alaska will captivate you with views and experiences that few places can offer. Respect the terrain and the weather—you will come away with lasting memories.
OR Roanoke Regional/Woodrum Field, Roanoke, Virginia (ROA) Mountains to the northwest of this airport in Class C airspace create plenty of rotor action, but local pilots will often brave a sizeable crosswind on Runway 6/24 rather than launch from Runway 33—because it points directly at the aforementioned mountains.
Weather
Shelter Cove Airport, Shelter Cove, California (0Q5)
Shelter Cove Airport on California’s northern coast isn’t the place to learn weather skills, it’s the place to test the skills you’ve already learned. Pilots contemplating a flight there are told to try March for the month with the least fog. But even March can be a challenge as post-winter storms blast through the area. One day there can be a soggy rainstorm; the following day can be clear but windy. The dangers of even thinking about challenging weather at Shelter Cove are clear: rocks at one end of the runway, and the Pacific Ocean at both ends. The rewards are great, with numerous attractions including great restaurants, comfortable motels and inns, and spectacular scenery for photographers. An unusual number of tidal pools can satisfy the budding oceanographer in your family. There is a new weather reporting station in the village that educates your guess, but take an overnight bag. The fog might provide an alternative answer to your best guess. Shelter Cove, as one reader put it, isn’t just another pretty airport. It’s a challenge.
Or John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, Johnstown, Pennsylvania (JST) At JST you’ll see lots of reports of fog in winter, but that isn’t actually the case. It looks like fog and acts like fog, but the airport sits at 2,080 feet msl, meaning you are literally in the clouds. There is also a lot of snow. That comes free with low ceilings, poor visibility, and icy conditions. A crosswind on ice? Now, there’s a challenge.
Short runway
Mile Hi Airstrip, Stibnite, Idaho
Mile Hi Airstrip on the middle fork of the Salmon River in Idaho gives even experienced bush pilots pause—and for good reason. The grass runway is a mere 560 feet long and 30 feet wide at an elevation of 5,831 feet. Only specialized aircraft made for backcountry flying should attempt to land at Mile Hi, and then only when winds are light, temperatures are cool, and pilots are thoroughly prepared. Just finding the strip is a challenge. It’s not marked on the Great Falls VFR sectional chart, and it blends in with the surrounding mountains and ridges. There’s only one way in (Runway 19) and one way out (Runway 1) because of an impossibly steep gradient. And once a pilot turns left base, he or she is committed to land as the options for a successful go-around quickly disappear because of rising terrain. And as exciting as landing at Mile Hi is, takeoffs are perhaps even more so. Because of a dropoff that resembles a ski jump, much of the strip remains out of view during the beginning of the departure roll, and then there’s a sharp left turn. There’s no good option for an aborted takeoff here.
OR Clearview Airpark, Westminster, Maryland (2W2)In the rolling horse country of central Maryland, Clearview is a rite of passage for Mid-Atlantic pilots, and many of them proudly carry mugs sold there, which boast “I landed at Clearview.” (The proprietors keep it honest by refusing to sell the coveted cups to anyone who arrives by car.) The paved Runway 14/32 is 1,800 feet long and 30 feet wide. Runway 14 is preferred for landing with a 2.1 percent uphill grade and Runway 32 usually is best for takeoffs.
Altitude
Lake County Airport, Leadville, Colorado (LXV)
AT 9,927 FEET MSL, Lake County Airport is the nation’s highest-elevation paved airport. Surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, the airport requires a familiarity with mountain flying simply to get there. New pilots with no mountain-flying experience should plan to fly commercial to Denver, and then drive to Lake County. Skiers, take note that there are seven resorts within a 50-mile drive of the airport.
In Leadville, you can get a thorough mountain-flying course at the flight school, and safely experience the breathtaking views of the snow-topped peaks and sun-drenched valleys. Plus, you’ll get a certificate that declares you landed at the highest public-use airport in the nation.
Flying out of Lake County in the summer, even with its 6,400-foot runway, will teach you why people who have landed there sometimes can’t depart until the next morning. What’s more, weather patterns in this part of the country demand that pilots get thorough briefings. It’s been known to snow in July.
OR Mountain Air, Burnsville, North Carolina (2NC0) At 4,432 feet msl, this private airfield is one of the highest on the East Coast. You must call the airfield to request and receive permission to land, and a first-timers’ video on the website is required viewing.
Water
Key West International, Key West, Florida (EYW)
A straight flight down the west coast of Florida requires almost 50 miles of open-water flying to reach this funky island. For any overwater flight, safety is first and foremost. Although life jackets and a raft aren’t required in most cases, it would be smart to take them. Rafts can be rented, and the life jackets don’t have to be aviation-specific. Ditching, or landing in the water, is often survivable with some basic training. Seek it out.
A review of the applicable regulations should include everything from Customs to flight plan requirements for the Air Defense Identification Zone. Because Florida is flat, communication and navigation aren’t an issue. But that won’t always be the case. In general, communication will be available anywhere in the United States., but international flights are a different story. Otherwise, check VOR service volumes, or bring a trusty GPS.
Once you reach Key West, relax, dive, or explore. All those other tourists suffered the airlines, a ferry, or the torturous U.S. Highway 1.
OR Catalina Airport, Avalon, California Skip the ferry, and fly the short distance to all that Catalina has to offer. There are landing fees, and the runway is a bit of a challenge, but it sure beats the ferry.
Airspace
SoCal
You're going to have to fly in complex airspace. If you’re learning to fly in Southern California, you already may be acquiring that ability—or you can plan a flight from John Wayne-Orange County Airport in Santa Ana to Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys to test your skills.
Begin by studying charts for the area—especially the more detailed Los Angeles Terminal Area Chart. You’ll find the TAC delineates five VFR transition routes that will guide you through LAX's Class B airspace, two of which are useful because of their lower altitudes—the Los Angeles Special Flight Rules Area, which does not require ATC contact and a Class B clearance, and the Shoreline Route (which does). Request the Shoreline because when traffic permits, ATC will vector you toward Van Nuys.
Note the many VFR checkpoints; look for them on Google Earth or another aerial imagery source to get an idea of what they’ll look like from the cockpit. Choose a day with good visibility. You’ll want to talk with SoCal Approach while flying the transition—request the LAX Class B transition route you desire from the clearance delivery controller at John Wayne when you get your departure clearance. Do not transit the Coliseum Route without a specific clearance to enter the LAX Class B airspace; you’ll need to follow that route at the altitude assigned.
OR Teterboro Airport, Teterboro, New Jersey (TEB) Teterboro—just west of New York City—is an excellent East Coast lesson in busy airspace complexity. Teterboro’s Class D airspace underlies the New York Class B, with surface-based Class B to the south and the New York Special Flight Rules Area along the Hudson River (and more surface-based Class B) to the east. Stay below 1,800 feet agl and at least six nm north or west when you call the tower.
International procedures
The Bahamas
If a general aviation aircraft is a magic carpet of sorts to fantastic locales not accessible to traditional modes of transportation such as car or airliner, then the islands of the Bahamas are your brave new world.
There are more than 700 islands in the Bahamas—most accessible only by GA or boat. Its nearest airports are less than an hour's flight off the Florida coast by GA aircraft.
When flying outbound from the United States you must file a flight plan, file an eAPIS (electronic advance passenger information service; inbound and outbound can be filed at the same time), activate the flight plan before leaving Florida, then close the flight plan when landing in the Bahamas. You’ll need your (and your passengers') passport, pilot and medical certificate, aircraft documents, charts, and survival gear (you are flying over open water, after all).
The Bahamas Tourism Office welcomes—encourages—GA pilots, and with crystal-clear blue water beaches on silken sand, breathtaking views, exotic food, and historic and environmental sights not often seen, your GA ticket really is a magic carpet.
OR Mexico and Canada Both of our neighbors are exciting international ports of call for GA pilots. Mexico offers hot and sunny beaches and/or ancient ruins and ecosystems; friendly Canada offers cosmopolitan cities, desolate mountain ranges, and waterfront outposts. AOPA’s comprehensive information on flying internationally may be found online).
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