Fly to the National Football Conference NFL stadiums
The National Football League's (NFL) 32 clubs are divided into two conferences of 16 teams each: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference has four divisions (North, South, East, and West), with four clubs in each division. Here’s a list of NFC stadiums, and the most convenient airports for each. Have fun at the game and see this article about flying to AFC stadiums!
NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys (which Forbes rates as the most valuable sports franchise in the world, worth an estimated US $4 billion) play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. You could fly to Grand Prairie Municipal or Arlington Municipal; both are about the same distance from the stadium. Both have instrument approaches and rental cars (call ahead). Arlington’s runway is about 6,000 feet long versus about 4,000 feet long for Grand Prairie, but Grand Prairie has cheaper fuel as this is being written. Use caution for very tall antennas southeast of both airports.
The Philadelphia Eagles play at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Got a seaplane? Fly to Philadelphia Seaplane Base, just east of Philadelphia International. You’ll need a clearance into the Class B, which begins at the surface here, and then call a cab. Be aware that night ops are prohibited. Landplanes can land at Northeast Philadelphia and take the freeway to the stadium, although Philadelphia International is closer.
The Washington Redskins play at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Be aware that any nearby airport will be within the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area. You’ll need to complete an online special awareness training course. After completion, print a copy and keep it in the airplane with you. The closest airport to the stadium is Freeway, but the runway is only 2,420 feet long and you’ll need a cab. College Park is 200 feet longer but within the Washington, D.C., Flight Restricted Zone, with even more flight restrictions.
NFC North
The Chicago Bears play at Soldier Field in Chicago. You can fly to Chicago Midway, but be prepared for high fuel prices. Fuel at Gary/Chicago International in Gary, Indiana, is literally half the price, and the airport is outside the Class B. It’s also farther from the stadium.
The Detroit Lions play at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Fly to Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport, just northeast of the stadium. (Windsor, to the southeast, is just as close, but it’s in Canada!)
The Green Bay Packers play at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Fly to Green Bay-Austin Straubel International and check ahead of time with the Jet Air FBO; they may be able to get you a discounted hotel reservation with a free shuttle to the game.
The Minnesota Vikings play at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Fly to Crystal Airport, northwest of the stadium, which has lower prices than St. Paul Downtown Holman Field.
NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Fulton County Airport-Brown Field is closest to the stadium. It’s busy airspace so stay on your toes, but the controllers are great.
The Carolina Panthers play at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte/Douglas International is the closest airport to the stadium, with excellent prices considering this is a Class B airport. We’ve been in there and again, the controllers are tops.
The New Orleans Saints play at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. It’s just 10 minutes to the Superdome from Lakefront Airport, where you’ll find locally owned Flightline First as well as Signature.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The stadium is right off the departure end of Tampa International Airport’s Runway 10, so you can’t beat the convenience. Yes, the self-serve avgas at Tampa Executive costs less, but it’s a lot farther from the stadium and the other fees are comparable.
NFC West
The Arizona Cardinals play at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Glendale Municipal Airport is only a mile west of the stadium.
The Los Angeles Rams play at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. When their new stadium is built (projected by summer of 2020), they will move to Inglewood near Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport. Until then, fly to El Monte, now called San Gabriel Valley Airport, which also has a good restaurant with Mexican and American food.
The San Francisco 49ers play at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. San Jose International is closer to the stadium with excellent service and higher prices. The FBOs at Reid-Hillview are really flight schools, but Nice Air has several of its own rental cars. Enterprise is also just around the corner.
The Seattle Seahawks play at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Seaplanes can dock at Seattle Seaplanes Seaplane Base, about 2 miles north of the stadium. Landplanes can fly to Boeing Field, about 3 miles south of the stadium, with three FBOs to serve you (Kenmore had the lowest fuel prices at time of writing).
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