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Your favorite airport and why?


CRJ_simpilot

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Mine would have to be KDEN Denver International (DIA) In Denver, Colorado. I live in Colorado and have been to this airport many times in real life. It's a very interesting airport inside and out and it has runways that are as long as the Rocky Mountains are as tall. This is due to the fact Denver is the so-called "mile high city" and DIA sits about 10 miles east of Denver so the MSL is about 5,280'. So with an altitude like that during the Summer you have a lot of density altitude thus needing longer runways. I like the airport because it has north/south as well as east/west runways which are not only long, but you can typically fly towards the wind in most situations. The airport was designed to look like the Rocky Mountains and the tents on top are actually canvas and air passes through for circulation. This is a built-in feature of the airport's HVAC. It is also rumored that the airport has underground bunkers. But I'm not sure about that. There's lots of so-called "Illuminati" stuff all around the airport. They now have a talking gargoyle in the main airport building. There is also an underground train that goes from concourse A to C. And there's a train that goes from the airport to Denver. I think it's electric.

 

I have the ImagineSim KDEN upgrade and they even modeled the new hotel that was built right next to the airport that suppose to complement the airport's design, but I think it looks a little tacky.

 

So with that, what's your favorite airport?

 

 

Edit-

 

Damn, forgot to add the poll and now I can't.

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jeppesenHall_0.jpg

Edited by CRJ_simpilot
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Centennial KAPA because I'm "a bizjet pilot" in the sim and I love the ZOMBZ1 arrival that drops you out on final for the ILS 35R like you were on rails. Also the Orbx freeware KAPA is really well done by a friend of mine Todd Harrell. I visited the airport briefly when I was there in the early 80s going to A&P school in Broomfield, back then it was known as Arapaho County Airport and the ICAO reflects that to this day.

 

Honorable mentions: KEGE, KMTJ, KFNL, KTEX, KRIL, KDRO, KBJC, and KASE. Basically I love flying in Colorado and it's easy to find RW corporate flights in and out of these airports on flightaware I can attempt to duplicate.

 

I left Colorado before the new KDEN was built, never been there, I spent almost all my free time taking pictures of airplanes (they call it "spotting" now) at the old KDEN (Stapleton) though. Seriously miss those days if only because I wasn't so old and grumpy!

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Damn, two Coloradans.... and i didn't know.

 

I lived in CO 2000-2009, first in the Springs, and from 2004 in Castle Rock. Working first in the Springs, overlooking Academy Airfield (front seats for practice for the Academy Airshow - and for the Heyman fire!), then from 2004 worked just SE of KAPA, until my wife and I decided we had enough of the rat race and I retired... my wife retired in 1994 already!

 

Jorgen

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My favorite is Coronado (4AC) Airport on the north side of Albuquerque. Unfortunately they closed it down a few years back, and no buildings and not much runway remain. But it's still in FSX, and a friend and I built a version that reflects what it looked like (including custom buildings) so we could spend time there.

 

Perhaps I like it so well because I spent a number of years with it as my home base, including glider flying, banner towing, flight instructing and more.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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Oh, no fair!

Picking a 'favorite' airport is nearly impossible; tastes and interests change over 14 years!

I might have selected KGWS (in Colorado) as a favorit-est but according to the actual records it's only 31st for departures and 13th for landings - apparently I fly here FROM Eagle and Aspen a lot more than I take off from here.

 

Admittedly, I fly more P3d these days, but this count is from the logbook I have used continuously since the 'pre-release' version of FSX that featured Princess Juliana airport at St Maarten, moving it into each new fsx install over the years since.

 

the summarized statistics (imaged) are presented by fsxlogbook still available in the library: fsxlogb3.zip (posted apr 14, 2008)

 

still active logbook2.jpg

 

sorted on Number of Take Offs (descending order)

 

KEDW - Edwards AFB:my default airport. I naturally test new aircraft here so it's bound to have the most departures

KFHR - Friday Harbor, the original default.

BONN - personally built fictional Flight Test center at Bonneville Salt Flats Utah

KSAN - San Diego; adjacent to the docked carrier at North Island NAS. Lots of carrier approaches practiced here

EGLC - London City; where my UK friends gather

LIPB - Bolzano, It; in the midst of the Dolomites region of the Alps

KRIV - Long runways for testing bigger aircraft

KFCA - Glacier Park adjacent to awesome Glacier Nat'l Park

EGOD - Llanbedr, Wales; nearest airport to Machynlleth and the 'Mach Loop'

U27 -- Hurricane Mesa; closest to the Canyons of Zion National Park

KHQM - Bowerman; nice ORBX apt on the Olympic Peninsula

EGNL - Barrow; at the edge of the UK Lake District

KENV - real apt adjacent to fictional BONN

KSEA - Seattle for exploring the Cascades

LXGB - Gibraltar... what was I here for so much?

ELDP - Fictional ultrlight dirt strip at the Lake District

TNCM - Princess Juliana on St Maarten (high use with pre-release sampler version)

EGOV - Valley RAF; near Snowdonia and the Mach Loop

.

KGWS - Glenwood Springs; along Glenwood Canyon and near Grizzly Creek Canyon (31st for departures/ 13th for landing)

 

Is my love of the wrinkly parts of the map showing through?

videos linked below include some of the mentioned areas:

Grizzly Creek near KGWS; Machynlleth; Cascades; Carrier near KSAN; Zion Park

 

My "favorite" is whatever gets me close to my mountains, valleys, and canyons.

 

Happy flyin' all!

Loyd

Hooked since FS4... now flying:

self-built i7-4790 at 4 GHz; GA-Z97X mobo; GTX 970; 16GB gskill;

quiet, fast and cool running.

Win 7/64: 840 EVO OS; 840 EVO (500G) game drive;

Win10/64: 850 EVO (500G) for OS and games

A few Flightsim videos on YouTube at CanyonCorners

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I think like many my favorite airport would be my hometown airport. For that, it means KSAN, San Diego, California. But I think outside my hometown airport is currently is Santa Barbara KSBA or Big Bear, both in Southern California. Just having lot's of fun moving in-out-of these areas.
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In real life, I'm partial to KMEM from the 1970's. Only because I grew up running around that airport and being welcomed into the Southern Airways pilot's lounge and flight prep area with my father.

In the sim, I fly out of Mobile, Alabama mainly because I got my Instrument rating there and I know the area now. I really only fly the Carenado 172N but I've been exploring different little strips throughout the Bahamas in the last few months. Makes for a nice Saturday flight over, around, and back to southern Florida and a virtual Disney vacation.

I'll tell you one I don't like though. In real life and in the sim, anything near KATL is a bear with all the traffic.

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McCarran Airport, Las Vegas.

 

1) I have the GSX version and it’s as real as it gets, save for the new ATC tower missing..

 

2) I work next to the airport in real life, and have been there many times. Combined with my Megascenery Earth Nevada scenery, it’s like I’m flying in and out of Vegas for real.

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I think like many my favorite airport would be my hometown airport. For that, it means KSAN, San Diego, California. But I think outside my hometown airport is currently is Santa Barbara KSBA or Big Bear, both in Southern California. Just having lot's of fun moving in-out-of these areas.

 

Used to live in Riverside and been up to Big Bear many times. My parents and I thought of living in San Diego, but went to Riverside instead. I always fly into KSAN when I go to California or from Hawaii because KLAX is always so crowded.

 

 

McCarran Airport, Las Vegas.

 

1) I have the GSX version and it’s as real as it gets, save for the new ATC tower missing..

 

2) I work next to the airport in real life, and have been there many times. Combined with my Megascenery Earth Nevada scenery, it’s like I’m flying in and out of Vegas for real.

 

 

This is my second home and go there a lot from Colorado. In FS2004 I had an Area-51 project going and so KLAS was often another stop or Nellis AFB. Been to the smaller airport there as well. Can't remember its name now. Since I lived in Cali. I've been to Vegas a couple of times. But back then I was too young to drink or gamble.

 

 

 

I like how right off the bat there are like three Coloradans. :D Though, one day I'd like to move to warm Florida. Not in a big city like Miami though. Forget all that. LOL

Edited by CRJ_simpilot
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My favorite all time airport will always be the Akron-Canton Airport (KCAK), just outside of Canton, Ohio. I grew up near there, and flew into that airport a few times while coming home on leave from the US Navy. My father took me to the airport when I was little, and there used to be an outside area on top of the terminal where we could watch the planes come and go. That was back in the early 70's.

 

Other airports that will always be special to me will be the two NAS's that I was stationed in from the early 80's to the early 90's, NAS (now MCAS) Miramar (KNKX) and NAS North Island (KNZY). I spent 8 years at Miramar with two different F-14 Tomcat squadrons, and I spent 3.5 years at North Island while serving duty with the S-3 Viking training squadron. Plus, North Island was also where I met my wife, her and I worked on the S-3's together!!! :)

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Used to live in Riverside and been up to Big Bear many times. My parents and I thought of living in San Diego, but went to Riverside instead. I always fly into KSAN when I go to California or from Hawaii because KLAX is always so crowded.

 

 

 

 

 

This is my second home and go there a lot from Colorado. In FS2004 I had an Area-51 project going and so KLAS was often another stop or Nellis AFB. Been to the smaller airport there as well. Can't remember its name now. Since I lived in Cali. I've been to Vegas a couple of times. But back then I was too young to drink or gamble.

 

 

 

I like how right off the bat there are like three Coloradans. :D Though, one day I'd like to move to warm Florida. Not in a big city like Miami though. Forget all that. LOL

 

Probably North LV Airport, or Henderson Executive?

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Yeah, North Las Vegas. Been to Henderson a few times as well.

 

You were in my backyard then...I live within walking distance of NLV airport.

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Hope you don't mind two favorites, and they would be KNEW (New Orleans Lakefront) and KMSY (Louis Armstrong Intl), my hometown duo.

 

I remember as a pre-teen boy hitchhiking to KNEW just to be around aircraft. WWII had recently ended and a myriad of aircraft were spotted around the field. To name a few: PBY's, P-38's, P-51's, A-26's, C-46's and 47,s along with a variety of primary, basic and advanced trainers. Two of the P-38's were dolled up in racing livery. The P-51's were LAANG property.

 

Most of the adults who worked in the hangers enjoyed having my friend and I around but you also had the occasional grouch. I have a dozen or so of old photos I took of some of those aircraft around here somewhere. If I can locate will post some in this thread.

 

Airline operations prior to your DC-4 was out of KNEW, but with 4 engine service longer runways were needed. I was at the inauguration of KMSY in 1946 and just about every WWII aircraft was on display...the crown jewel, the B-29. If my memory is correct, the guest speaker was Jimmy Doolittle. From 1959 until 1972 My wife, boys and I lived a mile or so north of the N-S runway. When those old Lockheed Constellations passed over, it shook the dishes in the cabinets. AH, the memories.

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You were in my backyard then...I live within walking distance of NLV airport.

 

So off topic a slight bit here, but I just have to ask since I've been wondering a long time. What is it like to live in Vegas? With all the tourists do you see a lot of crime, etc?

 

I have a good friend that lives there, but I ditched Facebook some four years ago and haven't been in contact with him since.

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Hope you don't mind two favorites, and they would be KNEW (New Orleans Lakefront) and KMSY (Louis Armstrong Intl), my hometown duo.

 

I remember as a pre-teen boy hitchhiking to KNEW just to be around aircraft. WWII had recently ended and a myriad of aircraft were spotted around the field. To name a few: PBY's, P-38's, P-51's, A-26's, C-46's and 47,s along with a variety of primary, basic and advanced trainers. Two of the P-38's were dolled up in racing livery. The P-51's were LAANG property.

 

Most of the adults who worked in the hangers enjoyed having my friend and I around but you also had the occasional grouch. I have a dozen or so of old photos I took of some of those aircraft around here somewhere. If I can locate will post some in this thread.

 

Airline operations prior to your DC-4 was out of KNEW, but with 4 engine service longer runways were needed. I was at the inauguration of KMSY in 1946 and just about every WWII aircraft was on display...the crown jewel, the B-29. If my memory is correct, the guest speaker was Jimmy Doolittle. From 1959 until 1972 My wife, boys and I lived a mile or so north of the N-S runway. When those old Lockheed Constellations passed over, it shook the dishes in the cabinets. AH, the memories.

 

 

 

I guess the main theme here is that people's favorite airport would have to be the one in their neck of the woods.

 

And that's fantastic you saw Doolittle. Have you seen the new movie Midway?

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