Why are there so many airports in Florida?

[carbonbasedlifeform 179]

I've started simming in Flordia because of the interesting weather. There are a lot of airports compared to other regions. Why? Especially if the weather can be so dangerous.

[W2DR 1,860]

I'm just curious. I live in Florida and would like to know what you what you mean by "interesting" and "dangerous" weather. Except for the occasional and predictable storm (they have those everywhere) I find it just the opposite compared to other places I've lived i.e., mild, rather boring, and not dangerous at all. One of the reasons I live here is that, at my age, I don't need all that "weather" stuff. It's a great place to fly. Lots of sunshine, no altitude problems, usually not much wind to deal with, and the temperatures are never too hot nor too cold to safely get off the ground. I've flown a lot of places over the years and this, IMNSHO, is one of the best.

[fppilot 4,371]

2 hours ago, carbonbasedlifeform said:

There are a lot of airports compared to other regions. Why? Especially if the weather can be so dangerous.

More places to land safely!

[G550flyer 1,013]

Because it's the sunshine state😁

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

Money makes airports sustainable and Florida has money. I think Alaska is the highest percentage of aircraft owners though

[Mace 1,927]

3 hours ago, carbonbasedlifeform said:

I've started simming in Flordia because of the interesting weather. There are a lot of airports compared to other regions. Why? Especially if the weather can be so dangerous.

The weather isn't dangerous in Florida by comparison.  When a hurricane is near, you don't fly.  Sometimes between 11 am - 3 pm, you don't fly (pop up tstorms) but with modern tools like foreflight etc. you can often avoid these.  Icing at lower levels, typically not an issue.   Early morning flying in the tropics can often be the most stable airmass you're going to find.  That's why in, for example, Nicaragua, their regional airlines tend to fly very early in the morning, so that they are back in Managua by 10-11 am, before the airmass becomes unstable.  Florida also has -- generally speaking -- more predictable winds.  Miami Intl for example, has two runways pointing E-W for a reason.  Same with FLL, a big runway E-W.

Contrast that with where I am (Missouri) -- you can have a nice day (or night) but a thunderstorm or tornado can pop up whenever it feels like it.  You can get icing at lower levels which is highly dangerous.  Also more hills, more bumps.  In some parts of the state, open fields which can really be bumpy in summertime from convection.  Also, less predictable winds.

[carbonbasedlifeform 179]

7 hours ago, W2DR said:

what you mean by "interesting" and "dangerous" weather.

It seems like there’s a lot rain and thunder in MSFS in the FL. I have live weather turned on. 🤔

[stans 703]

A good number of those airports used to be military training fields.  Due to Florida's relatively nice weather all year, the USAAF and USN built a significant number of airfields in Florida before and during WW II.

Check out this list of former military airfields in Florida.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_World_War_II_Army_Airfields

[W2DR 1,860]

6 hours ago, carbonbasedlifeform said:

It seems like there’s a lot rain and thunder in MSFS in the FL. I have live weather turned on. 🤔

Given the track record of MSFS 2020, I wouldn't assume that the simulation of live weather works any better than the simulation of the autopilot. 🙂

[carbonbasedlifeform 179]

The weather is nice today in southeast Florida. (MSFS has sun but is still providing thunder.) Looks like thunderstorms over the next few days though.  Anyway, Florida is a fun place to fly. 🤠

Are there other areas of the US with similar airport density?

[birdguy 3,943]

14 minutes ago, carbonbasedlifeform said:

Are there other areas of the US with similar airport density?

Alaska has282 public land based based airports, 114 public seaplane bases and 4 public heliports.

It also has 747 registered bush strips.

Noel

[BillW 210]

21 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

Money makes airports sustainable and Florida has money. I think Alaska is the highest percentage of aircraft owners though

More Beavers and Otters than you could ever count.

Bill W

[Camsdad13 64]

A number of “private strips” were created in the 1980’s. The “Cocaine Cowboys” used them to fly Cocaine and weed up from Colombia. 

[Bobsk8 12,729]

On 8/6/2021 at 12:38 AM, carbonbasedlifeform said:

It seems like there’s a lot rain and thunder in MSFS in the FL. I have live weather turned on. 🤔

I can remember flying around these pop up rainshowers and storms, which sometimes are just a mile or so wide. Just have to be carefull about flying over the everglades, if your engine suddenly gets quiet.  I always flew over the highway, when crossing the glades. Didn't want to have to ditch into a place loaded with gators and snakes, and in 5 feet of water. 

[Bobsk8 12,729]

On 8/6/2021 at 2:33 PM, BillW said:

More Beavers and Otters than you could ever count.

Bill W

When I was in Anchorage, I used to go down to Lake Hood  and watch the Beavers, Otters and other float planes take off and land, one after the other. Busiest float-plane base in the world. 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Bobsk8