I recently bought A Pilot's Life: Chapter 2 in an attempt to get me flying new routes that I would not have imagined. Already it has been a massive success in that regard and I highly recommend it to anyone suffering to find new flying inspiration (if you fly airlines and cargo). It has already provided me with new and magical flight sim experiences after only 14 flights.

However, My first "job" in this "game" is cargo out of Paris Charles de Gaulles. Now, I have always been aware of the quirks of this place but never spent any time flying in and out of it and frankly, it's ridiculous. The taxiways are like Clapham Junction and the layout is hilarious. It can take an epoch to get to the active runway.

That said, I have grown to love the place. It has character. The terminal buildings are all unique and yes, each looks like a design project from the local university kids but I have grown to love the red UFO terminal as I pass it on my long taxi to 27L from the FEDEX/ASL cargo area. I can't think of a more curiously designed and quirky superhub. By rights and all logic the place should be razed to the ground and rebuilt but I rather enjoy that it exists and look forward to a high fidelity rendition from a scenery designer.

So my question is....what other quirky airports do people fly from? What is wrong with the place and why do you love it?

Edited January 21, 20233 yr by Jazz

I understand your point, and it is funny. 
Personally I have always liked Amsterdam Schiphol for 'guess the landing direction this time!' 
It seems they built runways there for every possibly contingency - the Dutch do have an excellent sense of humour. 

One thing people may not understand in the 'new world' is that space is severely restricted in the old European capitals - you just have to build where you can during any expansion, and this can sometimes lead to runways and terminals being scattered around like someone has simply put a blindfold on and stuck a pin in a map.

I love nearly all airports though for their quirky differences.  The only one I can think of that I don't like is Sanford near Orlando - that is soulless, and I have not had the best times getting through the extremely rude customs and immigration there, but that is a different matter.  For Florida, I will maybe pick a flight to either Orlando International or Tampa next time - both nice Airports.  In fact, you have now given me the appetite to try them in MSFS! 

Edited January 21, 20233 yr by bobcat999

8 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

I understand your point, and it is funny. 
Personally I have always liked Amsterdam Schiphol for 'guess the landing direction this time!' 
It seems they built runways there for every possibly contingency - the Dutch do have an excellent sense of humour. 

One thing people may not understand in the 'new world' is that space is severely restricted in the old European capitals - you just have to build where you can during any expansion, and this can sometimes lead to runways and terminals being scattered around like someone has simply put a blindfold on and stuck a pin in a map.

I love nearly all airports though for their quirky differences.  The only one I can think of that I don't like is Sanford near Orlando - that is soulless, and I have not had the best times getting through the extremely rude customs and immigration there, but that is a different matter.  For Florida, I will maybe pick a flight to either Orlando International or Tampa next time - both nice Airports.  In fact, you have now given me the appetite to try them in MSFS! 

I remember landing at Orlando in 94 and either the pilot was tired, drunk or lost because we did two laps of that place before we found a gate after a very long flight into the brutal headwind of the Atlantic. I had a similar experience at the never ending taxiways of Schiphol in 2005 but I may well have been drunk before I stepped off the plane so I may well have imagined it 😄 What I do remember was that it was a lady pilot that thumped us down in some nasty weather. Everyone clapped until my buddy piped up and said "hang on, she hasn't parked it yet".

4 minutes ago, Jazz said:

thumped us down in some nasty weather...

Standard practice apparently, so the aircraft doesn't aqua-plane on top of the water on the runway.  If ever it is wet, you can expect a firm touchdown.  Sometimes, it is just the pilots standard landing though. 

If anyone follows "Plane Old Ben"'s fantastic YouTube channel (which covers him going through his PPL, right up to becoming an airline pilot for FlyBe on the Q400 - just before Covid caused him to get laid off), on one video he flies a SR22 into EHAM and, from memory, his taxi is about 20 minutes!

Good question!

The New York area KLGA and KJFK are among my regular haunts.

I'm no expert in airfield design but I'm sure these 2 could benefit from a makeover.

Personally, I like these airfields for their mad approaches - no idea how they keep them running in real-life! 😀

3 hours ago, JYW said:

If anyone follows "Plane Old Ben"'s fantastic YouTube channel (which covers him going through his PPL, right up to becoming an airline pilot for FlyBe on the Q400 - just before Covid caused him to get laid off), on one video he flies a SR22 into EHAM and, from memory, his taxi is about 20 minutes!

We have parking spot 20 meters from active runway. Yet on a busy day we could wait up for 20 and even 30 minutes for VFR departure or squawk and release. So length is just one of the measurement! LOL

Newark 

Such a horrible experience, I flew there only once. Staff were rude and word not allowed.

In contrast, KJFK was cleaner, more efficient, and all round easier to get out of. 

I work as a pilot, flying in and out of CDG basicly every working night, and have been for the last 5 years.

I can tell you it gets REALLY chaotic from time to time. Especially during the morning rush, when like 50 flights depart in 2 hours.

The Fedex ramp- and airport ground frequencies gets so busy its hard to get through.

Then you have the long taxiing down to runways 08/26.

During winter when you have to de-ice aswell it can take almost an hour before you take off. On top of that you might end up behind a 777 which taxiies unbelievable slow...

 

Apart from that, its quite nice 🙂

20 minutes ago, EnSnellHest said:

Then you have the long taxiing down to runways 08/26.

Yes, I have started to take advantage of the fact I'm playing with a sim and can do what I want including deciding what runway I want to depart and land on. I took that taxi down to those runways from the Fedex ramp a few times but it got old really fast 😄

I should imagine that doing that in reality all the time would become quite tiresome.

It almost doesn't feel like an airport in parts.

10 hours ago, gb09f said:

Good question!

The New York area KLGA and KJFK are among my regular haunts.

I'm no expert in airfield design but I'm sure these 2 could benefit from a makeover.

Personally, I like these airfields for their mad approaches - no idea how they keep them running in real-life! 😀

And that's exactly what's going on right now! KLGA has been in a process of utter rebuilding for several years now. at KJFK, Terminal 2 and 7 are going to demolished and replaced by totally new terminal 1 and 6, with (I believe) a smal expansion to Terminal 8 to accommodate the new British Airways operations from that terminal. Should be a great bit of rebuilding once it's done. And to complete the Port Authority airports, KEWR just opened its totally new Terminal A.

KBUR.  It's interesting because the runaways are short-ish for a 737 and that's as fun of a challenge in the sim as it is in real life.  However, the airport is a bad accident waiting to happen.  You could never build this airport these days, the layout violates so much safety protocol.  Landing aircraft rolling out on 08 pass wingtip-to-wingtip within 20 feet of taxiing aircraft... And landing aircraft are typically braking aggressively, increasing the odds of brake or tire failure leading to a directional excursion.  It will happen one day, and it will kill people.

The airport only still exists because the people who use it have the money and influence to keep it open... it sure is more convenient for the Hollywood crowd than having to go to LAX.  But if there's an airport that really SHOULD be razed, I think this is a good candidate.

5 hours ago, Stearmandriver said:

Landing aircraft rolling out on 08 pass wingtip-to-wingtip within 20 feet of taxiing aircraft

I just took a look at this on google maps and I'm a bit shocked.

19 hours ago, JYW said:

he flies a SR22 into EHAM and, from memory, his taxi is about 20 minutes!

That would be a landing on 18R. It’s a long way to the terminal. I reckon the Tower Controllers must use extra powerful binoculars! I’ve flown into Schiphol twice in real life and each time it was 18R. 😠

Since you mentioned Charles-De-Gaule Airport as a canditate for razing and rebuilding, that is apparently exactly what they are doing right now. If you look at the current satelite image they basically bulldozed half of the northern part of it.

Edited January 22, 20233 yr by Farlis