Pilots of Reddit, which airports are the toughest to land at and what makes them so challenging?

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Hot-Cat-8392@reddit

London City. The steep 5.5 degree glide.

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I just flew into LCY as a passenger out of AMS a couple weeks ago and I won’t be doing that again. White knuckle experience the last ten minutes prior to landing before slamming the plane into the ground and stomping on the brakes so we didn’t go into the drink at the end.

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timesuck47@reddit

Like Midway in Chicago?

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bears-eat-beets@reddit

LCY has a 20% shorter and a almost twice as seep 5.5 deg vs 3.0 deg approach slope. LCY and Midway are not the same at all. Midway is in the category of "regular" short field busy airports like DCA, SNA, LGA, BUR, etc. Still an exciting ride, but nothing like LCY.

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timesuck47@reddit

Thx

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insaneplane@reddit

I’ll see your London city and raise you Lugano. IIRC its a steeper glide and there plenty of cumulus granitus on all sides.

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jkim579@reddit

Haha "cumulus granitus" 👍

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SundogZeus@reddit

I’ll see your Lugano and raise you Toronto City during winter weather. (3988’ LDA) Very strong crosswinds from the north and terrible mechanical turbulence from the city. And associated snowy conditions. …plus we used to have a steep approach that needed to be flown manually.

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insaneplane@reddit

Idk. Lugano is 6.5 degree glide slope. Descending to minimums requires a 9% missed approach climb gradient. And it's not like the Alps don't get windy, icy, and turbulent.

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afriendincanada@reddit

I love going into Toronto City Centre for the convenience. Except when they take you to Pearson instead. A ten minute walk to Union becomes an 90 minute ordeal (particularly before the train)

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flightist@reddit

Never had the pleasure but my PD friends always said it was a good thing the Q doesn’t have wind shear detection.

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Some-Air1274@reddit

I often see planes flying over the skyscrapers in Canary Wharf just a few hundred feet above them.

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RightWeather5723@reddit

Hah! Try flying into aspen.

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IflyHeavies@reddit

Made for a C-17

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Apprehensive_Cost937@reddit

Not only that, the runway is very short as well.

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evthrowawayverysad@reddit

I was told by a very junior cope that it's not difficult per se, but how it would very quickly become extremely difficult to manage for something like a go-around.

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Legitimate_Box_7803@reddit

Sion LSGS was disturbing the first time. The approach itself isn’t bad, it’s trying to get it to slow down enough to get configured. Any kind of a tailwind and it gets tricky immediately.

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Haneda is my most complicated that I fly to regularly. I did the VOR A 16 L this morning, Quantas and Air France went into holds refusing to do it and waited for 34 to be available. We have special tailored data RNP charts for 16L and R. Plus LDA W/Y RWY 22/23 are intense as well. Lots of nighttime only charts and special procedures, you’re never 100% on which STAR or APP you’ll get…

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recreationalwildlife@reddit

I don't understand everything you posted but it sure sounds like you know your stuff. Thank You.

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Haha thanks I’m still figuring it out. I was shaking a bit this morning. The numbers and letters are the runways and different types of approaches. Have a look at the Jeppesen charts for Haneda if you can. Lots of wacky stuff going on.

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Dr_Anjani_KothariPHD@reddit

You guys are rock steady even when things are interesting. I bet it was a piece of cake.

Oh snap I just realized you can go back and retrace your approach if you really wanted to . Kind of cool. I remember the amount of 747's there used to be on the gound in Tokyo. What a show!

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Swvfd626@reddit

Holy shit I just looked at Foreflight and I'd rather taxi KORD anyday

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still_no_enh@reddit

Sounds like he should've just landed at Narita and just taxi'd over to Haneda 😅

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nadyay@reddit

I understand nothing but agree with your sentiments

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Dr_Anjani_KothariPHD@reddit

23 is a black hole with all the burnt out lights and water.

I've set difficulty to medium...

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LukeyTheKid@reddit

Funny, I was just going to look for Reddit threads about Haneda as I flew in there for the first time last week and the plane made a big sweeping turn right before landing. Reminded me of the approach to DCA over the river

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Probably runway 22 or 23. Have a look at the Jeppesen chart for the LDA Y 22

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Manor7974@reddit

Only a sim pilot but this is my second favourite approach in the sim after the old HK Kai Tak checkerboard. And then the first time I flew into Haneda (pax) we flew it for real!

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victorinseattle@reddit

Is it just because of the buildings coming in from Shinagawa in the Tokyo Bay area? I see those planes regularly fly over my office (when I’m in Japan). I can imagine 16R is a bit disconcerting because you have buildings and taxiing airplanes on both sides.

As a passenger, taking off on 16R/34L just always feels so wrong

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

I don’t claim to understand the Japanese mind, but most of the rules are due to Noise Abatement. It’s like asking why the trains in Tokyo close at 1am. Someone complained about the noise one time. Better to keep the planes over the water and industrial buildings as much as possible.

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Defiant_Visit_3650@reddit

You are an impressive and magnificent bastard Brother. Hat off to you. 😉🇨🇦

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Thank you fellow Canadian, thank you for your service. I’m just a lowly First Officer in Japan

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Defiant_Visit_3650@reddit

You rock. That’s from a Navy guy. Stay safe. And always keep “the seat of the pants feeling”. 😉😎🇨🇦🇯🇵

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Technical-Shape-5554@reddit

Wait, they still haven't completely fixed the runway lights after JAL516?

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Have a look at the NOTAMs for Haneda. You’ll be shocked when you see the dates on them.

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Aggravating-Trip-546@reddit

Most Japanese airports are full of traps. As endearing their 80s retro-futurism is at the bar and restaurant, they need to sort their shit out. LDAs, VORs, LVO runways they refuse to use…. Ugh.

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

It is truly shocking how resistant and slow to change they are. Quick to make new rules when something bad happens, but slow to adopt modern advancements and simplification.

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Aggravating-Trip-546@reddit

Observe gear down ops by 14DME to prevent ice blocks from falling. 😂 Only here. Only on these runways….

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thanksforallthetrees@reddit

Haha that one time ice fell on someone’s house: new rule required.

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Aggravating-Trip-546@reddit

100%

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yorhatypeanumber2@reddit

kai tak, take a look at youtube videos and you'll easily see why

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Acc87@reddit

Can't get over how they managed to land Concorde there

https://youtu.be/1s7Q-Z2PGQw

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bears-eat-beets@reddit

I love that video. It always seems like they are sitting 1kt above stall on both takeoff and landing.

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OfficePicasso@reddit

What an awesome video, I’d never seen this one before

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big_ups_@reddit

I think this is also testament to concorde's excellent low speed handling for a SST

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Acc87@reddit

Yeah, especially before extensive digital flybywire system were available. Like the Typhoon had a similar landing profile, but would be uncontrollable without its computers.

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Skycbs@reddit

I always made sure to book a window seat on the right

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coldbeers@reddit

My first ever long haul flight was into Kai Tak on the top deck of a BA 747.

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YogurtclosetSouth991@reddit

I have a friend who flies in Asia. When he was a newly minted first officer on 747's for Singapore he was landing at Kai Tak and happened to look out the window. Bizarrely as they went by a high rise he looked at eye level into a burning apartment. He said it was the strangest thing.

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Orcapa@reddit

I flew in and out of there as a passenger a couple of times in the 1990s. Trippy to be in a 747 coming in there.

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rekiirek@reddit

Aim at the hill and don't forget to turn right.

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CotswoldP@reddit

Don't forget to wave out the left window at child me standing on the balcony looking down on you!

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yorhatypeanumber2@reddit

gotta spot that checkerboard!

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ExpressionDramatic83@reddit

Could watch those landing videos all day

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yorhatypeanumber2@reddit

my dentist's father used to fly into there regularly, the stories he's told me about landing there are truly something else

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Nighthawk-FPV@reddit

Never flown into it, but landing at Paro, Bhutan in an A320 looks pretty janky.

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GobFedDis@reddit

As a passenger, landing in Toncontin airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and in Ushuaia, Argentina were quite the experience. Much respect for the pilots

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SackOfCats@reddit

Tegucigalpa, was a demanding approach for sure. My old company required us to fly it in the sim first.

I didn't think any US carrier had scheduled service there anymore. My present airline doesn't. I did go to Palmerola International Airport a couple days ago. Right near guci, new airport, and without the pucker factor.

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TeevMeister@reddit

How’s it coming along at Palmerola? I was down there from 22-23 and they were barely functioning…

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SackOfCats@reddit

In and out, easy peasy.

ATC was fine, but it was an easy day without much traffic. Ground crew on point, we pushed early. It was my first time in there, everything looks like pretty new. I didn't go up in the terminal, so I can't comment on that.

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TeevMeister@reddit

Good to hear that. Any idea if the ATC tower was active? They were supposed to open in 2022 but it kept getting pushed right.

The facilities were very nice (minus the flooding that one time lol). Super clean, decent food options. Car rental was easy too.

For the record, I was working adjacent with the airport on the military side, I’m not involved civil aviation. This is just to sate my curiosity.

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SackOfCats@reddit

Tower was open when I went in, it was early afternoon on a weekday.

The tower looked pretty new and fancy.

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TeevMeister@reddit

Nice! They were working out of a mobile tower when I was there. Their ATC was inexperienced so deconflicting helo ops was a recurring issue.

Cool to hear things are shaping up. Nice people working down there, and a beautiful valley to fly into.

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Boomerdog69@reddit

This is the craziest one I’ve ever experienced. I think I was on Continental back around 98/99 time frame. I am a GA pilot, but I was a passenger and I knew when the captain came on the com and said this is a unique approach and to not be worried that it was going to be fun. What a crazy approach down through that valley, would be fun in a smaller plane but crazy in a 737.

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GobFedDis@reddit

Yes, the pilot announcement made it all the more interesting. I went on American around 2009-2010. It was a 757 and the drop over the mountains was incredible.

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cool_side_of_pillow@reddit

I STILL remember this from a flight in 1990 on Continental airlines.

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Own_Cow_2475@reddit

TIL about runway naming convention. Pretty simple actually!

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somewhereinCT@reddit

Non-pilot, but I hear my New Haven, CT (very small airport) is especially difficult. Serviced by Avelo and Breeze

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True_Context7058@reddit

Lukla in Nepal is brutal with its 1,700-foot runway, high altitude, and zero go-around option, but in the US I’d say Aspen (KASE) and Juneau (PAJN) are pretty challenging. Aspen’s got the one-way-in, one-way-out approach with terrain on all sides, and Juneau’s constant low ceilings and gusty crosswinds can really test your IFR skills. Both demand precision and leave little margin for error.

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paulomario77@reddit

Waiting for a Brazilian pilot to appear and mention Santos Dumont airport in Rio.

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Mannyy@reddit

Or Congonhas

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Julianus@reddit

I landed there as a passenger and the approach was incredible.

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clippervictor@reddit

Beautiful approach though

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Jetmanman@reddit

Bilboa

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Sleepless_Honor_2018@reddit

The boat at night with 9 knots stbd

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queenofadmin@reddit

Not a pilot but Queenstown, New Zealand (ZQN) is known for being pretty difficult due to mountain/winds and being a short runway.

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Julianus@reddit

There’s a view point on a mountain pass into town where the jets are at eye level or below you. It’s a really cool place to go plane spotting.

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BloodLemming@reddit

I spent a day at the top of Deer Park Heights quite some time back watching the planes take off through the gap. Apparently DPH has been closed to the public now, so I'm glad I had the opportunity.

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CFox21@reddit

It’s still open, but it does cost something like $75 NZD per vehicle.

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darkblackthistle@reddit

Not a pilot also but flew in there a few weeks ago and wow was it gorgeous going through the mountains. It was a flawless touch down for us, but I'd heard it could be rough. Pilots were super confident, which helped.

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CascadeNZ@reddit

NZ pilots rule. Queenstown and Wellington!

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whakashorty@reddit

Love coming into wellington on a windy day! Which is most of the time!

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Radie-Storm@reddit

Yeah everyone clapping for the landing is a regular occurrence in Wellington haha

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whakashorty@reddit

Everybody screaming a few times lol.

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Seattle_gldr_rdr@reddit

I flew into Queenstown (as a passenger) on a windy day and I was like "Oooh, uh whoa, eek, erp, oy... BANG ahhhh whew"

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Zealousideal_Rise716@reddit

Yeah - I flown well over a 1000 legs in my life - all over the world - but by far the biggest damned bump I ever hit was at 9,000ft just after taking off at Qtown.

I'm not a nervous flyer at all, but that one really had me wondering at exactly how much stress these airframes can take.

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Solid-Cake7495@reddit

I've done Queenstown a few times. Look up the VOR-B circle to 05, or the VOR-C circle to 23. Then remember that it might start raining meatbombs and you're in for a fun day.

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PotentialRange3873@reddit

My local glider club with high trees next to the runway and always crosswind in a light taildragger.

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Wastedmindman@reddit

13W - it’s 24 feet wide and 1750ft long and has wicked winds off the water .

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JackRiley152@reddit

Twin Oaks (T94) in San Antonio. Right smack in the middle of a neighborhood (literally) Landing is “at your own risk” and only one way (Runway 30)

Every couple years there is someone who overshoots and ends up on the residential street.

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A1_Killer@reddit

NAP but I think Madeira is meant to be pretty hard due to the winds being unpredictable?

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flightist@reddit

I had to read this a couple times before I understood you weren’t suggest Naples was a tough airport.

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A1_Killer@reddit

Haha, should have known better than to use a 3 letter acronym on an aviation subreddit

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flightist@reddit

There’s always an airport!

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GrandMasterRobo@reddit

Interesting that nobody has mentioned Leh, India so far.

Two toughest airports I have landed so far are Lukla and Leh. Absolutely gorgeous and scary at the same time. Back then we were required to simulate and practice a single engine go-around in an empty aircraft in Leh. For this, one engine is kept at idle and other works in TOGA (full power) to produce thrust.

It was scary how difficult it was to maneuver even an empty 320 in that terrain. No matter the rate of climb, the Radio altimeter kept reducing for a while because you are climbing with the mountain face.

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anandonaqui@reddit

I’ve flown into Lukla and it’s nuts. Probably hasn’t come up here because the only pilots who have flown into Lukla are Nepali dudes with no sense of fear.

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chootbum@reddit

Northeastern India, terrain along with short runways and most don’t have ils

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Weary_Bat2456@reddit

My local, LGA.

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mfsp2025@reddit

I only fly for a regional but DCA River Visual 19 is very fun but a bit challenging. The biggest stress is P-56 on the other side of the river. You’re in big trouble if you fly even slightly into it.

Then you got timing the turn to final so you don’t over/undershoot. It’s a short runway. And if you’re flying with ice speeds (about 10 knots faster Vapp, you’ll float like crazy if there’s no ice), it gets tough.

But I fly into a lot of easy airports so if DCA is the hardest I have to do, I’m not complaining.

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Eastern_Fix_2944@reddit

Not if you let the auto pilot fly it

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iamflyipilot@reddit

Definitely Clearview Airpark in Maryland (2W2) at night with winds out of the west. Short and narrow runway (1840X30) on a hill. Landing on 32 you will be landing downhill and have a displaced threshold leaving only about 1550’ for runway. Not much margin for error or emergencies. By no means impossible but you need to be at your best to go in there.

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Boomerdog69@reddit

The two that I have personally flown are Aspen and Telluride. Telluride with its tailwinds on takeoff are a little freaky. My best friend crashed his turbine Bonanza coming out of Telluride because right as he went gear up, he got hit with 40 KTS on the tail and lost lift and set it down on the belly past the end of the runway. Lots of butt pucker in Telluride.

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torklugnutz@reddit

Telluride co.

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pavehawkfavehawk@reddit

As a helo guy it’s more about the procedures taxiing (big helo can’t just land next to general aviation) and how busy it is to get in than the actual approaches. Hardest I’ve had so far was ATL.

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PilotL39@reddit

Castlegar (CYCG) - bonus points if you did it in a 737

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pchernik@reddit

*Cancelgar.

With the localizer on the other side of the Columbia River and completely unaligned to either runway.

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neckzit@reddit

They’ve gotten a 737 down there?! Was that a regular passenger service or SEFC stuff?

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PilotL39@reddit

Last ones to go in there with a 737 was Canadian North -300 on a charter. Pacific Western Airlines used to have a sched milk run with their -200s

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1966TEX@reddit

Passenger complaining about the flight being cancelled departing Castlegar due to poor weather. Pilot asked the complaining passenger if he can see the mountains surrounding the airport. Passenger shrugs and says “no”. Pilot comments “ well neither can I and that’s why we aren’t going”.

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CrashSlow@reddit

GreyHound is available if anyone is looking to get to Casltegar tonight.

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YogurtclosetSouth991@reddit

My old fire chief worked there. For night landings they had to put out lanterns for the runway lights.

I flew I there VFR from the east. Report the Brilliant Dam they said and we would be on base leg. What? And then pretty much diving for the airport.

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Headoutdaplane@reddit

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zUy0pyRXTlo&pp=ygUYVHlwaWNhbCBsYW5kaW5nIG5hbndhbGVr

Nanwalek Alaska, curved runway that has almost always has a crosswind because it runs parallel to the beach. One end has a bluff and the other is the village. Listed as 1,800 ft but useable is shorter.

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Cosmic_StormZ@reddit

Not a pilot but in my country, Mangaluru and Kozhikode

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puffy_tail@reddit

Not a pilot, but Saba (Juancho Yrausquin)is a fun takeoff and landing experience. It has the shortest commercial runway in the world. 400 meters.

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travis2886@reddit

Aspen Telluride

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RudeCommunication961@reddit

One of the only aborted landings I’ve been part off. Crazy to feel the wheels touch down and then the engines go up to TOGA and have the plane shot back into the air.

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Aaron90495@reddit

At Aspen? Yeah just had this happen twice in the same landing lol

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StupidSexyFlagella@reddit

I flew into aspen in the summer. I would not want to in the winter.

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Aaron90495@reddit

We flew in and out of Aspen this August and had a total of 3 go-arounds during our RT (granted, one of those was landing in Austin but still). 0/10 no fun, fiancee was spooked af haha

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marveisafatcat@reddit

Rothera, narsarsuaq, Reykjavik are ones that stand out to me I’ve been too.

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Tommy_tom_@reddit

innsbruck. tough because of terrain, short runway, non standard approaches (especially circling onto 08). but i love it. it’s either interesting weather and an interesting day or lovely weather and stunning views all the way in

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Sweaty_Sheepherder27@reddit

Recently flown into Innsbruck (as a passenger), the most beautiful approach I've seen in a long while.

Am I right in thinking that you end up taxiing on the runway after landing?

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Gullible_Goose@reddit

Yeah, the taxiways don't reach the ends of the runway so on takeoff and sometimes on landing you need to backtaxi down the runway. Each end of the runway has extra width for turning around. Not super uncommon at smaller airports

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anactualspacecadet@reddit

I personally am not a fan of visual approaches over mountainous terrain because it kinda forces you to do jank shit, I remember Prescott AZ has one of those that starts at like 10,000 feet. I would much rather approach from the non-mountainous side and circle to land, obviously I understand why they don’t solicit opposite direction approaches but it would be nice.

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Stocomx@reddit

14A in North Carolina in a c172. Short runway with trees directly at the pavement end. Coming out at max load is a hand full. If it’s above 90 temps don’t try it. Have to build up as much speed as possible… add flaps after take off roll once speed is gained… balance plane on the stall horn…. Get tossed around from varying cross winds coming thru the houses on the right hand side… watch “if not rotated by this point abort” sing. Almost touch top of trees with landing gear without stalling.

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More_Than_I_Can_Chew@reddit

Landing a jet in Santa Monica's 3500 foot strip always got my attention.

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happierinverted@reddit

The airport that your brain and your cockpit admin didn’t get to 10 minutes beforehand…

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avoidant_fatigue@reddit

YTZ (Toronto’s Island Airport) has a steep glide slope and gusty winds can be tricky when blowing from the North through the downtown core. I’ve been on flights with three go-arounds.

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jdmillar86@reddit

Watching landing there is what made a trip up the CN tower worth it for me!

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Radie-Storm@reddit

Watched a Wendover documentary about the St Helena airport which sounds like a nightmare

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Agitated-Trifle-5333@reddit

FNC (Madeira). istrong Atlantic winds, the airport's lon the side of a mountain with steep cliffs, a short and narrow runway, and visual-only approach that requires a sharp turn just before landing. The short runway and sharp approach means go-arounds or diversions are not unusual

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JimTheJerseyGuy@reddit

OP, try asking this over at /r/flying.

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Solid-Cake7495@reddit

Seletar (Singapore - WSSL) looks easy, but lots of jets screw it up. It's sandwiched between two military bases, so the circuit is quite tight.

Arriving from the north with a circle to land onto 03, you're 1,500' downwind and 1.5 miles from the airport. People frequently overshoot the turn onto final and / or end up too high or too fast.

Departing to the north from 21 also causes problems. Pilots frequently accelerate too soon, which increases the turn radius, so they end up in Sembawang airspace, which is quite unpopular. The other thing they do is overspeed the flaps.

It looks so easy, but it's the hotspot in Asia.

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Third_Coast_2025@reddit

Flooded ones- for obvious reasons.

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Never_Shall_We_Die@reddit

You landed Lukla? Thats once of the most challenging for sure. What were ya flying?

I havent landed anywhere too extreme but shorter grass strips are always fun. In summer we can see density altitudes of 6500' and greater so you definitely have to do your math and every lb counts

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Ok_Lime4124@reddit

Not a pilot but made me think about how at my airline they have to have certain quals to land in JNU. I just know it gets pretty bumpy. Would love to know what others in the states specifically are challenging.

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sweller55@reddit

Aspen