Plane Answers: Kent's 3 favorite and 3 most dreaded runways. {Gadling}

Nov 25th 2008 10:33AM Hey Kent,

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that likes the shorter more challenging airports. One of my favorites in the MD-80 system is Montrose, CO (KMTJ). Being a non-towered/ non-rader airport I remember once canceling IFR at 17,000 ft and flying a "traffic pattern" in the big jet!!! Just looked out the window and turned all that fancy automation off!

I also really like Seattle (KSEA) and Portland (KPDX) but that is because I grew up in that area.

Chicago (KORD) is another great one because the controllers really know how to "push tin"! It's nice working with controllers who know what they are doing.

In small airplanes- any off airport landing is awesome, corn fields with a J-3 cub or Cessna 180 comes to mind, also a small river island on the Columbia River near Kelso, WA (KKLS) and of course a great little strip in Brookline, New Hampshire (NH16)- short with trees all around!

As for least favorites that's hard, as each airport has it fun factor, but I guess Dallas/Ft Worth (KDFW) is somewhere that doesn't get my juices flowing. Also St. Louis (KSTL) because they have to many frequency's for you to use to get out of there, last time it took 6 frequency's just to get to the runway- Ramp to Metering to Clearance to East Ground to West Ground to Tower! Houston (KIAH) has the same issue also.

Russell P