There are a few places I want to fly into but so far have not for one fear or another:
- Big Bear – tales of high winds over the mountain pass to get into the Lake Arrowhead area have put me off flying into here. Oh, and in the summer density altitude is scary, and in the winter I worry about ice and snow on the runway.
- Sedona – it’s very busy, it’s uncontrolled, and usually you land in the opposite direction to the take off. I think I have this image of me on final with another guy playing chicken towards me. Oh, and of course it’s a carrier landing, downdrafts and all that.
- Santa Ynez – mostly this is due to tales of crazy antics, mass disregard to the procedures for getting in and out of an uncontrolled field, just sounds crazy dangerous.
I’ll get to them some point, and perhaps Big Bear for my birthday later this year, but they definitely stand out.
My personal favorite is Lukla.
It’s on the side of a mountain near Mt Everest at 9380 ft, and slightly inclined. I think the pictures of it are amazing, and I’d love to see it.