Best and Worst
 

Name some airports with the best and worst lit runways at night.

Runway lighting is standardized, so if a 121 operator can go there, it should be adequate. You (or the tower) can adjust the intensity of the runway/ALS lights as needed.

Taxiway lighting is more likely to be an issue (taxiway lights can be weak or NOTAMed OOS but the taxiway can still be used I think). The complexity of the airport layout is what really creates confusion (ORD, DFW, LAX)

Vashon municipal! Worst.

Not at Bakersfield, BFL. We fly 121 ops there. Almost landed wrong runway TWICE!

VFR runway is MUCH brighter than long runway. With the 3-5sm vis at night, it can be 'sporting'. Called tower to complain, they say the county controls the lights and have the short runway set to a fixed (bright) intensity. The tower wanted more complaints like mine to take to the county for ammo.

Yea, airport politics.

age of gps
 

An airport can notam its out of service beacon in a heartbeat, and runway lights are yet another issue if you can't find the airport. I am amazed the way some airports can be so nonchalant about their beacons. One of them decided to block off 20 degrees with a metal plate along a vfr corridor saying it annoyed the tower, and one let the beacon break down for over a year supposedly waiting on parts. My conclusion is, beacons are not used seriously enough anymore to count on them. One had better have gps!

You have to respect those who flew in the days before gps or loran. I think pilots were more aware of what was going on in those days and had a sixth sense for how to find things. I wasn't around but I would hope the present lackadaisical attitude towards beacons goes with the age of gps.

I have GPS, but use the beacon to call the field. It does help with awareness in the terminal environment. Anyways, I think most of the large "Bravo" airports in VMC nights have bad lighting because of the ambient light polution of the surrounding area, and the low-light settings for the landing runways. It's economical as it can be to keep'm low as possible if you don't need them. If you want them brighter, shouldn't be afraid to ask either.

Now as far as hardest airport to find at night, I'd vote MDW. When I fly in there, I'm coming from the east-southeast, so that angle it's rather difficult to find it. I have no problem now, but the first few weeks it took awhile to really get a good bearing on it's exact location in the sea of lights.

The only way to find an airport in a metropolitan area is to aim the nose at the darkest area you can see LoL

For those of us without GPS, beacons are a God-sent, at times, as well.:D

Calgary. No centerline or touchdown lights. Taxiways are poorly lit as well.

EWR at night....Multiple taxiways that chang names as you go....hard to see lights at night, especially in the rain....Hate that place.

And it ain't any better during day VFR!