What are some of the airports that you fly into/out of that are a challenge? What makes them that way? I'd imagine it would be kind of exciting to get a little stick and rudder time. Thank you all so much!

Sometimes its not about the airport itself, but how hard can your company make it with a bunch of extranious -7 pages. Or ATC for that matter. Brief the RNAV out of CLT, ATL, OR DFW, verfiy you can meet the climb gradient required, verify proper runway is loaded, etc. Blast off, hit the altitude required before heading to the first fix, press "direct", arm the LNAV, engage the autopilot (if required per company policy on an RNAV1), make sure the crossing restrictions look like theyre going to be met, usually while being told to contact departure. Do the after take off checklist then call departure, only to be given a geading to fly.......

Also, some airports arent that challenging, UNLESS you screw up. Like DCA for example.

But a personal favorite is departing north out of OAX.

While European airports all have their treats, Paris Le Bouget is a fan favorite--11 airport briefing pages, 82 STARs and Approach Transitions pages BEFORE getting onto the ILS initial approach page, then the ILS final approach. AND as an additional Gallic treat, it's all kept a secret until out of about FL 310. Then, the clearance is given at a Chicago-style pace in French accents. Just what you need after an all night flight. Usually works out, but always a challenge.

OTOH, Aspen can be a real threat, in addition to a challenge--real mountains, real close. At least, you can trust the controllers in dealing with the weather and terrain, not something that can be said about Petropavlovsk (UHPP), Russian Far East.

GF

Mexico city springs to mind, high terrain all over and procedural flying combined with high elevation.

Milan malpensa with the complicated departure procedures and the high terrain to the north and frequent bad weather.

Indeed all russian airport with the altitude conversions to meters and and altitudes referenced to airport elevation compared to msl and the hard to understand ATC

I always thought TEB was a pain in the rump. Mandatory step downs on the ILS, then go vis at the FAF, break off the ILS hold hard alt cross midfield abeam for left traffic to intersecting Runway usually with 20 knots Xwind following someone on base all the while ignoring the RA's TCAS is screaming about from Newark heavies passing overhead. What fun! And after a 10 hr from Alaska. Im such a baby though.

+1 about UHPP. First time I flew in there it was hard IMC all the way in. We left the following morning on a perfectly clear day with eyes wide open. At least in Anadyr there is nothing for you to hit! You can also add in the difficulty of getting out of those Far East Russian airports when they modify your clearance while you are holding in position to a fix that doesn't exist on the Jepp Charts. It's always a treat to be part of the pilot-controller exchange in those situations. The hotel in UHPP is a whole different type of challenge.

-ETP

North Las Vegas ILS xx (only one ILS). The MVA is around 1500ft higher than the GS int alt & due to the terrain, they have to keep you in tight (around 3-5nm from the FAF).

ETP

Indeed, the hotels are a challenge. The Avacha or the Hotel Petro?

GF

TEB is a definate for the GA guys, both on arrival or departure because of all the traffic

When the weather is scummy over lake Eerie, departing off BKL into the night cloudy sky sure could throw you for a loop, all the lights around the downtown area, then immediately turning into a dark horizonless sky was always a treat to show a new guy.

ETP

Oh, and using QFE altimetry is a treat, too. Along with meters.

Agreed on KBKL, an night departure over a frozen Lake Erie is treat.

GF