The 16 best airports to fly in a flight simulator

A flight simulator lets you take off from almost any runway on Earth. That is the problem: with so many to choose from, where do you start? Some airports are worth flying for the view, some for the challenge, and a few for both.

These are the sixteen that Open Flight World highlights on its departure screen, picked for what you see from the cockpit and for what they ask of the pilot. Each one is a real airport, with its runways, markings, lights and PAPI, over the real terrain.

The great cities

New York JFK (KJFK)

Line up on runway 31L and Manhattan is straight ahead, on the horizon across Jamaica Bay. It is the simulator's default start for a reason: few departures look better, especially at dusk, when the towers catch the last light. Arriving, the Canarsie approach to runway 13L is a classic, with a low, curving turn over the bay to line up at the last moment.

Los Angeles (KLAX)

Four parallel runways pointing west, and the Pacific Ocean right off their ends. Departures climb straight out over the water; arrivals come in over the grid of the city, a long, straight approach that is perfect for practising a stable descent.

San Francisco (KSFO)

SFO's runways reach out into the bay, so on a low approach the water seems to come up to meet you before the concrete appears. A short flight north takes you over the city to the Golden Gate Bridge.

London Heathrow (EGLL)

Two long parallel runways, and on most days the arrivals fly in from the east, along the Thames, over central London. Follow the river at a few thousand feet and the city passes under your wing.

Paris Charles de Gaulle (LFPG)

Paris's main airport sits about 25 km northeast of the city. Take off, turn southwest and you are over Paris in minutes, which makes it one of the best short sightseeing flights in Europe.

Madrid Barajas (LEMD)

Madrid's airport is high, about 600 metres above the sea, and the Sierra de Guadarrama, with peaks over 2,000 metres, rises to the northwest. The thinner air means longer takeoff runs: a nice lesson in how altitude affects performance.

Barcelona El Prat (LEBL)

Between the sea and the city: the beaches on one side, the delta of the Llobregat on the other, and Montjuïc and the city just beyond. Departures over the Mediterranean at sunrise are hard to beat.

Rome Fiumicino (LIRF)

Rome's main airport lies on the coast, by the mouth of the Tiber, about 30 km from the centre. Flat, wide and by the sea, it is a relaxed place to fly a big airliner.

Frankfurt (EDDF)

The great hub of Germany, with four runways, one of them used only for takeoffs to the south. Great for flying the A320 or the 787 the way the airlines do: long runways, busy skies and flat country all around.

Tokyo Haneda (RJTT)

Haneda is built out into Tokyo Bay, with runways on reclaimed land over the water. Approaches over the bay with the city spread along the shore are among the most beautiful in the simulator, especially at night.

Dubai (OMDB)

Two very long parallel runways, flat desert all around and the city's towers on the horizon, the Burj Khalifa above them all. Dubai is ideal for the big jets, including the A380, which you can fly in Open Flight World.

Islands and peaks

Hong Kong (VHHH)

Hong Kong International is built on an island of its own, next to Lantau, whose mountains rise steeply to the south. The approaches over the water, with islands and peaks around, are spectacular, and the old airport, Kai Tak, is a short flight east across the harbour. It is also the free airport in Open Flight World: read the story of Kai Tak and Hong Kong's approaches before you go.

Princess Juliana, Sint Maarten (TNCM)

The most photographed approach in the world. Landing on runway 10, aircraft pass a few dozen metres over Maho Beach, just before the threshold, with people on the sand below. Fly it low and slow in the Cessna, or bring something big for the spectacle.

The challenges

Innsbruck (LOWI)

Innsbruck sits in the narrow valley of the Inn, with Alpine peaks over 2,000 metres on both sides. Approaches follow the valley, turning with it, and there is no straight-in descent from far away. It is one of the most demanding airports in Europe, and one of the most rewarding to fly well.

Gibraltar (LXGB)

Gibraltar's runway crosses the whole isthmus between Spain and the Rock, and for decades the main road into Gibraltar crossed the runway too, closed with barriers for every landing. A tunnel now takes most of that traffic underneath. The Rock beside the runway disturbs the wind, so expect a bumpy final when it blows from the east.

Queenstown (NZQN)

Surrounded by mountains, with the Remarkables to the east and Lake Wakatipu beside it, Queenstown is one of the most scenic airports anywhere. Airlines fly special procedures to get in; in the simulator, try it in the Cessna on a clear day first, then in cloud.

How to make the most of them

• Pick the hour. Most of these airports are at their best at dawn or dusk. You can fly at the real hour of the place, or choose dawn, day, dusk or night on the start screen.
• Use HD if your computer allows it. The 3D buildings of New York, London, Paris or Tokyo change the experience completely. The Free graphics show the terrain and imagery, without the buildings.
• Start where you want to practise. Each airport can be started lined up on the runway, on final approach or already in the air.
• Look at the traffic. These are busy airports in real life, and the real aircraft flying there right now appear around you. Here is how live traffic works.

A suggested order

If you are just starting, begin with the big, flat airports: Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Dubai or Frankfurt. When you can land the Cessna every time, try the cities for the view (New York, London, Paris), then the islands, and keep Innsbruck, Gibraltar and Queenstown for when you want a real challenge.

Frequently asked questions