Southern City Airports

[Lexy]

Greetings!

I have done this type of thread in about three other forums and it seems to be somewhat popular. Many of us, heck the majority of us, are proud of our local airports and are more than willing to talk about them on here. I can think of about five "***** International Airport" threads in the southern state forums just off the top of my head. Well, this is a chance to talk, compare, and showcase our gateways here. Many of you are aware of sites like "Airliners.net" and "Jetphotos.net" respectively, this is your chance to show me and everyone else your airports. I have a couple of pics up on "A.net" and a few on "Jetphotos. net", but the majority of mine are on my PBase site. If you got pics, show them. If you don't go get some and show them!!! LOL!! Eitherway, the south is booming and with that, our airports are booming. Without them, the economic engine shuts down. Let's see what ya got.

In my area there are two primary airports: Nashville International Airport (KBNA) and Smyrna Airport (KMQY). Smyrna is the states busiest general aviation airport with daily operations in the hundreds. Nashville is the states second busiest airport with daily operations well above 400 commercial flights a day. Just last year, BNA totaled over 9.4 million passengers, which is a new record. This year, it is expected to top 10 million passengers. I am part of a large aviation spotters group here in Nashville, the Nashville Aviation Phtogrpahers. We have a public observation lot at BNA where you can get some really cool pictures of airplanes and movements. I have connections at Smyrna that get me out on the field there as well. Here is just a sampling from the two airports. Enjoy and please, post your pics if you got them!

Nashville-KBNA

Smyrna-KMQY

[NcSc74]

I knew this would happen. When I had to fly home earlier this month I started to take pics of the airports I had to layover in. Although they all were from the south I still could have taken some. My impression of RDU is that it has some work to do. The new terminal will look great but the interiors need work. IMO it layout is great. It allows room for expansion without being to spread out. However it just seems too small for the metro area and region it serves. RDU serves the eastern half of NC but yet it doesn't give me the feeling that similar airports of the same size across the nation. Maybe there should be another topic. Like airports in urban locations vs airports located miles from the city. An airport is a visitors first impression of an area and I like mine to be in an urban setting. We have no airports like that in NC although Charlotte and RDU have significant passenger numbers. I was surprised by Minneapolis-St. Pauls airport. I don't know if it just went through a refurb or what but they did a great job of it. Very modern feeling and the spacey inside. One last thing I did check out Charlotte-Douglass on google earth and did not realize how big it was. That is the only major airport in NC that I have not flown out of.

[TBurban]

Lexy, you airplane photos are incredible! I've seen many of them in the Nashville forum, and have wondered how you were able to capture these shots. Either way, very impressive!

Richmond International Airport

Ticket Counters

To Terminals

Baggage Claim

Main Entrance

The 'Richmond Arch'

[wrldcoupe4]

great shots tommy!

[Lexy]

great shots tommy!

[mrchris386]

I hate the Airport here in ATL. One security checkpoint for the busiest airport = annoying. Has anyone ever flown out of TPA? I believe that is the nicest, and most well laid out airport I have been to.

[tombarnes]

It's been quite some time since I have been in the airport in Tampa, but as I recall, it IS very well laid out and is comparatively easy to use. ATL is much easier to use than it used to be, though the security checkpoints there are nearly always choked with travelers.

[eandslee]

If you've never flown to locations in Southern California, you'd be amazed by some of their airports. I'll single out Ontario, CA and Santa Barbara, CA airports - these airports are almost entirely outside (no jetways - just portable ladders that lead to the tarmac and, the baggage claim - all outside with a roof over head). It's really interesting. I wasn't expecting it when I first flew to these places and I thought it would be something that people in the south or the east really don't see unless, of course, they fly to these places. I'm a true southerner (from Richmond), but I just thought I would mention how some airports in the west are just to give you all some perspective that is somewhat different from what we're all used to seeing in the east.

By-the-way, Richmond International Airport just hit an all-time high in single day passenger traffic 2 days ago! This is great news considering our airport traffic had been pretty much stagnant until a few years ago when the renovations and expansion occurred. The photos above are proof positive that with the expansion and new air service (along with cheaper flights), Richmond International is finally making its move into the spot light of airports - something I'm very proud of.

[Greenville]

I hate the Airport here in ATL. One security checkpoint for the busiest airport = annoying. Has anyone ever flown out of TPA? I believe that is the nicest, and most well laid out airport I have been to.

[Eastwestrob]

I ask anyone with pic's of RDU please post.

[Tayfromcarolina]

Ye ask and ye shall receive. I was just at the airport briefly this past weekend picking up a friend, and the frame of the new terminal C is up and they are starting the sheathing I believe it is to open in 2009 then work will begin on the Terminal A redo. It is designed by the same architects who designed Denvers world famous airport. there is also serious talk of a third runway.

Here is the new terminal for completion 2009. Should be one of the souths finest air facilities when complete>>>

[Eastwestrob]

^^Thank you Tay. Those renderings are sweet looking.The last time I flew out of RDU was on my 21st birthday to move to California.That was in 1987....so you could imagine the changes since then. A third runway would really do wonders to RDU's Status and prepare us for upcoming growth.

[ohioaninSC]

No pictures here, but I avoid flying into Atlanta like the Plague. I think besides Washington Dulles, it is the worst airport in the country. It is always way too crowded, and you always have like half an hr to go from like concourse B to concourse D or something like that. I do like the Charlotte Douglas Airport, and also like the Tampa Airport, both are easy to get around in. Other airports I like in the south are RDU, New Orleans, and Houston Intercontinental. I have frequent flier accts w/ Continental and Northwest, so I fly through Houston a lot.

Outside the South, I too like MSP, as well as Denver and Newark Liberty. San Diego has the coolest flightpath, b/c when you fly in, and your on the left side of the plane, it will look like your about to hit the skyscrapers in downtown, b/c the airport is only a few miles away. I think that is why SD has a height limit of like 500 feet.

[shanthemanatl]

No pictures here, but I avoid flying into Atlanta like the Plague. I think besides Washington Dulles, it is the worst airport in the country. It is always way too crowded, and you always have like half an hr to go from like concourse B to concourse D or something like that. I do like the Charlotte Douglas Airport, and also like the Tampa Airport, both are easy to get around in. Other airports I like in the south are RDU, New Orleans, and Houston Intercontinental. I have frequent flier accts w/ Continental and Northwest, so I fly through Houston a lot.

Outside the South, I too like MSP, as well as Denver and Newark Liberty. San Diego has the coolest flightpath, b/c when you fly in, and your on the left side of the plane, it will look like your about to hit the skyscrapers in downtown, b/c the airport is only a few miles away. I think that is why SD has a height limit of like 500 feet.

[sunshine]

[Lexy]

The area between the terminal and the road seems narrow, I guess RDU doesnt want A380 stop there.

[ohioaninSC]

Why in the world does it take you half an hour to get from Concourse B to Concourse D?

In my extensive experience using Hartsfield, it takes me about 45 seconds on the underground tram.

And I'm surprised you like Denver, since its layout was largely modeled after Hartsfield.

[shanthemanatl]

Not sure if it is between B & D or not, but whenever I have gone down to use the tram, there is always a ton of people in line, and invariably, the first tram fills up before I can get in it. I think my biggest problem w/ Hartsfield is that there are too many people there. While Denver is busy, it isn't nearly as busy as Hartsfield. I am not a fan of extremely crowded airports in general, hence why I also don't like O'Hare, Dulles(absolutely my most hated), and JFK. While, other hub airports I've been in are definitely busy, like Houston, Charlotte Douglas, Salt Lake City, Denver, MSP, & PHX they just aren't quite as busy. I guess it's just my prefernce.

[RDUairport]

I've also got a few on Airliners.net and just a couple with jetphotos.net. I'm a local of RDU so here are a few. I'll try to get more up when I get the chance. Enjoy!

Charter flight

Cargo Charter flight

American 173 from London Gatwick

[HSVTiger]

Huntsville International plans; expansion,

around 1.2 million passengers a year.

HSV has a 12,600' and a 10,000' parallel runways a mile apart and a third in the planning.

the airport currently covers 10,000 acres

Huntsville International Airport was the fastest growing

airport (cargo) outside Asia among the world

[aboutmetro]

Alabama public Radio at Troy University does a weekly segment where a rep from Montgomery's airport comes on to talk about using terciary airports (that's not what he calls it, but that's what it is). He mentions some pretty great fares out of Montgomery vs. B'ham for example. The one to Vegas he mentioned was about $90 bucks cheaper. I've driven to B'ham and even Columbus, GA to avoid ATL. Once you get into ATL, it's not too bad, it's just getting there. I have taken Marta, but those parking lots even stay full these days.