Flying into Charolette (KCLT)

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Reklats

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Reklats
I'm flying my wife and myself down to Charlotte next week for PASS Summit (http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2013/Home.aspx). DA40/G1000 out of KMSN. Little long to do it non-stop so I was going to stop somewhere halfway and KOVO sounds as good as anything (still need to call and double check online information). Based on positive reviews on AirNav and a post on here, I'm planning on flying into KCLT. I've flown thru class B before (MSP) but this is my first time planning to land at the class B airport.

Does any have any experience they can share with flying into KCLT? I'll be on an IFR plan approaching from the North West and was looking at something like AZQ, HMV, BZM, MOPED/Vectors at 9,000 ft. If the there are low ceilings/precip and low freezing levels, any suggestions for VFR from the north west?

With the conference starting on Wednesday, we were going to fly down on Tuesday, but thankfully work is flexible and we could leave early to get down ahead of weather.

Thanks in advance.
 
I've heard it's a piece of cake. I've only flown over it a half dozen times or so on the way into Concord (KJQF).
 
Wilson rocks. KCLT is as benign of a Class Bravo as there is...

VFR or IFR operations into CLT are easy. There are ILS's everywhere...if you have to use one...Note on the VFR charts that there are some really tall towers to the WNW in a cluster.

I have no experience coming from the NW but ATC does everything possible to get you on the runway (18L/36R) right beside Wilson on the east side of the airport...ATC will work with you to get you in...

Rent a car through Wilson, it is typically 10-20 dollars a day cheaper than getting the car yourself...getting into downtown is two turns out of Wilson..

Uptown is a pretty thriving place and not quite the security risk Tony is making it out to be...lots of slamming places to eat in the Church/Tryon/College Street area...NASCAR Museum if that floats your boat...Belk Theater almost always has cool stuff happening...the wife may enjoy Concord Mills...mention it before she looks it up...score huge points...

Enjoy!
 
Tony_Scarpelli said:
It has been quite a while 10+ yrs, I fought off three black youth who thought they were doing to mug me (Urban Down town).
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Sorry you had such a poor experience. That experience would affect my opinion of the town, for sure. I believe things have changed quite a bit in the last 10+ years.

As with any large city, there are good spots and bad. My impression of Charlotte is that it is safe downtown around areas such as the Epicenter and inside the "wedge" to the South roughly formed by South Ave or Tryon Street and Providence.
 
jhausch said:
Sorry you had such a poor experience. That experience would affect my opinion of the town, for sure. I believe things have changed quite a bit in the last 10+ years.

As with any large city, there are good spots and bad. My impression of Charlotte is that it is safe downtown around areas such as the Epicenter and inside the "wedge" to the South roughly formed by South Ave or Tryon Street and Providence.
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No problem....I was raised in NYC and had a tendency to walk where ever I want after dark by myself. I was in Army Special Forces and I guess I was looking for a thrill and got it..... Not something I would do with my family or recommend anyone else do ever....

I view Wichita the same way but about 8 years ago I had a employee get beat badly under a bridge in the down town area...same thing youths looking for trouble, money....
 
I trained at Monroe (KEQY) which is underneath CLT's Bravo, and flew in to KCLT as a student (with my CFI). Really pretty easy, and good controllers IMO. Watch the wake turbulence and your golden.
 
Remember the old movie Escape from New York? That's kinda what Charlotte is like these days. :eek:

JUST KIDDING. Downtown, or as they like to call it around here, "uptown", is nice, and there is plenty to do/see around where the event is. If you're staying downtown somewhere, you most likely won't even need a car.

I can't answer your question about flying into KCLT though, as of now (still a student) I've avoided flying TOWARDS KCLT.

Concord Mills mall isn't a bad idea, although I think for ladies shopping, she might enjoy Southpark Mall better, but for that you may need a car to get to. Also, much better food options around Southpark mall.

But, if for some reason you decide to fly into KJQF, depending on times I could pick you up and give you a ride downtown, JQF is 5 minutes from my house. It might cost you a sql query or two :)
 
This is a timely thread. I just overnighted at CLT last night waiting for the cold front to pass.

My experience- Wilson Air was excellent. Great service and reasonable fuel prices. I showed up just before midnight and they were able to top me off, get the Baron in a hangar and set me up in a hotel in no time.

I don't know that I would agree with the comment that CLT was the 'most benign Class B', but my experience may have been affected by the effects of the storm. CLT was a ZOO around noon today. It took me over 30 minutes hanging out on the ground before I was able to get in the air and the pretty much sent me from one side of the field to the other. If CLT is normally as busy as it was today, I'd say Phoenix is by far easier to get in and out from a GA standpoint.

The controllers were very friendly, but if I had to wait 30 minutes to take off every time, I'd go someplace else.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
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EppyGA said:
I've heard it's a piece of cake. I've only flown over it a half dozen times or so on the way into Concord (KJQF).
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My brother lives in Moorseville, I've used Concord many times, nice airport.

Coming from west or NW I normally get BZM OWALT then vectors.
 
eman1200 said:
But, if for some reason you decide to fly into KJQF, depending on times I could pick you up and give you a ride downtown, JQF is 5 minutes from my house. It might cost you a sql query or two :)
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My son is about 3 miles away from JQF. We'll be up there this weekend. Undetermined whether we're flying or driving yet.
 
BTW, JQF has Avis in the terminal building. This weekend will be a zoo at Concord since it is race weekend.
 
EppyGA said:
BTW, JQF has Avis in the terminal building. This weekend will be a zoo at Concord since it is race weekend.
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I flew in on a race weekend once, it IS a zoo. Planes and helos every which direction! I'm not a big NASCAR[1] fan, but I couldn't pass up the offer of watching the race from a corp box and pit passes before the race.

[1] NASCAR: Non-Atheletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks
 
Bill Jennings said:
I flew in on a race weekend once, it IS a zoo. Planes and helos every which direction! I'm not a big NASCAR[1] fan, but I couldn't pass up the offer of watching the race from a corp box and pit passes before the race.

[1] NASCAR: Non-Atheletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks
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You might try the Richard Petty Driving experience sometime and see if you change your view point. ;)
 
Tony_Scarpelli said:
No problem....I was raised in NYC and had a tendency to walk where ever I want after dark by myself.
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I didn't know you were another refugee from NYC. Congratulations on escaping.
 
EppyGA said:
You might try the Richard Petty Driving experience sometime and see if you change your view point. ;)
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Looks like fun, but if I were to do a cage driving school I'd probably do Bondurant in the formula Mazda.
 
Charlotte is a big place (largest population, largest land area of any in NC), but the banking / hotel district down town is not any worse any major city. Of course any weekend the speedway has a NASCAR race is real busy everywhere.

We're about 30 miles north of town on (almost due north of CLT just on the edge of the outermost class B tier.
 
flyingron said:
Charlotte is a big place (largest population, largest land area of any in NC), but the banking / hotel district down town is not any worse any major city. Of course any weekend the speedway has a NASCAR race is real busy everywhere.

We're about 30 miles north of town on (almost due north of CLT just on the edge of the outermost class B tier.
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What is Lake Norman (14A) like? Looks like a nice scenic place to land.
 
Bill Jennings said:
What is Lake Norman (14A) like? Looks like a nice scenic place to land.
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I just drove up there this past weekend. it's 3100 x 40 and has what I consider a pretty heavy slope (I think 32 was down, 14 was up if I recall). Trees/homes surrounding the entire field, but from my perspective weren't too much of a concern (I guess compared to what I'm used to). Lots of hills surrounding the rwy and a special area for runups. I took a vid of a mooney taking off, I'll post it tonight when I get home.

But I envision a good 'scenic' flight for me to give passengers after I get my ticket would be 8A6 -> bounce off JQF -> head straight up the middle of Lk Norman to 14A, then back to 8A6. I just wish 14A had a place to eat, but they don't.
 
Kelvin said:
Wilson rocks. KCLT is as benign of a Class Bravo as there is...

VFR or IFR operations into CLT are easy. There are ILS's everywhere...if you have to use one...Note on the VFR charts that there are some really tall towers to the WNW in a cluster.

I have no experience coming from the NW but ATC does everything possible to get you on the runway (18L/36R) right beside Wilson on the east side of the airport...ATC will work with you to get you in...

Rent a car through Wilson, it is typically 10-20 dollars a day cheaper than getting the car yourself...getting into downtown is two turns out of Wilson..

Uptown is a pretty thriving place and not quite the security risk Tony is making it out to be...lots of slamming places to eat in the Church/Tryon/College Street area...NASCAR Museum if that floats your boat...Belk Theater almost always has cool stuff happening...the wife may enjoy Concord Mills...mention it before she looks it up...score huge points...

Enjoy!
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I would 2nd all of the above. Wilson is particularly good these days. Do get a car for the city.

In addition to 18L/36R, they will sometimes clear you for Rwy 23. if you get that clearance and want to exercise your short field landing skills, try for the taxiway Delta turn-off. However you have to let them know you can do it because I don't think they can't see you from the tower.

They can't see you over at Wilson either. You will be asked to turn on your transponder if you aren't squawking during taxi. I found out I needed to reconfigure my GTX-327 to enable manual operation before takeoff.
Fearless Tower said:
This is a timely thread. I just overnighted at CLT last night waiting for the cold front to pass.

My experience- Wilson Air was excellent. Great service and reasonable fuel prices. I showed up just before midnight and they were able to top me off, get the Baron in a hangar and set me up in a hotel in no time.

I don't know that I would agree with the comment that CLT was the 'most benign Class B', but my experience may have been affected by the effects of the storm. CLT was a ZOO around noon today. It took me over 30 minutes hanging out on the ground before I was able to get in the air and the pretty much sent me from one side of the field to the other. If CLT is normally as busy as it was today, I'd say Phoenix is by far easier to get in and out from a GA standpoint.

The controllers were very friendly, but if I had to wait 30 minutes to take off every time, I'd go someplace else.
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Being a hub, KCLT is subject to delays coming and going during a push. They just added that third parallel runway but apparently it still gets jammed up at times. It's not a place to base out of. There are plenty of better options for the locals. But for transients, KCLT has location especially when car traffic is factored in. I stopped going in to Concord because you can spend 30 mins getting on or off the Interstate exit when a local race is on or even on a big shopping day. Then the airport itself can be a mess on any NASCAR weekend.

Charlotte is one of the nicest, cleanest large cities around. We spent practically every weekend there for 5-6 years chasing good times but shields are up at all times. After many years in NYC, we find the Queen City a sweet place. My main worry these days is all the John Q Publics around here with legal concealed guns. I've already been mistaken for a threat...
 
Bill Jennings said:
What is Lake Norman (14A) like? Looks like a nice scenic place to land.
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eman1200 said:
I just drove up there this past weekend. it's 3100 x 40 and has what I consider a pretty heavy slope (I think 32 was down, 14 was up if I recall). Trees/homes surrounding the entire field, but from my perspective weren't too much of a concern (I guess compared to what I'm used to). Lots of hills surrounding the rwy and a special area for runups. I took a vid of a mooney taking off, I'll post it tonight when I get home.

But I envision a good 'scenic' flight for me to give passengers after I get my ticket would be 8A6 -> bounce off JQF -> head straight up the middle of Lk Norman to 14A, then back to 8A6. I just wish 14A had a place to eat, but they don't.
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Lake Norman used to be a regular weekend parking place for our old Maule. That was mainly before they completely resurfaced the runway so you can assume the runway is in great condition. It does have a significant slope so one does want to consider landing up hill and taking off downhill in light winds. There were no facilities to speak of when I was there so you are on your own. Not a place for transient ops.

8A6 on the other hand is level as a pool table but the surface is in relatively poor condition with trees and obstructions. A perfectly serviceable airport but I've never gotten comfortable operating there just because I haven't been there enough. Also, not a place for transient ops due to lack of facilities.
 
Bill Watson said:
....8A6 on the other hand is level as a pool table but the surface is in relatively poor condition with trees and obstructions. A perfectly serviceable airport but I've never gotten comfortable operating there just because I haven't been there enough. Also, not a place for transient ops due to lack of facilities.
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"lack of facilities"? they have a toilet that flushes and, well, they have a toilet that flushes.
 
Bill Jennings said:
What is Lake Norman (14A) like? Looks like a nice scenic place to land.
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14A sticks out towards the lake. The FBO is courteous and has reasonable price on fuel. It's sort of an odd mixed use residential/public airpark. Make sure that you do your run up on the designated spot (just as you are exiting from the ramp) not at the approach end of the runway. Winds can be a bit squirly there.

We're actually 4 miles away at NC26.
 
Bill Watson said:
Lake Norman used to be a regular weekend parking place for our old Maule. That was mainly before they completely resurfaced the runway so you can assume the runway is in great condition. It does have a significant slope so one does want to consider landing up hill and taking off downhill in light winds. There were no facilities to speak of when I was there so you are on your own. Not a place for transient ops.
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That's not true. Nice little FBO there with FUEL. I'd call to check on transient tie downs though. They probably have some, but I don't go in there longer than it takes to get gas usually.

The runway is a grade, though only 1% and I've operated both ways in the pattern there. Try to avoid the school off the east side.

If you want grade, fly in to Falwell W24 (near Lynchburg, VA) almost a 5% grade (I think this is the steepest in the US) and a bit of a whooptydo as well.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the great information. I'll be sure to post a follow-up after I get back next week.
 
flyingron said:
That's not true. Nice little FBO there with FUEL. I'd call to check on transient tie downs though. They probably have some, but I don't go in there longer than it takes to get gas usually.

The runway is a grade, though only 1% and I've operated both ways in the pattern there. Try to avoid the school off the east side.

If you want grade, fly in to Falwell W24 (near Lynchburg, VA) almost a 5% grade (I think this is the steepest in the US) and a bit of a whooptydo as well.
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I stand happily corrected. Glad to hear it. I saw the flight school open up but they didn't have gas or regular FBO services back then.

I'll bet you're glad to have some fuel close by. My home 'port didn't have any when I moved in and it required a 10+ mile flight to get any.

I'd like to check out W24 sometime. Sloped runways are usually fun to operate VFR out of. Dark and stormy nights on an unfamiliar field, not so much.
 
SVH is six miles, it's very expensive in comparison. I either go to 14A, IPJ, or RUQ. Actually usually I'll hit MTV when I'm bouncing back and forth from CJR to NC26.

W24 does have 24 hour fuel :)
 
Kelvin, have you been in there on a race weekend? My wife and I have to go up this weekend to visit my son and hos family. We usually like to fly.
 
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