How to Land at Class Bravo?

Somedudeintn

Somedudeintn

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somedudeintn
So I get that I need clearance to enter class Bravo airspace, but after the approach, how do I actually land the plane at a Bravo airport. I can't find anything in the POH that has procedures for a Class Bravo airport. I guess I'll just have to fly a powered parachute in since there's no POH I'd need to consult.:mad2:
 
Basically just like any other controlled airport as far as i know. You will get a clearance into the Bravo, then because its so busy they will have to sequence you in to land. Just note if you are VFR it can be more difficult to land at a bravo than being IFR.
 
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You have to buzz the tower at over 400 knots first.
 
There will probably be a fee, and no, it is NOT encouraged. If you want to do it, do it late at night/early in the morning, like 2am. Las Vegas is an exception, they don't seem to mind small planes.

I got flight following from Denver approach late one night, and flew into KDEN and was told to keep my speed up, so I flew at 120knots, and next to me on a parallel runway was a Boeing 757, flying about the same speed. Captain looked over at me and waved. Guess who was having more fun? I just did a touch and go, and didn't get charged (got lucky).
 
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coloradobluesky said:
Las Vegas is an exception, they don't seem to mind small planes
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You've got it backwards. Most airports will sequence you in no problem. The airports that are so busy that you can't get in VFR except maybe late at night--THOSE are the exceptions. I've landed a Cherokee at plenty of class B airports (including KLAS). Good radio skills help.

Personally, I do encourage it. I love mixing it up with the big jets. It's fun!
 
woodchucker said:
You have to buzz the tower at over 400 knots first.
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Good to know. Is that ground speed or airspeed? I might be able to make 400kts ground speed with a nice tailwind and dive bombing the tower, but since I'm in class B I can't use the word bomb, with a rapid controlled decent and a tailwind. Thanks so much, I can't believe they left this out of the PoH.
 
I don't know which speed we need to reference for that... but I believe it needs to be fast enough to scare the controllers into a mass coffee down the shirt incident!
 
San Diego is easy.

Vegas - mostly easy.

MCI - no one else there.

BOS - pretty simple

ORD? Good luck getting C90 to even respond to a call.

SEA - need FIKI and BFI is closer to the city.

. . . they are not all ORD or JFK . .
 
IAD is pretty easy from my experience. Just make sure you filed a SFRA flight plan before hand if going in VFR... Pittsburgh and CVG are also fairly easy. Minneapolis is hit and miss. Sometimes there's absolutely nothing going on and you can go in VFR no problem. Other times they've got over 7 planes stacked on final.
 
So the real answer. Get the current ATIS.
Outside of the Class B airspace, call approach on the appropriate frequency.
Request class b clearance, landing airport name with ATIS identifier.
Recieve ClassB clearence most likely a heading and altitude to maintain.
Expect to get sequenced with other traffic for landing.
Approach will turn you over to tower, tower will provide landing clearance.
Know where on the airport you want to go, do not be afraid to ask for progressive taxi.

Enjoy
 
Request touch and goes in a 152. Let us know so we can listen to liveatc.net first.
 
nimdabew said:
Request touch and goes in a 152. Let us know so we can listen to liveatc.net first.
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Since the runways are so long, I wonder how many Touch and Goes I could do. I'm guessing 4 on a 10k runway!

I just had a great idea since I hear ATC might not let me in VFR. Wait until my plane is at 1998SMOH and fly on top of the Bravo. We all know these engines go out at 2000 so I'd have to squawk 7700, pull the mixture, and spiral to a landing!
 
comanchepilot said:
San Diego is easy.

Vegas - mostly easy.

MCI - no one else there.

BOS - pretty simple

ORD? Good luck getting C90 to even respond to a call.

SEA - need FIKI and BFI is closer to the city.

. . . they are not all ORD or JFK . .
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I'll add that PHL (Philadelphia) is quite easy too.

If you've landed at a class C, it's exactly the same. I think some of the above is making the initial radio work out to be more than it is.

If you're already on flight following with a destination of the main airport, expect approach to ask again for your destination, as it's common practice to initially give FF the name of a nearby big airport so they have a good idea where you're going. So if you're flying from down in North Carolina to Philly, for example, you'll set up "flight following to Philadelphia", and the NC controllers will put PHL in the computer. When you get to Philly approach, they'll want to know if you actually meant PHL, or if you really just meant somewhere nearby.

If you're not on flight following yet, just saying "Philly approach, Bugsmasher XXX, VFR thirty miles to your west at seven thousand five hundred, inbound for landing with [ATIS] Charlie" should do the trick. They might (again) double-check that you want to land at PHL and not somewhere else nearby, but giving them a PHL ATIS up-front should clue them up.

Generally try to take up as little of their mental effort as possible by keeping up a decent and relatively constant speed so they're not guessing about what you'll do next, fly your vectors straight, get the ATIS without being asked, etc. Also be ready for them to ask your destination on the airport, as these generally have multiple FBOs, and the nicer controllers will try to put you on a more convenient runway if they have the time/space.

Also, if you're going in VFR, try to make it on a very good-weather day. I once got stuck trying to come in to Teterboro (not class B, but busy) on a day with broken layers in the 3k - 5k range. Even though that's nothing for us little guys, it meant all of the jets were on the ILS. They were able to sequence me in VFR fine, but I got the impression it was a little bit trickier for them than when all of the jets are on visual approaches.
 
My wife runs a special event at the Smithsonian at Dulles every year. She manages to get in all sorts of things including some gyrocopters and ultralight-y things even some that are nordo. My favorite was taxiing out behind a Curtis Pusher replica. The thing has no ground steering so everytime he got to a taxiway junction he had to get out lift the nose, turn it to the new direction and set it down agaiin.
 
I got my PPL out of HNL, so I was in the Class B soup right from the getgo.

HNL is one the medium-busy class B airports, so it's not as bad as the ORDs and JFKs to get in and out of. You also learn to plan flights in off peak periods if you can.

I'd estimate my PPL took about 5-8 extra hours to complete in Class B as opposed to an uncontrolled field, because it takes about .2 to .4 on the Hobbs to get a clearance, taxi to the end of a 9,000 ft runway, wait 5 minutes behind Alaska airlines for wake turbulence, fly the departure procedure before I was even able to head towards the practice area. Also add in the reverse for landing, a couple of orbits right outside the class B while waiting for clearance, and you have used half of your flight lesson for the day.

They also don't like touch and goes or low approaches, because they want to be able to sequence you in and out of the airport, so they expect you to taxi back and get another clearance to depart. Luckily JRF is 6 nm away, and is a not so busy class D, so we practiced there.

I think HNL is a lot more GA friendly than most Class B primaries because obviously there aren't many choices in the middle of the ocean.


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My first reaction to the subject was "Well, just like any other airport, you get a stabilized approach, flare before touchdown and gently let the mains touch down"...

200 kt speed limit in class B. Not a problem in any airplane I'm flying any time soon, don't know about you.

You get explicitly cleared into the class B. Then it's a lot like a Class C except you're expected to be bringing an "A" game. You may be asked to keep max speed as long as possible. When you approach the threshold, cut the throttle and look down the 2 mile long runway, fly until you slow down, land and exit the runway.

If you're not familiar with the airport or find it confusing, ask for a progressive taxi. Even experienced pilots can cause a runway incursion or get lost.
 
MCI, except during the morning and afternoon push, is desperate for traffic and encourages GA to use the airport for pattern work, practice approaches, and whatever else you can think of that they can work in. Some CFIs will take their students in for the experience, mine did.
 
Stryker1112 said:
Anyone land at DFW?
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Have you noticed that 100LL is reasonably priced there compared to some of the surrounding airports? :lol:

Maybe they want you to land there? I've never had the pleasure myself. It is too far away from both Dallas and Fort Worth so why?
 
St Louis is a Class B that is no busier than a typical Class C nowadays. A few regional jets and little more. Go there, and taxi past big terminals that are completely unused. Long gone are its days as a TWA hub.

Easy for a bugsmasher.
 
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"Approach spamcan 12345, 25 miles north/south/east/west of KXXX with request."
"Spamcan 12345, approach - say request."
"Approach spamcan 12345, requesting clearance into the XXX class B, landing XXX( XXX = your class B airport) with information <ATIS>."
"Spamcan 12345, squawk YYYY, and Ident, plan a right/left/straight in for runway ZZ at XXX, cleared into the class B."
"Approach, spamcan 12345 squawking YYYY and Ident>"
"Spamcan 345, radar contact, turn NNN, descend to MMMM, confirm destination is XXX."
.....
 
.....

"Spamcan 12345 Cleared for the visual for Runway XX keep your speed up 130 or greater you're following a 757 3 miles ahead, additional traffic 767 5 miles behind you caution wake turbulence"

"Approach spamcan 12345 unable 130 this is as fast I can go"

"Spamcan 12345 cancel landing clearance, turn right 045 vector for sequence"

.....
 
The only thing is, check landing fees before you land at a Class B airport. You might be shocked.
 
Landing fees and ramp fees. But keep in mind that there might be an offsetting advantage for parking at a Class B airport, such as cheaper public transportation from the airport into the city.

For example you might have to pay $40 to land and park one night at a smaller Class B airport, but save that much by using a train or bus from the airport into the city.
 
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Never charged a fee at PHX or HOU. You will pay a fee to the various FBO for facilities, but I wasn't charged by the airport authority. Both class Bs were very accommodating. Also the few times I landed at San diego they were very nice. It's been a while since I've been there, and my last trip to PHX airport was > 3 years ago, maybe it's changed.
 
docmirror said:
Never charged a fee at PHX or HOU. You will pay a fee to the various FBO for facilities, but I wasn't charged by the airport authority. Both class Bs were very accommodating. Also the few times I landed at San diego they were very nice. It's been a while since I've been there, and my last trip to PHX airport was > 3 years ago, maybe it's changed.
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I flew into PHX to pick up a buddy, got excellent handling from ATC, they dropped me on the runway from a high base, but perfectly manageable. The I borrowed a crew car from Cutter to pick up my friend at the terminal. They asked if needed fuel, I told them it might take 5-7 gallons (just came from Deer Valley, and was going right back there) but if they wanted to fill it, I'd buy it; they decided not to bother. Altogether I was charged $0 and treated nicely.
 
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