Las Vegas Airport Recommendation

n12365

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Ryan
I am looking at trip to Las Vegas in my Cessna 172 during the end of December and will be staying for 5 nights. There are two GA airports in the Las Vegas area: North Las Vegas (KVGT) and Henderson Executive (KHND). Does anyone have any experience with these two airports or a recommendation for which one to use?

Ryan
 
We flew minto Henderson in '08. Couldn't have asked for better service. The FBO made our motel reservations (Cheapest and finest room we had the entire trip) and had our rental car waiting for us.

If/when we ever get back to NV, We will go to HND.
 
The are both really a better alternative for smaller G/A operations than is LAS. Personally I prefer LAS, but most people don't like the fees associated with that airport. I don't have to personally pay those fees so I would rather be at the primary airport in the valley. Especially since I operate IFR all the time in and out of there.

If I were going to use either of the other two airports (HND or VGT) I would just pick the one that was closest to where I was coming from or going to. I used to fly out of VGT quite often and found it to be a really friendly airport.

Hope you have a good trip.
 
I, too, had good experience at HND when I was there in 2008 (maybe that was just a really good year for them). LOTS of GA planes on the ramp there. IIRC, they had a shuttle running from the airport to the 'strip' during the day - we got there ~10 minutes after the last one left the airport, so we got a cab into town.
 
HND is a much nicer airport, with better services. LAS will also take care of GA.
 
I been to VGT ones, used the Lone Mountain Aviation. Really can't complain about the service, it was great. They even had a van ready to take me from the plane to the FBO, most places make you walk.
 
I live here in Las Vegas. Fly out of and have a hangar at VGT, have flown in and out of HND several times.
HND is a very nice Airport, VGT is a great airport just not as new and shinny as HND.

HND has a restaurant VGT does not.
VGT has a cross wind runway HND does not.

If you are coming from the South you go right into HND without worrying to much about LAS Bravo. If you are flying into VGT from the South approach will most likely fly you over LAS to VGT next to the strip (my favorite) or you can skirt the Bravo to the West.

You can always ask Nate "Denver Pilot" about coming over the hills to the east for HND as a first time. Not too bad on a calm day or if you are familar

What direction are you planing on flying in from?

Pretty sure parking is the same and fuel is only slightly higher at HND.

Please let me know if there is anything I can answer for you or help you with.

Mike
 
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HND without exception. FYI: Clark County pays for the airport shuttles to the strip from VGT or HND, hence they are free to the transient pilot. I think the County is being smart and it's a good program.
 
I've flown into both and agree with Mike. VGT used to have a free limo that would drop you off. I'm not sure it's still available. HND was more convenient coming from the south or southeast as I did last trip. It's a bit of a ride into town from either; so, arrange transportation in advance. I'm 50/50 just depending on what direction I fly in from. HND does have some interesting terrain to the south. When landing north you have to circumnavigate it to get on the localizer. VGT has been busier the times I've flown in and one had to keep their head on a swivel for a mix of constant traffic.

Best,

Dave
 
HND or VGT can be busy, or not at any given time or day.

I shared the patteren at HND one evening with a Gulfstream getting night currency. He spent more money flying in one evening then I do in whole year.... yes I'm very jealous :)

Mike
 
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HND runway 17R/35L has a tight pattern on the west and North of the runway because it is against LASs Bravo
Not so bad on the downwind for 17L but pay attention to it if taking off on 35R.

If they are using 35R and you are approaching from the south they will most likely bring you straight in.

Mike
 
Re tight pattern, aint that the truth. One flight coming in from the south TWR cleared me for straight-in 35L. Less than one mile final, TWR wanted me to make right pattern for 17R, for traffic separation. Easy to enter downwind for 17R. Then TWR told me to tighten it up. I already felt I was nearly overflying the field. Any closer to the rwy and I woulda needed a PT to get to final approach. :rofl:
 
I will be coming from Virginia, so will probably approach the Las Vegas area from the south in order to avoid the high terrain to the east.

Ryan

I will admit I am slightly biased towards VGT as it is my home airport. HND is a nice place to visit for events or a quick fly-in lunch. I do prefer to fly there vs driving, it is a long drive for me and traffic can be bad here in Las Vegas.

if you came from the east you could fly by Hover dam and the new bridge (I can give you the Tour Heli feq.) just monitor the Grand canyon tour Helis.

Maybe better as a sight seeing flight we flew there just before the bridge opened. http://youtu.be/mgFa0lhJWcY
Video flying VGT around LAS bravo to Hover dam and back the same way.
Sorry it's a bit long

From east or Hoover Dam ATC can fly you over Lake mead and across the Cortez VFR transition to VGT, or come in farther north and call Nellis and they will bring you through their Bravo pretty easy, might see some fighters.

From the south if you are using flight following, or you call LAS approach like I said they will fly you right through the Bravo heading North to VGT if you like. VGT is closer to civilization.

HND is ok from the south if 35L is active, pretty sure it normally is in the am. Generally the wind shifts late morning afternoon and they run 17R (It does at VGT anyway 30 in am 12 in pm normally). See above on tight traffic near the Bravo.

You can get a rental car at HND or VGT if you arrange it in advance.

My wife and i will be in town the end of December, if there is anything we can help you with just let us know.

Always willing to help a fellow pilot.
 
The County runs the FBO and fuel operations out of both GA airports.

I fly out of VGT but operate at both airports. HND is wide open to the south. If you are coming in VFR and it's windy, have fun coming in over "Ridges South". Everyone complains about the close in Rt downwind for 17R. Yes the Class B is close. We are getting it pushed west, but that is probably a year away. HND is the newer airport.

VGT is tightly tucked in under the Class B. Coming in from the SE you could get vectored east and brought in over or north of Nellis, or you could be brought in over the top of LAS at about 4500MSL, then 3500MSL to the interstate interchange to VGT. Normally LAS approach will keep you at 3500MSL until you are in Class D. The TPA at VGT is 3000MSL.

There are a few taxi Hot Spots at VGT to watch out for.
 
Mike set me up to reply, but before I saw the thread, everyone's covered it completely.

We arrived from the East at night. Shot for the gap in the ridgeline and were on Flight Following w/Center who kindly worked a handoff to KLAS TRACON who (amazingly, as I found out later...) cleared us into the Bravo and direct KHND before I really wanted to turn South. I started the turn watching the black ridgeline for any sign that the lights behind were creeping up the windshield.

(You can see the lights of the city and the outline of the ridge so you know you're going to clear it.)

But LAS wanted us lower than I was comfortable with in the dark. LAS was landing north and he needed to put us head-to-head with a SWA 737. I'd been watching the 737 on the other side of the valley making his downwind and knew he was headed my way.

First time I came really really close to just saying "unable" but I replied with "need about another mile to clear the ridgeline".

The controller switched to Plan B - "Traffic 12 o'clock 4 miles a Boeing 737 will be turning northbound, do you have that traffic in sight?". This was as the 73 put on his best imitation of a 747 with his landing lights aimed my way and I could see he was just doing one continuous turn all the way around to northbound final.

Ahhh... The controller needs the magic words for separation! Now I get it!

"Traffic in sight, and we'll come another ten left, 79M."

And the expected reply... "Maintain visual separation from that traffic, descent at pilot's discretion, Henderson airport now 11 o'clock, do you have the airport in sight?"

"Affirnative and already monitoring the CTAF, 79M". (About this point we'd just descended out of the Bravo if I recall, had finished crossing the ridge and I was working down to pattern altitude and gently slowing up.)

"Skylane 79M, squawk 1200, radar service terminated, frequency change approved."

Very pro controllers at LAS but they have a tough job with the narrowness of the valley.

They're not known as being super friendly to VFR inside the Bravo but will work with you if you need it. Have you radio game up to speed. They're busy.

As far as the airport, HND's ramp is huge and also usually pretty full on a clear weather Friday night. Californians in town for the weekend, I suspect. A lighted follow me van was waiting at a row and the guy helped us tie down and grabbed the luggage. (I always tip and I always feel awkward, I pack such that I can carry my luggage myself. Ha.)

Fuel was ordered at the desk inside and they ask for your departure date and time. If they top you off when you arrive, the heat will expand the fuel and you'll lose some on the ramp. They also like to keep the fueling to the overnight hours because it's cooler for the line guys.

We grabbed a cab and it wasn't outrageous.

When we came back to leave they offered a van ride but we ended up pretty close to the building so we hoofed it out. They'd not only fueled it that morning but had the windows spotless. A nice touch.

Takeoff (now with the tower open) was a non-event but you do need a healthy climb to turn East over that same ridgeline.

Only other item to note: Look at the jet transitions depicted on the VFR chart. They really are there at those altitudes and they really will run you over.

We popped up for Flight Following on the East side of the ridgeline and the Center controller started calling out the jet traffic descending on that depicted route north of our route. There's just not a lot of ways into the LAS valley from right there so it's a bottleneck.

That's my story. Loved our LAS trip and want to do it again to go see Mike.

Last time I landed at VGT was around 1994 as a passenger in a Cessna 337. Even back then it was the older, dustier airport, but closer to the Strip.

Approach pointed us at the Stratosphere as soon as the pilot said he wasn't familiar with the area and the airport was easy to spot coming in from the northeast.

We proceeded to then have a landing gear problem that was the first of many in that ass-hat's airplane.

I learned how and why to say, "I will never get in that guy's airplane ever again.", on that trip.

But that's another story... let's just say VFR, snowstorm, Rockies, intermittent radios, near collision with a B-1B, and two separate gear failures with a planned single-engine landing and fire trucks at the end. And some of the worst aeronautical decision-making I've ever seen.

Study the chart. Be ready with the radio skills. Have a plan to avoid the big iron at LAS, and I think either HND or VGT are great. HND worked out better for me.

Both are a far cry from a crop duster paved strip a mile or two from civilization (a golf course and country club) with a locked quonset hut hangar and a buzzing pay phone I diverted to once in north-central Texas! Plenty of amenities!

Have fun in Vegas!
 
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