65. San Diego Airport – California, USA
Year of construction: 1928
Risk factors: Downtown location, mountains, tailwinds
The San Diego Airport, which used to be called Lindbergh Field, is located three miles away from San Diego’s downtown metropolitan area. The airport covers an expansive 663 acres of land. Despite being near such a large city, San Diego Airport has just one runway.
San Diego Airport – California, USA ©Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com
The airport cuts it close, as planes taking off and landing have to do so quickly so that they don’t get in the way of the next plane coming. The location is also a problem for SDA. It’s close to downtown and the mountains, and western tailwinds often cause nose-to-nose landings and takeoffs. Though it’s no Lukla, San Diego Airport is still a headache for pilots.