Mid-Atlantic Airport Guide
An airport guide for pilots based in or visiting the mid-Atlantic region. Download the free PDF. No email capture, no internet marketing sales funnel, just my $0.02 on where you can fly to in the area. Have fun and fly safe!
Over the years of flying, I have made videos of my landings at many of the airports in this guide. Check out my YouTube playlist if you want to see more. I have also included some selected videos below...
KANP - Lee Airport, Annapolis MD
Woefully unappreciated as a flying destination. Within walking distance from the airport is Ledo Pizza (ignore the haters), Pop Pop’s Ice Cream, Sonic, a supermarket and several restaurants at various price points. If you cross Route 2 on foot, Saigon Palace has solid Vietnamese food and is next door to Blondie’s Doughnuts, which also serves decadent sandwiches. Car access unlocks Bayside Bull, with Maryland pit beef sandwiches; Full On for sandwiches and salads (legit delicious, great value, expect to wait); and the Pennsylvania Dutch market with all sorts of wholesome but unhealthy delicacies at affordable prices, though it has limited hours. Uber takes you to all that Annapolis has to offer—high-end dining, history, maritime vibes, shopping. Truly one of America’s great small cities. Lee Airport (KANP) is a short field with an active flight school so pay attention, particularly at quarter to the hour when students are bringing the planes back from their lessons. No fuel on weekends.
​​KBWI - Baltimore Washington International
For those seeking the Bravo experience, BWI is a good place to start. No landing fees as long as you don’t pull into Signature. File your SFRA flight plan and let Potomac Approach guide you in (or go IFR). The GA runway is 33R and 15L, and I might consider staying away on days when they are sending you to 28/10 with all the airliners—more out of good manners than anything else, but that’s just me. If you are staying for a while, there are a few good restaurants a short uber away—G&M for steaks and crabcakes, Willy’s Kitchen for elevated diner food, but my weapon of choice is the unassuming Korean noodle joint Ja Kum Sung in Glen Burnie.
2W2 - Clearview Airpark, Westminster MD
Short, narrow, upsloping, with drop-offs at the end. Dial in your short field skills. Mind your airspeed. Always land into the wind—to the point where I might even consider another airport when winds are light and variable. Just kidding (or am I). For your efforts you can buy a commemorative mug. And while much is made about the difficulty of landing here, Clearview is home to an active flying club, and there are student pilots who learn to fly here, so this is not the widowmaker it’s made out to be. But man you will feel good when you add this to your logbook. Also, the aircraft supply store is a trip.
Eastern Shore Roundabout
For the low and slow crowd… Adjust the first leg of this journey to meet your 50nm requirement to make this an XC and then go on a tour of the Eastern Shore. No towered fields here (though you could easily add KSBY to the itinerary). But this roundabout has the Bay, the Atlantic, grass strips, challenging approaches, and a few nice long wide runways to keep it all interesting. Mix and substitute airports according to your preference.
KCGE — 1N5 — KOXB — KGED — 33N — MD1 — KEVY — 58M
VG18 - Sky Bryce, Basye VA
Unique field with a ski resort, golfing, mountain biking, lakes, and a public library at the airport. Just an awesome approach. It is a private field (though open to the public) so call ahead and get the briefing from the contact listed in Foreflight who will give you best practices. This is not a massive runway so stay sharp and be comfortable slipping. Every time I fly here I tell myself that I have to buy a vacation home here. Then I remember I can’t afford vacation homes; I spend too much money on avgas.