The Best Airport Isn't Always the Closest Airport

Article No. 4 in “From the Examiner’s Chair”

Choosing an airport isn't just about distance. It's about understanding—and accepting—the consequences of your decision.

Every practical test presents opportunities to evaluate knowledge.

The better opportunities evaluate judgment.

Years ago, when I was learning to fly, it was common for examiners to assign applicants a specific cross-country destination before the practical test. Often, it was an airport beneath the shelf of Class B airspace or at a Class D or Class E airport. The applicant's task was to plan the flight and demonstrate they could navigate there safely.

Over time, many examiners—including myself—moved away from assigning a specific airport.

Instead, I present a realistic scenario.

Perhaps two friends want to spend the afternoon at Navy Pier in Chicago.

I simply ask:

"Plan a flight to the most appropriate airport."

At first glance, that may seem like a simpler question.

In reality, it tells me much more about how an applicant thinks.

There Is More Than One Correct Answer

One of the first lessons applicants discover is that there often isn't a single correct airport.

Chicago offers several possibilities.

Midway.

Chicago Executive.

DuPage.

Gary.

Even O'Hare.

Each airport has advantages and disadvantages.

Each presents a different set of operational challenges.

The question isn't whether you chose the airport I would have selected.

The question is whether you understand the consequences of your choice.

Every Decision Creates Another Decision

One practical test has stayed with me over the years.

An applicant planning this very scenario selected O'Hare International Airport in a Piper Cherokee.

Was that an unusual choice?

Certainly.

Was it automatically unsatisfactory?

Not at all.

In fact, I was interested to see how the applicant intended to make it work.

As we discussed the flight, I began asking straightforward operational questions.

"Which approach frequency would you expect?"

"After landing, what would ground control likely have you do?"

"What is ground metering, and how could it affect your departure?"

Before long, the applicant looked at me and said something I've heard more than once.

"I would never actually fly there. It's just what I picked."

That statement always gives me pause.

Because that isn't the scenario.

I didn't ask the applicant to pick an airport simply so we would have something to talk about.

I asked them to choose the most appropriate airport.

This is the airport they determined best accomplished the mission.

Now let's work through what operating there would actually require.

That's exactly what happens in aviation.

Every decision creates another decision.

Once you decide where to land, you must understand the airspace, communications, arrival procedures, taxi instructions, available services, passenger transportation, and everything else that comes with operating at that airport.

You don't get to press a reset button simply because the decision became more complicated than expected.

Real-world flying doesn't work that way.

Neither should a practical test.

The applicant didn't receive an unsatisfactory outcome because O'Hare was the wrong answer.

The outcome became unsatisfactory because the applicant couldn't safely execute the plan they had created.

Choosing an airport is easy.

Understanding everything that choice requires is where judgment begins.

The Other Side of the Coin

I've also had instrument applicants choose Midway.

If they understand the procedures, the aircraft limitations, their own qualifications, and the operational environment, that's a perfectly reasonable choice.

But suppose that same applicant accepts an approach clearance they—or their aircraft—are not authorized to fly.

Now the problem isn't airport selection.

The problem is decision-making.

Good pilots don't continue down a path simply because they've already started.

They recognize the issue early, communicate effectively, and choose another option before a bad decision becomes an unsafe one.

Sometimes the Best Airport Isn't Even Open

Occasionally an applicant selects an airport that is otherwise an excellent choice.

Until we discover it's closed.

That's not a trick.

It's reality.

Airports close.

Runways close.

NOTAMs matter.

Again, the goal isn't to memorize information.

It's to develop the habit of verifying the information that matters before making a decision.

For Flight Instructors

This is one of the most valuable scenario-based exercises you can conduct with your students.

Instead of assigning a destination, assign a mission.

"Your passengers want to spend the afternoon at Navy Pier."

Then let the student determine where to land.

Don't stop with, "Why did you pick that airport?"

Keep asking.

How will you get there?

Who will you talk to?

What services are available?

How will your passengers reach their destination?

What if the airport is closed?

What if the weather changes?

What if you arrive during a peak arrival period?

What if your aircraft isn't equipped or authorized for the clearance you've just accepted?

Those follow-up questions transform airport selection from a navigation exercise into a judgment exercise.

That's exactly what scenario-based training should accomplish.

Preparing for Your Practical Test

During your practical test, don't spend your energy trying to determine which airport you think the examiner wants.

Instead, choose the airport you genuinely believe is the most appropriate for the mission.

Then be prepared to explain your reasoning.

If, during the discussion, you recognize that another airport would better accomplish the mission, that's perfectly acceptable.

Pilots reassess their plans all the time.

What matters is recognizing why another choice would be better.

What doesn't work is abandoning your own decision simply because the questions became more challenging.

Judgment isn't demonstrated by changing answers.

It's demonstrated by understanding the decisions you've made, accepting the consequences of those decisions, and knowing when—and why—they should change.

From the Examiner's Chair

Every flight begins with a series of decisions.

Where to go.

How to get there.

What risks to accept.

What risks to avoid.

Good judgment isn't choosing the easiest answer.

It's understanding the consequences of the answer you choose.

The best pilots don't simply ask, "Can I land there?"

They ask, "Is this the right airport for this flight, this aircraft, these passengers, and my level of experience?"

That's the kind of thinking that produces safer pilots.

And that's exactly the kind of judgment a practical test should encourage.

— Brad Kramer
FAA Designated Pilot Examiner

About the Author

Brad Kramer is an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner based in Evansville, Indiana. He has over 25 years of aviation experience and has conducted FAA practical tests for more than a decade. His goal is to help applicants and flight instructors better understand the principles behind safe flight operations, sound aeronautical decision-making, and the Airman Certification Standards.