Flying goals.

[GRALISTAIR]

I have always set goals and when I lived in the USA I had the goal of flying in and out of the Top 100 US airports by passenger numbers. I appreciate it changes slightly each year but I kept up with those changes. I also had the goal of flying in and out of all 50 states which I also achieved. I am now living back in the UK so I have set the goal of flying in and out of the top 20 UK airports and also all 6 main London Airports LHR, LGW, STN, LTN, LCY and Southend.

I am interested in what flying goals if any, others have set.

 

[ABB125]

I'm thinking of doing a weekend challenge of how many flights I can fit in for as little money as possible around Europe. Leave Birmingham on a Friday evening, aim for 3-5 flights on Saturday then another 2-4 Sunday (in order to get back at a reasonable time). The route taken being based entirely on price (and airports that are open 24/7...)

 

[SuspectUsual]

I'd just like to fly to Barra one day

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I'd just like to fly to Barra one day

That is most definitely on my list

 

[AndrewE]

I'd just like to fly to Barra one day

mine is Westray to Papa Westray, but apart from that I'm quite happy to achieve zero most years.

Having learnt in our 60s that overnight rail travel isn't what it used to be 30 years ago (when we did most of W Europe, especially Spain, plus Jugoslavia on night trains) we shall not be either travelling abroad much, or flying the longer distances. Istanbul is still on the to-do list, however!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

mine is Westray to Papa Westray,

Also on my list!

 

[atillathehunn]

I have always set goals and when I lived in the USA I had the goal of flying in and out of the Top 100 US airports by passenger numbers. I appreciate it changes slightly each year but I kept up with those changes. I also had the goal of flying in and out of all 50 states which I also achieved. I am now living back in the UK so I have set the goal of flying in and out of the top 20 UK airports and also all 6 main London Airports LHR, LGW, STN, LTN, LCY and Southend.

I am interested in what flying goals if any, others have set.

Interesting question.

Not in the same way as railways with track scratching, but some vague ambitions.

I was trying loosely to scratch all commercial airports in countries I travel to regularly but that's a mad idea in many countries.

In the Netherlands I'm only missing Groningen, which is pretty sparsely served.

In Afghanistan I'm missing Mazar and Kandahar (Mazar likely scratched in September).

Belgium has a surprising number, with most summer seasonal. I'm missing Antwerp, Oostende and Liege.

I have however cleared Luxembourg and Moldova which is admittedly a bit of a fudge (there's only one).

Where feasible I like to scratch all airports in a city where there are multiples: I've scratched all London airports, the three Milan airports, 2 Rome, 2 Nairobi, 2 Brussels, 3 Istanbul.

 

[bahnause]

I have a "not flying" / "as little as possible" goal. Does that count?

 

[AndrewE]

I have a "not flying" / "as little as possible" goal. Does that count?

I agree (see post #5)
I wish I was Swiss, or just lived there!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

In the Netherlands I'm only missing Groningen, which is pretty sparsely served.
In Afghanistan I'm missing Mazar and Kandahar (Mazar likely scratched in September).
Belgium has a surprising number, with most summer seasonal. I'm missing Antwerp, Oostende and Liege.
I have however cleared Luxembourg and Moldova which is admittedly a bit of a fudge (there's only one).
Where feasible I like to scratch all airports in a city where there are multiples: I've scratched all London airports, the three Milan airports, 2 Rome, 2 Nairobi, 2 Brussels, 3 Istanbul.

That is absolutely amazing.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Upstairs on an Emirates A380.

Other than that, there’s not actually that much I’d want to do for the sake of doing it. There’s the obvious ones: Barra and Westray/Papa Westray. I’m lucky to have done things like a 747 into Kai Tak (twice!).

Otherwise, modern aircraft are all the same and modern airports are all the same. Flying is a means to an end. I’d love to do the water planes in the Maldives but that would be because I’d be in the Maldives.

 

[gabrielhj07]

I quite like getting widebodies on short haul routes. Off the top of my head stuff like Lufthansa 747 FRA-PMI a few years ago, and Austrian 777 VIE-BER earlier this year. Few one offs as well such as BA's 77W LHR-DUB.

 

[thejuggler]

I've visited Madeira a number of times, but an arrival on a TAP A330 into Funchal on a breezy day must be quite an experience.

Any inter island flight in Scotland on a sunny day must be worth the fare. I've done a float plane from Loch Lomond around the Trossachs and that was 90 minutes well spent.

 

[AndrewE]

I've visited Madeira a number of times, but an arrival on a TAP A330 into Funchal on a breezy day must be quite an experience.

we went once, a long time ago and maybe even flying via Lisbon... I don't know what the plane was but it was windy and the plane aborted the landing on the short runway, went round again and managed to land safely the second time!

 

[birchesgreen]

I want to do some of those island hops in the Highlands, i think there is at least one place where the plane (a Twin Otter i think) lands on the beach!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I want to do some of those island hops in the Highlands, i think there is at least one place where the plane (a Twin Otter i think) lands on the beach!

BRR - Barra -Outer Hebrides.

 

[birchesgreen]

Thats it!

Some of the places Noel Philips flies to on his YouTube channel also look like fun, latest one was to Gambell in Alaska.

 

[AndrewE]

I have realised that I do have a flying goal: a trip on a Dakota.

I missed the trips out of Coventry but when I last looked there were Belgian and Danish preservation associations which you could join to get a ride, but both those were suspended for maintenance a while ago. Looking again I just found https://simpleflying.com/dutch-douglas-dakota-flight-guide/ but that is also dated 2022 so I may have missed the boat (so to speak!)

p.s. a bit more digging has found https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/historical-flights-with-dakota-norway/16387/ and https://dakotanorway.no/2025/07/15/bestill-billetter/ which is about 80 quid... I had better get organised before this one packs up too!

 

[SuspectUsual]

Actualy, there's another one as well as going to Barra but I'm not sure it's currently possible - arriving into Australia flying into Alice Springs. Did it in about 1993

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Two of my goal airports done today . BHX and BHD ------- BHX = Birmingham International, BHD = Belfast City George Best

 

[Belfastmarty]

A380 for me ... often seen overflying NI but never on the ground so I'll have to head elsewhere for that. In dreamland I'd also love another flight on a Vickers Viscount but sadly thats not going to happen.

 

[John R]

I’ve achieved a few of mine.

First Class across the Atlantic in an A380.

Top deck of a 747 (both BA and Lufthansa, the latter of which is still possible).

Flying into Milford Sound grass airstrip on a small plane (got lucky and was sat next to the pilot).

Missed out on a float plane trip in Vancouver though, as the plane crashed an hour before our trip with everyone having to be pulled out of the water!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Missed out on a float plane trip in Vancouver though, as the plane crashed an hour before our trip with everyone having to be pulled out of the water!

Yikes. Scary.

 

[AndrewE]

Yikes. Scary.

"If God had meant us to fly, He would never have given us the railways!"

 

[John R]

Yikes. Scary.

They did offer to rebook us for the following day, but for some strange reason Mrs R wasn’t too keen…

 

[Howardh]

I'd just like to fly to Barra one day

Yes, and Westray/Papa Westray, Newquay/Scillies flights as well. Keep promising myself!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Yes. Sicily Isles, Channel Islands, Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetlands before I die - would be ideal.

 

[Bald Rick]

Actualy, there's another one as well as going to Barra but I'm not sure it's currently possible - arriving into Australia flying into Alice Springs. Did it in about 1993

I’ve flown onto Alice Springs, from Ayers Rock.

Also, flying into Ayers Rock airport from further agield is spectacular - a couple of hours of nothing but desert and scrub then a massive red rock looms out of the ground.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I've done a few fifth freedom routes: would it be worth creating a new thread for these types? They're very popular as you often get a wide body on a 2-3hr flight.

 

[route101]

I look for odd or rare aircraft such as widebodies and fifth freedom flights within Europe. I have done MAN - MUC and MXP - BCN on Singapore Airlines.

I am starting to go think about visiting all UK airports, not going out my way but taking the chance.

I do want to fly from Dundee.

Fly Kerry to Dublin on Ryanair.