Fliers frustrated with Philly airport

Q: Many people hate Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) because of long wait/ taxi times. Are they really that bad?

— Rob, Philadelphia

A: Philadelphia is in highly congested airspace. Arrival and departure traffic for New York and Washington can fly over Philadelphia. Getting the necessary number of slots for good operations can be challenging, particularly when there are thunderstorms causing route diversions.

I flew into and out of Philadelphia for many years and was based there for six years. It is an airport that experiences delays frequently, like Newark.

It is one of the more delayprone airports in the USA, but it is not the worst. (The three New York-area airports often swap places atop those rankings.)

Q: I am flying from Philadelphia to Las Vegas and noticed the travel time is listed as 5 hours 45 minutes, while the return flight from Las Vegas to Philadelphia is 4 hours 35 minutes. Why is that?

— Jeff Wahl, Wilmington, Del.

A: The prevailing wind is part of the answer, plus the average taxi time in Philadelphia is included in the calculation. Longer taxi times are common in Philadelphia for departure.

Q: I live about 12 miles from the Philadelphia airport, and my home is on the flight path. Every once in a while, I see a plane with its gear down early. Why so far from the runway?

— Dave

A: Usually this is done to increase drag to help increase the rate of descent. Modern jets are so efficient that getting down and slowing down are the greatest challenges.

Using the landing gear as additional drag is an effective way to scrub speed and altitude.