Seattle-Tacoma Intl (KSEA)

Seattle-Tacoma International threads three north-south parallel runways between Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east, and its map is the showpiece of the catalogue: the Sound, Elliott Bay, Vashon and Mercer islands, and two large lakes all drawn from real coastline.

SEA works south flow as the prevailing configuration and north flow as its reciprocal, landing and departing all three parallels. Real Seattle traffic arrives down four corner-post arrivals rather than the cardinal axes, so the gate spread leans northwest, northeast, southeast and southwest. Alaska is the stronghold here, and the water underlay makes it the best-looking scope to work.

This is the Busy tier: a step up from Steady without the full weight of Atlanta or Denver. A good second field once the board feels comfortable.

Runway layout