Allentown (PG City)

The Flight Experience Allentown offers a quintessential "Rust Belt Renaissance" flight experience. Situated in the Lehigh Valley, the city is bounded by the Blue Mountain ridge to the north and South Mountain to the south, creating a natural corridor for aviation.

For virtual pilots, the area is unique because of the close proximity of its two airports. You have the Class C commercial hub of Lehigh Valley International (KABE) handling cargo and regional jets, and just a few miles south, the historic Queen City Municipal (KXLL). Queen City is a favorite for General Aviation simmers because it sits right in the middle of the urban photogrammetry, offering a gritty, realistic approach over dense residential grids and old industrial zones.

Visual Highlights

• The PPL Building: The tallest building in the Lehigh Valley is an Art Deco brick skyscraper that dominates the downtown skyline. It is the primary visual anchor for pilots lining up for Queen City Airport.

• SteelStacks (Bethlehem): Just east of Allentown (but part of the contiguous photogrammetry area), the massive blast furnaces of the defunct Bethlehem Steel plant are a spectacular sight. The rusty, complex geometry of the stacks is a standout feature for low-level VFR tours.

• Dorney Park: Located on the western edge of the city, the roller coasters of this amusement park (like the massive yellow rails of "Steel Force") are rendered in great detail and serve as a perfect reporting point for entering the airspace from the west.

• The Lehigh River: The river winds snake-like through the valley, separating Allentown from its eastern suburbs. Following the river is the safest way to navigate the valley VFR while staying below the heavy traffic of the international airport.

• FedEx Ground Hub: The Lehigh Valley is a massive logistics hub. The sheer scale of the white warehouse complexes near the airport is visually impressive and highlights the region's economic role.

Pilot’s Note: Try the "Two-Airport Hop." This is one of the shortest commercial hops you can simulate. Depart KABE (Runway 24) and request a VFR transition south to KXLL. The flight takes less than 5 minutes. The challenge is dropping altitude quickly while navigating the complex airspace shelf, transitioning from a wide international runway to a tight, urban general aviation strip in moments.