Flying a Van RV-12 into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

KCLE / CLE Β· Cleveland, United States

By Renzo, CPL

Field Elevation

791 ft

Aircraft Range

500 NM

Cruise Speed

118 kt

Runway Requirements

The Van RV-12 is a single engine piston aircraft (MTOW 600 kg). At sea level under standard conditions, expect approximately 1,500 ft takeoff distance. Always cross-reference your specific aircraft POH performance charts and current weather for actual TOD/LDR.

  • β†’ Number of runways at KCLE: 3
  • β†’ Coordinates: 41.4117, -81.8498
  • β†’ No type rating required (single pilot)

Approach Considerations

  • β†’Approach plates: Reference current Jeppesen or FAA charts before each flight. ILS, RNAV (GPS), and visual approaches typically available depending on runway. Check NOTAMs for outages.
  • β†’Wake turbulence: Stay alert for wake turbulence from preceding heavy aircraft, especially at major airports like KCLE.

Common Considerations

Lake Erie airport with lake-effect snow and low ceilings good for building instrument experience. For the Van RV-12, the most relevant factors are runway length sufficiency, density altitude impact at field elevation 791 ft, and single-runway pattern management.

Fuel Availability

100LL avgas is typically available at KCLE via on-field FBOs. The Van RV-12 burns approximately 7 gph at cruise β€” verify pricing through ForeFlight or AirNav before arrival.

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