Keef,
I agree with you about Avalon - Catalina Island, as that sheerr cliff, and the hump in the runway make it mighty strange.....together with sink/curl-over in the final stages! Its easy to discover the colour of adrenalin!
Another one for fun is Big Bear, which is about 7,000 amsl (AFAIR) and is accessed from the west by having to climb to about 11,000 amsl.....I had never been so high in a light single before, and rates of climb were down to about 150fpm with full power....and that was in an Arrow!
The Take off to go back to Long Beach was also a sphincter testing experience, as we seemed to eat up LOADS of runway and had about 90kts on the clock before we lifted off.......
I cant wait to go and do it again.
