A list of the world's 10 scariest airports, created by the editors of Smartertravel.com, includes John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif.

The list includes such places as Barra Airport in Scotland, Gibraltar Airport in Gibraltar and Toncontin International Airport in Honduras, where ocean tides, interstate roads and towering mountains -- respectively -- can obstruct takeoff and landing routes, making for white-knuckle flights.

The list was based on the suggestions of pilots and passengers.

The travel website says John Wayne belongs on the list because strict noise regulations require pilots to cut back the planes' throttle shortly after takeoff to reduce the din for people living near the airport.

"You can feel them cut back on the power for a minute, and it feels like you are floating," said airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge, who insists the procedure is safe and has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. "I don't think it's scary."

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