It's in the middle of nowhere, and almost completely deserted. Move some of the general aviation aircraft to the west side of the runway. None of this will happen unless out-of-the-box thinking can hold sway over the status quo of traditional mindsets. You might think that King Kong is dangerous but his native island (Saba provided the silhouette for Skull Island in the original King Kong film) in the Dutch Caribbean (a 15-minute flight from St. Maarten) has an airport that incites more fear than the famous gorilla ever could. So I avoid it like the plague. This airport is located in the southern part of Greenland and in the middle of countless Fjords. According to Jalopnik, only 20 captains with British Airways are qualified to operate into Madeira Airport (FNC), in which they use waypoints like a banana shed [to guide them in]. Additionally, there is no instrument landing system (ILS) so pilots must navigate the challenging terrain manually. We recommend our users to update the browser. The approach involves descending into a narrow space surrounded on two sides by. Today, I would vote no. Morphing the quaint Aspen airport of today the most dangerous airport in the U.S. into a Jetsons-style spaceport is being sold to the public as an economic necessity, when its not. Assuming Pitkin County accepts huge grants from the Federal Aviation Administration, the local community may lose autonomy of the airport and forfeit control of the size of aircraft that could dramatically alter the fleet of jets that could service Aspen. The runway sits between two cliffs so passengers better hope their pilot doesn't overshoot this runway. The airport is mostly used by 'private' jets Gulfstreams, Learjets and the likes are very common. Aspen-Pitkin County Airport; Aspen, CO. Shutterstock. [1] Aspen/Pitkin Co. Airport/Sardy Field covers an area of 573 acres (232ha) at an elevation of 7,820 feet (2,384 m) above mean sea level. The runway at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was lengthened and widened in 1983 to be 7,006 feet long by 100 feet wide. Air travel, mile for mile, is still the safest way to get from place to place, other than, perhaps, your own two feet," George Hobica, travel journalist and founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, said in a statement. Luckily, the plane was stopped by the Engineered Materials Arrestor System at the end of the runway before it plunged over a cliff. On January 5, the wind was as strong as 28 knots from the northwest just before the ill-fated Challengers landing. As a retired airline captain explained to USA Today, "There is no electronic glide slope (vertical guidance) provided.". 1. 1 in difficulty: Pilots landing here require special training due to its steep approach path. "The second it gets windy or they get a [millimeter] of snow, the whole place goes [haywire]," one pilot wrote on Reddit. If you are flying into Lukla, you are likely heading to climb Mount Everest. My hubby is a . Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (also known as Sardy Field) (IATA: ASE) (ICAO: KASE)), . now I know what you were trying to tell me. And yes, we did land, he was a talented aviator. Today, we will be plane spotting at the DANGEROUS Aspen Airport in Colorado. In 2011 this runway was . "We really don't want to scare people from flying, so maybe we should call these the most "thrilling" airports to land at. The strong winds are the most threatening element to landing on the 6,000-foot runway. "In order to land in snowy Aspen, pilots must be specially certified to do so," warns Airfare Watchdog. Caroline Bonynge, the airport's director of operations, said the private plane "had a hard landing and lost tires, but did not have a belly landing.". No thank you! The airport is built on the side of a mountain with a small one direction runway that is only 1,600 feet long with serious slopes and angles. National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, Automated surface observing system (ASOS), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "FAA expands weather camera coverage in Colorado and Montana General Aviation News", "Nonstop Growth in Austin Leads to More Nonstops to Austin", "Delta is back: Airline's return to Aspen market drives down airfare, at least temporarily", "Aspen airport remains closed after crash that killed 1, injured 2", "NTSB concludes winds, pilot error led to fatal crash at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aspen/Pitkin_County_Airport&oldid=1136741674. "This is likely due to the fact that the airport, which is wedged between two mountains, requires a swift descent at high altitude.". With three grass runways and one main runway, it intersects with the national railway line. This airport can get a little rocky. There are huge cliffs at both ends of the airports single runway, and strong mountain winds in the cold of winter, all serving to make landing an airplane in Telluride a dangerous proposition for even experienced pilots. No aircraft operations are permitted between 23:00 local and 07:00 local. [3], For the 12-month period ending January 1, 2017, the airport had 42,405 aircraft operations, an average of 116 per day: 51% general aviation, 26% air taxi, 23% scheduled commercial, and <1% military. And on takeoff, pilots must ascend quickly and sharply turn left so they don't fly over the White House. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Content Policy. And it's surrounded by mountainous terrain. ", Another pilot writes, "LaGaurdia is 100 percent the worst. The airport is also dangerous due to strong winds, high mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. "No airport was really meant for that. One operator said he does not care about approach minimums. Throw in a legal tailwind, plus ice and snow on the runway and you were set up for disaster. It doesnt help it makes some of the most dangerous airports list. McBride described the local airport as "dangerous" and said he was . Aspen/Pitkin Co. Airport/Sardy Field covers an area of 573 acres (232 ha) at an elevation of 7,820 feet (2,384 m) above mean sea level. But when the passengers break into applause on landing and you walk out into the magnificent fresh air and temple style airport, it is well worth the adventure. But pilots only have one shot at landing at this snowy airport because touch-and-go landings are prohibited. During landing, pilots are forced to make a series of tight, low altitude turns, including an 180-degree turn around Citi Field. You do not want to cross these sneaky signs. Take McBrides idea one step further: Instead of spending $400 million on morphing Aspen into a mega airport, a portion of those funds could both improve the Rifle airport and fund an improved transit infrastructure from Rifle to Aspen. ", Perhaps worse than crying kids are entitled rich people, and pilots get plenty of those in this destination for the wealthy. The tailwind issues at Aspen are a very important consideration, said another pilot. The landing at Tioman Island has pilots heading straight for a mountain and then making a quick 90-degree turn to line up with the runway. This military base is the only main airport on the continent, and during the winter the area is dark 24 hours a day. Under the direction of, Hiring Assistant Manager. This Arizona airport has mountains on three sides and a mere 8,500-foot runway, requiring a rapid descent and tricky landings even in the best conditions. Last week we landed five hours late because of some snow. All Rights Reserved. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, ASE Swipe is only available in chrome dev tools mobile mode. He had personal struggles during a life-changing year. uilt on the bare volcanic rock of Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island with a. He grinned and commented, I have probably flown with you on over one hundred VOR approaches and I have never seen you slow up to Ref plus 10 this far out. I said, Just do it this time for me, Ill explain later. As it turned out, I didnt have to explain later. Wellington International Airport / New Zealand This airport features a one-lane 6,351-foot runway that appears to startand end in the water. The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport also has an airport operating curfew. Today's Video: Big Jets At Aspen Airport - The Most Dangerous Airport In America? Aircraft landing at Princess Juliana International Airport. There is no second chance landing here due to the runway position, and pilots must make it perfectly the first time. Danger may be your middle name but this airport is treacherous not only because of the extremely short runway but because of its height, location between mountains, and, oh yeah, the lack of power and air traffic controllers. It is located in a heavily built-up part of thehuge city and gives you the impression that you are scraping the tops of high rise buildings as you land. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport to Close May 10-24, 2023 for Airfield Pavement Maintenance Learn more. Everest through freezing terrain, the Lukla Airport in Nepal is the prime airport for anyone who is visiting Mt. This downtown airport is considered one of the most dangerous, according to Airfarewatchdog.com. Another dangerous high altitude airport makes the list because, according to Interesting Engineering, in order for planes to prepare for the descent into Toncontin Airport, they must make a quick 45-degree bank turn to reach the runway in a valley then rapidly drop altitude, being careful not to scrape the terrain directly underneath. Brush up on these tips on how to survive a plane crash before you fly. Catalina Airport has an altitude of 1,602 feet, dubbing it the Airport in the Sky, and is known to have downdrafts and turbulence on approach. } It's no wonder: The airport sits in a high mountain bowl that requires a series of rapid "step-downs" as soon as the pilot clears the mountain range, dropping around 2,400 feet in one minute. On my next visit, I will be taking the ferry from neighboring St. Maarten. I have landed on RW 33 numerous times, but never with low ceilings or low visibility, only during VFR conditions with high winds. Of course, this is the reason why the No. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=b33647a7-cfc9-4622-8744-8db2ccb386a9&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=581001735045528842'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); (Absent a . General aviation services are provided by Atlantic Aviation, the airport's sole fixed-base operator. Many of these airports are accessible only by well trained and qualified pilots. Other dangerous airport landings not included in this list include; Alexandros Papadiamantis airport on the Greek island of Skiathos, MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Damascus International Airport, Aspen . The airport involves coordinated efforts in spotting landmarks on approach since there is no instrument landing. The Aspen/Pitkin County airport terminal is a 44,000 square feet (4,100m2) single floor facility, which has undergone several renovations since its original construction in 1976. According to sources, numerous aircraft crashes, including a fatal 2001 Gulfstream charter jet . . It's no wonder: The airport sits in a high mountain bowl that requires a series of rapid "step . It's becoming more common in people under 55. On April 4, 2011, the airport began a $15.5 million runway extension project which added 1,000 feet of runway length to the existing 8,006 feet long runway. It is also one of three airports in the country's largest airport system so the skies around LaGuardia are packed with jets. Years later when the VOR approach to RW 15 was commissioned, we flew it religiously. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), little-known airplane feature that could save your life, Longyearbyen Airport lost its international designation in 2017, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport operates on a core set of community values: safety, health and well-being, environmental responsibility, and operational efficiency. On June 7, 2009, a Learjet 60 (registration N500SW) veered off the runway on landing and came to rest on the right side of the runway with a collapsed right main gear, with no injuries to the eight persons on board. That miserable, always delayed, overcrowded [dump] fills me with such hatred it's unbelievable. Don't count on these folks to be in a good mood. This massive airport can be a pain for plenty of passengers trying to catch a connecting flight, but for pilots, the wind there is what's most frustrating. Copyright 2023 AIN Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Good times! Parking; Public Transportation; In addition to the grueling hours, decreasing wages, busy holidays, and the general monotony of having to sit in a cockpit for hours on endaccording to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Environmental Health,depression is a major problem among commercial aviatorsthere's another thing that pilots really hate: certain worst airports. Between October and February, northwesterly winds can often exceed the tailwind limitation for many aircraft. Princess Juliana International Airport / St. Maarten. Transportation planners must reject conformity to preconceived notions of how to get people to and from Aspen by looking beyond the Roaring Fork Valley.
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