Due to the location next to the mountains as well as the narrow size of the runway, the landing is very complicated. And to make matters worse, this airport offers no lights or instrument aid so in bad weather landing is impossible. In addition to the regular appearance of ice and snow, conditions also feature swirling winds and mountains on either side. Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C. Pilots have to be especially skilled to fly into this difficult airport. The stunning scenery, (pun intended), the ski slopes and the relaxed feel of the . Letter to the Editor Letter-to-the-editor | September 8, 2020. CRJ-700 jets operated by commercial airlines receive new passengers at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport earlier this week. Pilots are forced to make a dramatic sharp turn and land near the valley, and the experience is often compared to landing on an aircraft carrier. ASE is a small airport for small planes only, and traffic tends to stop in any inclement weather. 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. Aspen-Pitkin county / Sardy Field in Colorado is listed as one of America's most dangerous airports. Due to its surrounding terrain structures in the North, East and South, Aspen Airport only has one possible starting direction. Sure it has a lovely new $10.5 million dollar terminal, but this picturesque airport between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks still ranks as a dangerous one thanks to a lack of control tower and the need for pilots to navigate numerous obstructions while landing. Airport operations staff operates from the airport's Operations Center, constructed in 2006 on the west side of the airport. Of course, this is the reason why the No. This airport is thought to be one of the most dangerous in the United States because it is in a very dangerous area. McBride writes: A plan to spend $400 million to move the runway 80 feet west (bringing the flight path nearer to Shale Bluffs) and to build a new terminal up to the size of almost two football fields will not change any of these concerns.. With no lights on the runway and during a whiteout, pilots are trained to land blind. 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. The runway at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was lengthened and widened in 1983 to be 7,006 feet long by 100 feet wide. Alexandros Papadiamantis airport on the Greek island of Skiathos. Site by TMBR. I explained to him, since the weather was right at minimums we should be fully configured and Ref plus 10 crossing The VOR. In 2007, the runway was completely rehabilitated with new grooved asphalt. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. When it was opened in 1946, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was operated by a private company. An October 2018 opinion piece in the Aspen Times began with an ominous statement; "The Aspen Airport is rated the most dangerous in the United States." The airport has been the scene of. This small airport located in Northern California is about as precarious you can get. Executive Administrative Assistant Colorado Mountain College Aspen & Carbondale Please go to: www.coloradomtn.edu/employment for more information. Courchevel International Airport / France. . "Cancellations and delays everywhere. The Telluride Regional Airport is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous airports in the country. "In order to land in snowy Aspen, pilots must be specially certified to do so," warns Airfare Watchdog. 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. We have a record of tragedy second to none. There is a reason us pilots refer to it as LaGarbage. 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. These reflect our local character and mission to preserve the high quality of life you're sure to experience throughout your visit in Pitkin County. Combining air and ground travel to accommodate regional needs well into the future is good planning. Short runways covered in ice, extremely cold temperatures, severe winds, and low visibility due to not only heavy snow but also ash clouds from nearby active volcanoes make landing at Narsarsuaq Airport in Greenland not for the faint of heart. Flying to Aspen has never been easier and is, by far, the quickest way to start your vacation. Throw in a legal tailwind, plus ice and snow on the runway and you were set up for disaster. Since its founding, The Town of Carbondale is accepting applications for our Parks Department temporary/seasonal positions. And if you're delayed, you can be sure you'll hear some smart comments.". In July 2009, the airport took delivery of a new Oshkosh Striker 1500 Index B ARFF truck. Aspen-Pitkin County Airport; Aspen, CO. Shutterstock. What makes the Courchevel Airport so dangerous is the altitude of course (6,500 feet), but also the tiny 1,760-foot runway and its 18.5 percent gradient slope making it necessary for the small planes landing here to touchdown at inclined angles just to slow down. Airfarewatchdog.com suspects this is because the airport requires a swift descent at high altitude. Congonhas Airport / Sao Paulo, Brazil Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport iswell known to pilots for its short runway and dangerous approach. Aspen, CO 81611. Yet despite all this, the vision process shortchanged safety needs and the airport is planning to expand, to allow larger, heavier commercial and general aviation airplanes. Parking; Public Transportation; [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. In 2011 this runway was . On my next visit, I will be taking the ferry from neighboring St. Maarten. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group, Orlando International Airport; Orlando, FL, Newark Liberty International Airport; Newark, NJ, Palm Beach International Airport; Palm Beach, FL, Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport; Bullhead City, AZ, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; Arlington, VA, Norfolk International Airport; Norfolk, VA, San Diego International Airport; San Diego, CA, Toronto Pearson International Airport; Toronto, Canada. And the committee members never received the requested performance specifications for the different aircraft proposed for future service into the airport. Vehicles are made to stop every time an aircraft lands or takes off. It is also one of three airports in the country's largest airport system so the skies around LaGuardia are packed with jets. He is the proud dad of teen daughters. Everest. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); With three grass runways and one main runway, it intersects with the national railway line. Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Sitka, Alaska. Not simply reachable by dramatic and carefully orchestrated landings, these airports are located in some of the most beautiful and often remote areas on the planet. 1 expressed concern of the Airport Vision Committee was and is safety.. 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. Almost a month later I made a dramatic landing in Bhutan that was like a scene out of Star Wars where my commercial airliner had to bank dramatically to fit in between the narrow, remote mountain terrain. "No airport was really meant for that. This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 22:35. Opened in 1946, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was a privately owned airport. The approach involves descending into a narrow space surrounded on two sides by. The airport's operations department is responsible for daily compliance with FAA Part 139, including daily airport safety inspections, rules and regulations enforcement, and aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF). Because this dangerous airport was deemed to be not in line with international standards, Svalbards Longyearbyen Airport lost its international designation in 2017 meaning the only way to reach this remote Arctic Circle airport, and to experience the frequent polar bear sightings on the archipelago, is from Troms or Bergen on mainland Norway. xhr.send(payload); Good times! Pilots flying to the airport have to worry about severe weather conditions as well as the rising tides. I called runway twelve oclock. The captain answered, Going visual. He went off the gauges and looked up out in front of the windscreen, straight ahead and said, Wheres the runway. I leaned forward and with my index finger pointed down and said Right there. He commented, Oh shit! My hubby is a . 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. Sitting precariously on the edge of a cliff, this tiny and narrow 1,300-foot runway is scary enough to have even the most seasoned traveler clutching the armrest during a landing on this gem of a remote Caribbean island known for stellar SCUBA diving. One pilot, writing on Reddit, laid out his reasons for avoiding it: This despised airport is a major pain in large part because it's the most heavily guarded airspace in the world, seriously restricting pilots' options (unless they want to have a fighter jet roll up next to them). Searching the world for the most amazing People, Places and Things. Any advice on what i can tell her to reassure her that the ASE airport is safe even a night landing? ", Another pilot writes, "LaGaurdia is 100 percent the worst. And the parents? Three years minimum experience. ASE provides a variety of ground transportation options connecting the airport to all local destinations. You won't pay more and it won't bite you 1. Between October and February, northwesterly winds can often exceed the tailwind limitation for many aircraft. Whether it's because of an always congested airspace, a too-short landing strip, or simply the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere, there are certain acronyms (hint: "LGA") that pilots simply dread. Aspen's airport has reopened Saturday afternoon following an hour-long closure after a private plane had a "hard landing," an airport official said. Ever grabbed that airplane armrest a little tighter during landing? It was so unnerving to fly into that researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Alaska Airlines worked together to develop an electronic monitoring system to track when there is a quick shift in wind speed and direction. For rough guidance, these restrictions preclude aircraft like the current 737 series and larger. This is just one of the amazing experiences I have had traveling throughout the world, from blinding snowstormsand lightning strikes to heavy turbulence that injured our flight crew, and yet I always have remained calm and confident that everything would work out. The circumstances of the crash immediately aroused suspicion: Aspen-Pitkin County Airport did not allow night landings and had instituted a curfew at 6:58 p.m., but the crash occurred at 7:02. . I personally experienced the frequent wind gusts and poor weather conditions that hamper the pilots as they must make a direct head-on landing, with the biggest fear of having a large aircraft overshoot the runway if not landed perfectly on target. Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images). 1 in difficulty: Pilots landing here require special training due to its steep approach path. The 40 spaced parking lot is located in a manner to allow motorists to loop and re-access the terminal without getting back on HWY-82. Built upon a layer of permafrost, Svalbard is the northernmost airport in the world with scheduled public flights. It might be scary but it sure is beautiful to land on St. Maarten. 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. Now I see there is no plan for a west side taxiway, but instead, a midfield crossing. No aircraft operations are permitted between 23:00 local and 07:00 local. 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. SOCIAL MEDIAS:Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bucSStwInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/milehigh_aviation/Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/milehigh_15-MY AIRPORTS- Denver International Airport (Will Be Done September 2021)- Honolulu International Airport (Operational)- Colorado Springs Airport (Operational)- Montrose Regional Airport (Will Be Done October 2021)-VIDEO SCHEDULETuesday, Friday, and Sunday-FUTURE GOALS FOR THE CHANNEL- Have 10,000 subsribers by 2023-EQUIPMENT Camera - Canon VIXIA HF G 60Editing Software - Filmora XPC - Alienware i7 Computer-This content may not be used with out permission granted.MileHigh Aviation -#GeminiJets #milehighaviation #geminijetsairport #geminijetsairportupdate The name says it all. One clear day I asked the tower if I could circle to 33 [in a Challenger] just to see what it was like, one pilot said. Today's Video: Big Jets At Aspen Airport - The Most Dangerous Airport In America? I found myself gripping the armrest as my plane attempted a landing in Africa on a remote sandy airstrip, the landing was called off and we needed to circle around several times in order to scare off several resilient giraffes that were occupying the runway. } ); } else { Today, I would vote no. Not surprisingly, another Colorado Rocky Mountain airport is ranked as one of the most dangerous. It's no wonder it was high on Honeywell's list of most-hated airports. January 5 crash of a Bombardier Challenger 601-3R, Airlines Fight New Flight Caps at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Pilatus Aircraft's Deliveries Fall in 2022, but Revenues Rise, AINsight: Putting Market Change into Perspective, P&WC Fielding Improved Engine Support Offerings, Republicans Urge Biden To Withdraw FAA Nomination, BBGA: Bizav Must Fight Back Against Misinformation, A modest proposal to boost general aviation, FAA Should Use Its Nuclear Option To Save Americas Airports, Analyzing the GAMA 1Q10 aircraft delivery numbers, Mid-Year Aerospace & Air Transport Report. Airline pilots may seem like a happy bunch. 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 Airport, St. Bart's and many others. This Ice Runway is built on the bare volcanic rock of Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island with a runway that is made completely of "white ice", (four inches of compacted snow.). The runways at Midway are close to 2,000 feet shorter than those at newer airports, causing many pilots to overshoot takeoff and landing. Parking is free for the first half hour in short and long term parking lots. 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. I'm pretty senior with my airline, so I don't have to fly a route that's going there if I don't want to. The ambitious project won the 2004 Outstanding Structure Award which is considered the Oscars of structural engineering. The same goes for Snowmass. A journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, ASE Luckily, the plane was stopped by the Engineered Materials Arrestor System at the end of the runway before it plunged over a cliff. ", The proportion of children on flights heading to this airport is perhaps higher than any other in the country (or world, for that matter). On January 5, the wind was as strong as 28 knots from the northwest just before the ill-fated Challengers landing. Paul Andersen. The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport also has an airport operating curfew. 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. The dramatic approach to the runway is completely out of sight for the pilots until the last minute as they maneuver between mountains at a 45-degree angle before dropping quickly onto the runway. Hold on tight, folks, it's going to be a bumpy landing! We never had a problem, but we respected the fact Aspen was not your average airport. Passengers, prepare for your ears to pop! Last spring I voted for the Vision Committee recommendations, because they included two ideas I had fought for: 1. Yeager is another short runway, but what makes this airport a bit more thrilling is that it sits atop a flattened mountain. Letter to the Editor Letter-to-the-editor | Sep 9, 2020. Major carriers to Aspen include United Express and American Airlines. 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. Saba island also is known as King Kong island with the tiny airport in the far right. Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, Colorado. If no one will inform us, we should do it ourselves. Sometimes there is no electric power at the airport and the pilots need to be in constant communication with the air controllers throughout the landing. Aircraft weight is restricted to 100,000 pounds (45,000kg) maximum certificated gross landing weight or less. In a recent letter to the editor, longtime local aviator John McBride suggested that the gargantuan expansion proposed for the Aspen airport seems to be targeting the wrong airstrip. Steep banking at high altitude introduces the potential for an accelerated stall, for one thing. The runway is narrow, bumpy, and a bit short. This airport is located in the southern part of Greenland and in the middle of countless Fjords. Due to the lack of runway lights, flights are only permitted during daylight, thus hindering flights duringthe winter when the sun never rises. Alexandros Papadiamantis airport on the Greek island of Skiathos, MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Damascus International Airport, Aspen Airport, St. Bart's and many others. but while landing at a dangerous airport like Aspen during poor weather, the onset of night should have given them pause. Thats not smart planning. Airport Advisory Board. The only game in town was to descend to 16,000 and when you arrived over SKIER, you either had a good visual on the airport or you started holding and requested clearance to your alternate. According to Honeywell, pilots can always count on serious tailwinds as they approach San Diego International Airport, and terrain issues as they land. It's old. Mutual aid response to airport incidents is provided by the Aspen Fire Department, Pitkin County Sheriffs Department, Aspen Ambulance, and others. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { I flew into Aspen regularly for 26 years, many, many weekends every year, starting before they had an approach and would clear you to SKIER intersection at 16,000 feet to hold. Also known as Lukla Airport, as it's in Lukla, Nepal, the airport is located 9,838 feet above sea level. There is no second chance landing here due to the runway position, and pilots must make it perfectly the first time. Aspen doesnt make the grade but here are the best major U.S. airports. It's becoming more common in people under 55. All the operators AIN spoke to have a policy that prohibits them from conducting night operations at Aspen. I applaud the many talented pilots out there who make these successful landings every day. Email resume to: samantha@cprestaurants.com or, The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. The airport has seen several crash landings, including an incident involving a Gulfstream charter plane in 2001 which killed all 18 people on board, while in 2011, a private plane crashed at the airport and erupted into a ball of flames after trying to land in heavy winds.. I have landed on RW 33 numerous times, but never with low ceilings or low visibility, only during VFR conditions with high winds. This airport is located on the beach in the shallow bay of Traigh Mhr on a remote island. So I avoid it like the plague. These reflect our local character and mission to preserve the high quality of life you're sure to experience throughout your visit in Pitkin County. Telluride Regional Airport, Telluride, Colo. It landed in the second spot on Honeywell's list. The dangers of flying into Aspen were illuminated in 2001, when a Gulfstream charter jet airplane "hit a hill and then plunged across a 200 foot culvert between the hill and the airport before. To make things worse, one writer points out that the crosswinds here are intense, due to the airport's water-adjacent location. The final approach slope is slightly less than seven degrees, about equal to that for the UKs London City Airport. Two days ago, 200 flights cancelled for a bit of wind. McBride described the local airport as "dangerous" and said he was . The short runway also abruptly ends at the Sea on both ends, forcing pilots to hit the brakes immediately after landing. The highest commercial airport in the United States, its runway sits on a plateau above the San Miguel River and dips in the middle. There is even a point when the bottom of the plane comes perilously close to mountaintop homes on approach, one red cliffside home is the key focal point for pilots on their approach. Of course this is because Aspen has its fair share of rich and/or famous residents. And it's surrounded by mountainous terrain. If you are flying into Lukla, you are likely heading to climb Mount Everest. A classic safe town. If you were Ref plus 20 and broke out right at minimums, you were not going to get on the runway where you should. What makes the Courchevel Airport so dangerous is the altitude of course (6,500 feet), but also the tiny 1,760-foot runway and its 18.5 percent gradient slope making it necessary for the small. Per a Forbes report, this regional airport serving the 12 million people of Sao Paulo is located in a heavily built-up part of the huge city and gives you the impression that you are scraping the tops of high rise buildings as you land. In addition to the busy metropolis rising up from the ground to make this airport one of the worlds most dangerous, the runways are considered the most slippery in the world and have resulted in a large number of fatal crashes.. 2. But, can you believe among all this excellence, we are home to the most dangerous airport in the United States with 50 crashes in 55 years of aircraft coming and going from our airport. Suite A "This is likely due to the fact that the airport, which is wedged between two mountains, requires a swift descent at high altitude.". Engineers had to build a platform to expand this runway, where the landing stripis located between steep cliffs and the ocean. CRMS offers. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (IATA: ASE, ICAO: KASE, FAA LID: ASE), also known as Sardy Field, is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district of Aspen, in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. That miserable, always delayed, overcrowded [dump] fills me with such hatred it's unbelievable. 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. The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is certificated as a Class I, ARFF Index B commercial service airport under FAR Part 139. It is one of the most dangerous airports in the US. Don't count on these folks to be in a good mood. They were right on minimums, and I was seconds away from calling a missed approach when I got the runway? "We really don't want to scare people from flying, so maybe we should call these the most "thrilling" airports to land at. Everest through freezing terrain, the Lukla Airport in Nepal is the prime airport for anyone who is visiting Mt. General aviation services are provided by Atlantic Aviation, the airport's sole fixed-base operator. You may opt-out by. It also can demand that any private pilot who plans to come to the Aspen airport must first pass a vigorous mountain flying exam or pay a steep penalty. This downtown airport is considered one of the most dangerous, according to Airfarewatchdog.com. Copyright 2023 Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, ASE. Swipe is only available in chrome dev tools mobile mode. Since its founding, The Town of Carbondale is accepting applications for our Parks Department temporary/seasonal positions.