1. Aspen, CO 81611. 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.. 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. The terminal has a cellphone parking lot to accommodate motorists waiting to pick up passengers. Executive Administrative Assistant Colorado Mountain College Aspen & Carbondale Please go to: www.coloradomtn.edu/employment for more information. CRJ-700 jets operated by commercial airlines receive new passengers at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport earlier this week. 13 Worst Airports to Fly Into, According to Pilots, 20 Exciting New Flight Routes Coming in 2020. This 8,000-foot runway is built directly on ice. 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. When it was opened in 1946, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was operated by a private company. } It's no wonder it was high on Honeywell's list of most-hated airports. "We really don't want to scare people from flying, so maybe we should call these the most "thrilling" airports to land at. The report was released in 1993 report labeled Sardy airport in Aspen as "dangerous." Before Thursday's crash, 23 people were killed in aviation accidents at the airport since 1983. Here is my top list of mostthrilling airport landings in the world. It's almost completely surrounded by water in the Sitka Sound and weather can get a little crazy, so pilots have to watch out for boulders and debris that often wash from the causeway onto the island's only runway. Under the direction of, Hiring Assistant Manager. Flying to Aspen has never been easier and is, by far, the quickest way to start your vacation. 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. All 150 passengers and five crew members were plucked from the Hudson safe and sound. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Aspen, Colo. . On January 5, the wind was as strong as 28 knots from the northwest just before the ill-fated Challengers landing. Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images). We are landing at 9pm night and taking off at 140pm from ase. We have a record of tragedy second to none. It landed in the second spot on Honeywell's list. Executive Administrative Assistant Colorado Mountain College Aspen & Carbondale Please go to: www.coloradomtn.edu/employment for more information. 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. No aircraft departures are permitted after 22:30 local. Due to the location next to the mountains as well as the narrow size of the runway, the landing is very complicated. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Aspen, Colo. Every winter, snow bums and bunnies head out to Aspen to hit the mountains, but be warned when touching down at this snowy airport. That miserable, always delayed, overcrowded [dump] fills me with such hatred it's unbelievable. 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 approach involves descending into a narrow space surrounded on two sides by. 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. Since its founding, The Town of Carbondale is accepting applications for our Parks Department temporary/seasonal positions. Airfarewatchdog.com suspects this is because the airport requires a swift descent at high altitude. The Telluride Regional Airport is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous airports in the country. It's no wonder: The airport sits in a high mountain bowl that requires a series of rapid "step . From the very beginning, the airport has seen many crash landing including the deadly one in 2001 of a Gulfstream charter plane. The food [is terrible] and it's insanely expensive. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is certificated as a Class I, ARFF Index B commercial service airport under FAR Part 139. Position performs maintenance duties on Town parks,, The North of Nell is now hiring full-time year around for the following positions: - Controller - Housekeepers These are, We are looking for two maintenance technicians, full, or part time to perform tasks such as painting, drywall patching, room, Colorado Western Slope established water law firm seeks a paralegal. The runways at Midway are close to 2,000 feet shorter than those at newer airports, causing many pilots to overshoot takeoff and landing. } ); Courchevel International Airport / France. Although Midway isn't quite as busy as its sister airport, O'Hare, that doesn't make it any less scary. 1 expressed concern of the Airport Vision Committee was and is safety.. Professional, strong work ethic, personable, long term commitment. Somehow there has never been a major accident.Find out about the little-known airplane feature that could save your life. Throw in a legal tailwind, plus ice and snow on the runway and you were set up for disaster. Many of these airports are accessible only by well trained and qualified pilots. Instead, McBride suggests developing the Rifle airport as a more sensible regional airport, taking advantage of a much larger and flatter valley, an existing 7,000-foot-long East/West runway with takeoffs/landings in the same direction, and with an elevation almost 2,500 feet lower than Aspen to allow greater lift and milder weather conditions. Bookmarks are saved to your account and can be accessed from any device. 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. "This is likely due to the fact that the airport, which is wedged between two mountains, requires a swift descent at high altitude.". 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). In Paro, Bhutan only 17 pilots are trained to maneuver the breathtaking landing and in small airports in remote locations like Norway and Antarctica, the landings are even more dramatic. Aspen has some of the best care for ski mountains and skiing in the world, some of the best cross-country skiing and hiking trails, world-class music, the Aspen Institute, and award-winning hotels and restaurants. At only 1,300 feet long, only well-trained pilots are allowed to fly in the area. It has one asphalt paved runway designated 15/33 which measures 8,006 by 100 feet (2,440 x 30 m). My hubby is a . Pilots flying to the airport have to worry about severe weather conditions as well as the rising tides. In a 2017 study conducted by Honeywell Aerospace, drawing on data from its team of test pilots and the larger pilot community, this airport was named as the number-one worst airport to fly into. 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 . In 2005, a Boeing 737 barreled through the airport fence and crashed in the middle of a major highway after skidding on the runway. This is a BETA experience. Pilots must be certified to land in Aspen. The large wide-bodied planes carrying tourists to St. Maarten require more than 8,000 feet of runway to land safely. 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. They'll ask for a soda from a flight attendant then put it in their bag and immediately demand another one. Due to the lack of runway lights, flights are only permitted during daylight, thus hindering flights duringthe winter when the sun never rises. 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. 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. 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.. Thats not smart planning. Opened in 1946, Aspen-Pitkin County Airport was a privately owned airport. 2. And once you disembark you can be swept up by the hurricane force gusts. Mutual aid response to airport incidents is provided by the Aspen Fire Department, Pitkin County Sheriffs Department, Aspen Ambulance, and others. "Over the last four decades, there have been over 40 accidents all involving private, non-airline aircraft that caused substantial damage or the complete loss of the aircraft in the vicinity of ASE (Aspen-Pitkin County Airport). It is also one of three airports in the country's largest airport system so the skies around LaGuardia are packed with jets. Get ready for a bumpy landing if you're flying into this California airport. 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. Nowhere else on earth does a pilot have to contend with the mix of factors that exist at this dangerous airport. Many of the things that make Aspen so desirable also make the city's airport dangerous. Two days ago, 200 flights cancelled for a bit of wind. The approach isalmost at a cliff, alongside the jagged terrain of Saba and then a sharp bank left before an immediate landing. Airline pilots may seem like a happy bunch. Suite A I applaud the many talented pilots out there who make these successful landings every day. The airport in Bhutanallows only 17 qualified pilots who are authorized to land on a runway that is surrounded by severe 18,000-foot mountain peaks. Per Title X of the Pitkin County Code, the airport has several unique operating limitations. With just1,700 feet of runway length, this airport has a downward gradient of 18.5%. 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. This 5,500-foot runway is not really that hard to land at, but the city's main street intersects with the runway and has to be closed when a plane lands. It might be scary but it sure is beautiful to land on St. Maarten. The one-way landing has to be very fast since the end of the runway has a cliff with a very steep fall into the waters below. Due to the lack of runway lights, flights are only permitted during daylight, which is fine when there are 24-hours of it during summer days but not when the opposite reality takes hold in winter. 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. Besides the congested airspace that all airports in the area suffer from, one pilot explained to AOL Travel that Newark stands out as "the worst. Jeff Bogle is an Iris Awardwinning photographer, avid traveler and English football fanatic who regularly covers travel, culture, cars, health, business, the environment and more for Reader's Digest. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Airport Guide. Another airport stuck in the center of a mountainous region, the rinky-dink Bert Mooney has the added attraction of being absent a control tower and often experiencing below-freezing temperatures (obviously not ideal for flying). Paul Andersens column appears on Mondays. The FAA has installed an FAA Weather Camera in addition to the Automated surface observing system (ASOS) available to help pilots determine the weather conditions at Aspen airport and the surrounding area.[8]. Aspen has some of the best care for ski mountains and skiing in the world, some of the best cross-country skiing and hiking trails, world-class music, the Aspen Institute, and award-winning hotels and restaurants. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Paul Andersen. Check out more of the scariest airports to take off from and land at. The January 5 crash of a Bombardier Challenger 601-3R during the crews second attempted landing at Aspen Pitkin County Airport (ASE) has prompted pilots to question both their own limitations and the difficulties involved in landing at the Denver resort.