Telluride!
This week took us to Telluride, Colorado.
Maligned as one of “America’s six most treacherous runways,” Telluride Regional Airport (KTEX), elevation 9070’, sits atop a 1000’ narrow mesa with sheer cliff drop-offs on both ends. On top of that, it’s surrounded on three sides by 14,000’ peaks, with a mere 12,000-footer on the west side (“rising terrain all quadrants,” in airport-speak). Strong mountain winds can gin up festive vertical turbulence on approach. If all that wasn’t enough for you, the runway’s sloped.
As a result, KTEX gets a bad rap as a “white-knuckle experience,” to wit:
“Scariest Airport Runways in the World” — Active Times, 2019
“The 10 Most Difficult Airports for Pilots in the U.S.” — Airline Pilot Central, 2017
“17 Most Dangerous Airports in the World” — Forbes, 2018
“10 Most Challenging Airports in the U.S.” — Honeywell, 2017
But, like many things, KTEX gets less scary and treacherous with a little study and analysis.
This wasn’t the first time I’d flown into KTEX. In 2014, my son and I landed straight in to Runway 9 (the east-facing runway). He snapped this photo on final approach (that’s the propeller marring the scenery). Runway 9’s easier: the terrain allows you to fly an extended, stable final approach. The long runway (7,111’) allows you to stay a little high and a little fast to deal with the downdrafts that often sneak off the edge of the mesa.
By the time we reached Telluride this week, the wind was gusty and blowing the wrong direction (260@15G22) to land on Runway 9, leaving Runway 27 the only option. Most jets can’t land on 27, because the terrain doesn’t provide enough clearance for them to circle and descend. So, score one for the little guys. The proper pattern for Runway 27 requires flying straight at the mountain ridge southeast of the field (#1, photo below), turning left just before hitting granite (#2), then turning a short final (#3), again over a cliff face and downdrafts that suggest keeping the plane high and fast.
Here’s the view as we approached the airport.
Below is the view of the runway as we flew the downwind leg of the traffic pattern (#1 toward the granite, above, sometimes referred to as CFTT, controlled flight towards terrain).
My pattern wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t perfect. Even knowing it’s what you’re supposed to do, it’s hard to fly right at a ridge! As a result, I turned base a little early and left myself a touch high on final. The early turn did help to keep the airspeed a little high over the edge of the mesa, where the wind did (as predicted) get a tad squirrely briefly. With the help of a stiff (if gusting) headwind, I still managed to land on the first 1000’ feet of the runway. That was a relief, because KTEX is busy and has no parallel taxiway. If you land long, the rest of the airport has to wait impatiently while you back-taxi down all the runway you left behind you.
Anyway, with just a little diligence on the front end, the landing on Runway 27 at KTEX was challenging but uneventful. It was also fun and spectacular.
And although during the landing is a poor choice of times to take a photo, those moments waiting to take off are entirely another matter…
Awaiting take-off, looking south from the Hold Short line, Runway 27, KTEX. If you haven’t been to Telluride and those peaks still look familiar, they could be. Wilson Peak, on the right, has been (with a little more snow) the “Coors Light Mountain” since 1978. While its one-time slogan of “the most refreshing place on earth” might be a stretch for the beer, it’s probably not far off for the cozy mountain town of Telluride….
