When thinking about mountain airp, states like Wyoming and Colorado come to mind. But there are plenty of mountainous destinations outside the Rockies. Head 1400 miles southeast, where the Blue Ridge Mountains offer breathtaking landscapes and lots to do in the great outdoors. While on a much smaller scale than out West, these landforms do have enough topography to require some extra planning. Oh, and bring a good GPS.
Cool, an LP IAP
Ashe County Airport (KGEV) near Jefferson is a great destination nestled in western North Carolina. Runway 10/28 sits at an elevation of 3178 feet. That’s the first cue we’re dealing with significant terrain. The second is that there are no approaches to Runway 10. Runway 28 has both an RNAV and LOC approach and they both offer circling, but with southwest winds and the hills it’s probably best to take the straight in.
