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Courchevel’s airport (45°23′51″N 6°38′06″E) also has a certain degree of infamy in the aviation industry as home to a very short and steeply sloped runway, with a length of 525 metres (1,722 ft) and a gradient of 18.5%. The airport has a dangerous approach through deep valleys which can only be performed by specially certified pilots.Courchevel air port is home to an extremely short uphill runway (1722 feet) with a vertical drop at the end.
On landing there is no go-around procedure, as most of the world’s airports have – there is merely a very steep hill which has seen a few accidents since the airport first opened. Larger propeller aircraft such as the Twin Otter and Dash 7 (carrying up to 50 people) have been regular users of the airport over the years, but have since been phased out of use and smaller Cessnas and helicopters are often seen sitting on the tarmac nowadays.
Tucked away in the French Alps, Courchevel’s airport is one of the most dangerous in the world. Seen in Tomorrow Never Dies, its runway is a short 1,722 feet and has a steep incline (which slows planes down on landing and speeds them up on takeoff). As if that isn’t enough to make your heart race, the airport sits at an altitude of 6,588 feet. “Here,” says Pilot Anonymous, “engines don’t produce the same amount of power, and with the air being thinner, there’s less lift for the same airspeed over the wings.” Consider yourself warned.
by wikip
