Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport , also known as Gunnison County Airport, is a public airport located at the southern edge of Gunnison, Colorado
. Operated by Gunnison County
, it serves the valley
and nearby Crested Butte, Colorado
with both commercial airline
and general aviation
flights.
The majority of users traveling through Gunnison are mainly by vacationers
coming to the area for the year-round outdoor activities, such as skiing
, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, mountain biking, fishing, rafting, hiking and camping. The airport terminal consists of one large building housing two jetbridge gates, two ground-level gates, and a variety of rental car or shuttle bus companies. One baggage claim area in the lower lobby level houses a single carousel and a dedicated ski/oversize baggage slide. The airport sees limited regional jet service during the summer from Denver, however frequent larger aircraft service during winter months occurs from additional cities.
It is located at 38°32′02"N 106°55′59"W (38.5339444, -106.9330278), at an elevation
of 7678 feet or 2340 meters above mean sea level
. U.S. 50 runs along the northwest side of the airport, which is located immediately south of downtown
. Its close location is due in part to redevelopment of land formerly occupied by the Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad and rail yards. The line was abandoned in 1953.
Currecanti Recreation Area and Blue Mesa Reservoir is located nine (9) miles West of Gunnison. Also nearby is the Black Canyon National Monument, Taylor Reservoir, and Roaring Judy fish hatchery. Numerous ghost towns and scenic drives are located throughout the region as well.
In the months after the September 11 attacks, Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport was one of several airports to have a temporary presence of National Guard.
s. The main runway
(6/24) is the longest single runway in Colorado and is aligned along a west-southwest to east-northeast axis. It is 9400 feet or 2865 meters in length, and 150 feet or 46 meters wide, and is lighted during operational hours (0600-2230 MST). A second unpaved runway (17/35), to the due south of the main, is available to small aircraft
in the summer. This one is 3000 feet or 914 meters long, and 150 feet or 46 meters wide, and is open for daylight use only as it is unlighted.
Gunnison, Colorado
The historic City of Gunnison, a Home Rule Municipality, is the county seat and the most populous city of Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,854. It was named in honor of John W...
. Operated by Gunnison County
Gunnison County, Colorado
Gunnison County is the fifth most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 15,324 at the 2010 census. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed...
, it serves the valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
and nearby Crested Butte, Colorado
Crested Butte, Colorado
Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town," Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities...
with both commercial airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
flights.
The majority of users traveling through Gunnison are mainly by vacationers
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
coming to the area for the year-round outdoor activities, such as skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, mountain biking, fishing, rafting, hiking and camping. The airport terminal consists of one large building housing two jetbridge gates, two ground-level gates, and a variety of rental car or shuttle bus companies. One baggage claim area in the lower lobby level houses a single carousel and a dedicated ski/oversize baggage slide. The airport sees limited regional jet service during the summer from Denver, however frequent larger aircraft service during winter months occurs from additional cities.
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 7678 feet or 2340 meters above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. U.S. 50 runs along the northwest side of the airport, which is located immediately south of downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
. Its close location is due in part to redevelopment of land formerly occupied by the Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge railroad and rail yards. The line was abandoned in 1953.
Currecanti Recreation Area and Blue Mesa Reservoir is located nine (9) miles West of Gunnison. Also nearby is the Black Canyon National Monument, Taylor Reservoir, and Roaring Judy fish hatchery. Numerous ghost towns and scenic drives are located throughout the region as well.
In the months after the September 11 attacks, Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport was one of several airports to have a temporary presence of National Guard.
Facilities
Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport covers 1600 acres (647 ha) and has two runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s. The main runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
(6/24) is the longest single runway in Colorado and is aligned along a west-southwest to east-northeast axis. It is 9400 feet or 2865 meters in length, and 150 feet or 46 meters wide, and is lighted during operational hours (0600-2230 MST). A second unpaved runway (17/35), to the due south of the main, is available to small aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
in the summer. This one is 3000 feet or 914 meters long, and 150 feet or 46 meters wide, and is open for daylight use only as it is unlighted.
Airlines and destinations
External links
- Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT): Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport
- Gunnison - Crested Butte Tourism Association: Airport Page