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Crested Butte Airport Fly-in — August 23, 2003
Dear Aviation Enthusiast,
This third annual Crested Butte Fly-in & Open House will bring an exciting number of speakers
and activities that should inspire all aviation enthusiasts, young and older, and all mountain
pilots. I hope you will be able to participate.
The keynote speaker is Sparky Imeson, the author of the renowned book "The Bible of Mountain Flying".
Also new this year is Ann Thickey, an aviation underwriter who will be talking about what lies
ahead in General and Sport Aviation airplanes insurance. Speakers who participated previously
will also be there: John Cameron, a former DC-8 pilot, on the topic of Density Altitude; Bill Dunn
from the Denver FSS will give another stunning presentation on weather and Monty Taylor, the
safety manager at the Denver FSDO on maintenance aspects of owning a small aircraft.
Despite last year court rulings in favor of the airport, and despite universal public comments
against shortening the runway, the County Commissioners voted again, in January 2003, to shorten
the runway anyway and allow the construction of an access road. The County ignored the rulings
of the courts, ignored that the runway is deemed solely for aircraft, and ignored the will of
their constituency to please one real-estate developer. A new legal complaint has been filed
by the undersigned.
Note that the only purpose of this proposed private road is to access a NOT yet approved housing
development of approximately 500 family units. There are better alternate routes but the County
and the developer refused to consider them.
Rumors have been circulating: One County Commissioner even called people to say that the runway
will actually be lengthened because of their actions. This is not the reality at all. As proposed,
the runway will be between 300 and 500 feet shorter!
In addition to destroy portion of the existing paved runway, the County Commissioners insisted
that there should be a displaced threshold on what is left of it. To be politically correct
they also proposed that the runway should be lengthened at the other end (to the southeast).
Approximately 100 feet of the runway southeastern end are not paved, but the runway already extends
to the property line and fence, there is no room to extend the runway as some like to say.
As you might be aware, due to the mountainous terrain, the northwest portion of the runway
(where proposed to be shortened) is essential for aircraft takeoff run. Airplanes need to go
back (back-taxi) as much as feasible on runway 11 in order to safely depart and avoid the
mountains in the departure path. Aircraft departing runway 11 need to lift-off long before
the end of the runway in order to safely turn and avoid the mountains ahead. The proposed
road is unsafe and incompatible with the existing runway.
Learn more by attending the fly-in & open house on Saturday, August 23, 2003. Your participation
will help make a difference in preserving the airport. I know you will enjoy the Wings seminars,
the food and the airplanes display. Thank you for your continuing support.
Happy & Safe Flying,
Carlo Cesa
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