Telluride Update 2009 Season

[Nick Kennedy]

First the bad news..
Telluride Airport is closed for the whole summer untill Thanksgiving due
to a complete rebuild of the airport.
Good News..
They are doing a massive earth moving project to lower both ends about
20' and raising the middle about 12'. The "Dip " should be just about
gone. The work will include wider safety areas and a wider runway, a
better, larger glider area for us.
Our hard working airport manager [ who is very glider friendly ] Rich
Nuttall has raised over 28 mil. for this project.

Good News...
We have second towplane: a 1957 buffed out C-180 that Jeff Campbell
bought.
The C-150/180 towplane is also staying and is is excellent condition..
All the Telluride Soaring Aircraft are going to be based at Montrose
Colorado through June 1st. Then we are moving ops to Nucla Colorado,
about 45 miles west of Telluride. Both airports have very good to great
soaring conditions. Then in August we will move ops to Salida for the
last third of the season. Another super soaring site.

Bad News...AOPA published a pilot poll that put Telluride at the top of
the list for the most challenging paved airport in the USA!
Good News...
Come fly with us in 2010, we will look after you, and see for yourself
that Telluride is hands down one of the most awesome soaring sites in the
world [ for advanced pilots ]
Super clear air, huge XC potential, friendly airport staff, The Desert and
Canyonlands just to west and the Highest part of the whole Rocky Mountain
chain wraps around us here in Telluride.
Come check it out. We have a super cool town too! Lots of things for the
non flyers, wives and kiddies to do.

Please call for a tow this summer in Montrose Nucla or Salida
Cheers
Nick Kennedy
970 708 1199 c.

[kestrel19]

On Apr 11, 1:30*pm, Nick Kennedy > wrote:
> First the bad news..
> Telluride Airport is closed for the whole summer untill Thanksgiving due
> to a complete rebuild of the airport.
> Good News..
> *They are doing a massive earth moving project to lower both ends about
> 20' and raising the middle about 12'. *The "Dip " should be just about
> gone. The work will include wider safety areas and a wider runway, a
> better, larger glider area for us.
> Our hard working airport manager [ who is very glider friendly ] Rich
> Nuttall has raised over 28 mil. for this project.
>
> Good News...
> We have second towplane: a 1957 buffed out C-180 that Jeff Campbell
> bought.
> The C-150/180 towplane is also staying and is is excellent condition..
> All the Telluride Soaring Aircraft are going to be based at Montrose
> Colorado through June 1st. *Then we are moving ops to Nucla Colorado,
> about 45 miles west of Telluride. *Both airports have very good to great
> soaring conditions. *Then in August we will move ops to Salida for the
> last third of the season. Another super soaring site.
>
> Bad News...AOPA published a pilot poll that put Telluride at the top of
> the list for the most challenging paved airport in the USA!
> Good News...
> Come fly with us in 2010, we will look after you, and see for yourself
> that Telluride is hands down one of the most awesome soaring sites in the
> world [ for advanced pilots ]
> Super clear air, huge XC potential, friendly airport staff, The Desert and
> Canyonlands just to west and the Highest part of the whole Rocky Mountain
> chain wraps around us here in Telluride.
> Come check it out. *We have a super cool town too! *Lots of things for the
> non flyers, wives and kiddies to do.
>
> Please call for a tow this summer in Montrose Nucla or Salida
> Cheers
> Nick Kennedy
> 970 708 1199 c.

Hi Nick,

Telluride and Montrose are both on the TSA Directive 8F list. What
procedures are being considered for visiting pilots to even rig and
fly there? Glider area going to be outside of this control?

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2009/090490tsa.html
http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=7604&cpage=1

Frank Whiteley

[Nick Kennedy]

At 02:55 12 April 2009, kestrel19 wrote:
>On Apr 11, 1:30=A0pm, Nick Kennedy wrote:
>> First the bad news..
>> Telluride Airport is closed for the whole summer untill Thanksgiving
due
>> to a complete rebuild of the airport.
>> Good News..
>> =A0They are doing a massive earth moving project to lower both ends
>about
>> 20' and raising the middle about 12'. =A0The "Dip " should be just
about
>> gone. The work will include wider safety areas and a wider runway, a
>> better, larger glider area for us.
>> Our hard working airport manager [ who is very glider friendly ] Rich
>> Nuttall has raised over 28 mil. for this project.
>>
>> Good News...
>> We have second towplane: a 1957 buffed out C-180 that Jeff Campbell
>> bought.
>> The C-150/180 towplane is also staying and is is excellent condition..
>> All the Telluride Soaring Aircraft are going to be based at Montrose
>> Colorado through June 1st. =A0Then we are moving ops to Nucla
Colorado,
>> about 45 miles west of Telluride. =A0Both airports have very good to
>grea=
>t
>> soaring conditions. =A0Then in August we will move ops to Salida for
the
>> last third of the season. Another super soaring site.
>>
>> Bad News...AOPA published a pilot poll that put Telluride at the top
of
>> the list for the most challenging paved airport in the USA!
>> Good News...
>> Come fly with us in 2010, we will look after you, and see for yourself
>> that Telluride is hands down one of the most awesome soaring sites in
>the
>> world [ for advanced pilots ]
>> Super clear air, huge XC potential, friendly airport staff, The Desert
>an=
>d
>> Canyonlands just to west and the Highest part of the whole Rocky
>Mountain
>> chain wraps around us here in Telluride.
>> Come check it out. =A0We have a super cool town too! =A0Lots of things
>fo=
>r the
>> non flyers, wives and kiddies to do.
>>
>> Please call for a tow this summer in Montrose Nucla or Salida
>> Cheers
>> Nick Kennedy
>> 970 708 1199 c.
>
>Hi Nick,
>
>Telluride and Montrose are both on the TSA Directive 8F list. What
>procedures are being considered for visiting pilots to even rig and
>fly there? Glider area going to be outside of this control?
>
>http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2009/090490tsa.html
>http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=3D7604&cpage=3D1
>
>Frank Whiteley
>
Hello Frank
Good question.
The Airport Managers at both Montrose and Telluride Colorado, are from my
experience, very flexible and open to just about anything. They both
realize, that while Mangement do have SOME limited control to who enters
the airport grounds with a vehicle, they have NO control who flys in and
lands there. Rigging and launching from both airports is no prob as they
are both fairly quiet and both have large ramps. When the TSA moved in to
the western slope was was some real elbow knocking concerning pilots
rights, and these off the street, recently trained, TSA staffers, who
didn't know anything [ and still don't know much ] about airports,
access rights and so on.
Thank God they have left us alone out there after they were slapped down
by several entities including our own Sherriff.
So its real peaceful these days..The TSA looks bored to tears [ just how
many moms with kids and old ladys can you hassel?}
and they lay really low
Nick

[Frank Whiteley]

On Apr 12, 4:15*pm, Nick Kennedy > wrote:
> At 02:55 12 April 2009, kestrel19 wrote:
>
> >On Apr 11, 1:30=A0pm, Nick Kennedy *wrote:
> >> First the bad news..
> >> Telluride Airport is closed for the whole summer untill Thanksgiving
> due
> >> to a complete rebuild of the airport.
> >> Good News..
> >> =A0They are doing a massive earth moving project to lower both ends
> >about
> >> 20' and raising the middle about 12'. =A0The "Dip " should be just
> about
> >> gone. The work will include wider safety areas and a wider runway, a
> >> better, larger glider area for us.
> >> Our hard working airport manager [ who is very glider friendly ] Rich
> >> Nuttall has raised over 28 mil. for this project.
>
> >> Good News...
> >> We have second towplane: a 1957 buffed out C-180 that Jeff Campbell
> >> bought.
> >> The C-150/180 towplane is also staying and is is excellent condition..
> >> All the Telluride Soaring Aircraft are going to be based at Montrose
> >> Colorado through June 1st. =A0Then we are moving ops to Nucla
> Colorado,
> >> about 45 miles west of Telluride. =A0Both airports have very good to
> >grea=
> >t
> >> soaring conditions. =A0Then in August we will move ops to Salida for
> the
> >> last third of the season. Another super soaring site.
>
> >> Bad News...AOPA published a pilot poll that put Telluride at the top
> of
> >> the list for the most challenging paved airport in the USA!
> >> Good News...
> >> Come fly with us in 2010, we will look after you, and see for yourself
> >> that Telluride is hands down one of the most awesome soaring sites in
> >the
> >> world [ for advanced pilots ]
> >> Super clear air, huge XC potential, friendly airport staff, The Desert
> >an=
> >d
> >> Canyonlands just to west and the Highest part of the whole Rocky
> >Mountain
> >> chain wraps around us here in Telluride.
> >> Come check it out. =A0We have a super cool town too! =A0Lots of things
> >fo=
> >r the
> >> non flyers, wives and kiddies to do.
>
> >> Please call for a tow this summer in Montrose Nucla or Salida
> >> Cheers
> >> Nick Kennedy
> >> 970 708 1199 c.
>
> >Hi Nick,
>
> >Telluride and Montrose are both on the TSA Directive 8F list. *What
> >procedures are being considered for visiting pilots to even rig and
> >fly there? *Glider area going to be outside of this control?
>
> >http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2009/090490tsa.html
> >http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=3D7604&cpage=3D1
>
> >Frank Whiteley
>
> Hello Frank
> Good question.
> The Airport Managers at both Montrose and Telluride Colorado, are from my
> experience, very flexible and open to just about anything. *They both
> realize, that while Mangement do have SOME limited control to who enters
> the airport grounds with a vehicle, they have NO control who flys in and
> lands there. *Rigging and launching from both airports is no prob as they
> are both fairly quiet and both have large ramps. *When the TSA moved in to
> the western slope was was some real elbow knocking concerning pilots
> rights, and these off the street, recently trained, TSA staffers, who
> didn't know anything [ and still don't know much ] about airports,
> access rights and so on. *
> Thank God they have left us alone out there after they were slapped down
> by several entities including our own Sherriff.
> So its real peaceful these days..The TSA looks bored to tears [ just how
> many moms with kids and old ladys can you hassel?}
> and they lay really low
> Nick

I spoke with someone up at Pangborn in Wenatchee, WA. When the
airfield was fenced, they put a controlled entry through the outside
of their hangar which sits along the fence, but Directive 8F would
force them and other tenants to use one of the two authorized entries,
all would require the background check and badges. It's not clear how
the far the escort privileges would extend, nor the extended costs to
the pilots. Montrose, I believe, says that if this goes live, pilots
will bear the cost, as it's an unfunded TSA mandate. Montrose did pay
for the first round of badges, but they have no funds for the full
program if it goes live in June.

Frank