Local pilots for Aspen airport improvements

As local pilots and aviation professionals, we are writing to express our strong support for Ballot Initiative 1C. This measure is essential for reaffirming the Board of County Commissioners’ (BOCC) authority, required per Grant 5 of the FAA’s Airport Sponsor Assurances (FAA Order 5100.38), to comply with their FAA contracts and proceed with securing an updated and approved airport layout plan — a plan that went through years of community vetting — ensuring that Aspen-Pitkin County Airport remains a functional, safe, reliable, and modern facility for our community and visitors alike.

For those of us who fly professionally, dependable commercial airline service is critical to performing our jobs. We rely on scheduled airline service to commute for work, attend training, and maintain certifications. A well-maintained airport with consistent commercial airline operations flying aircraft equipped with the latest navigation and safety technologies is vital for us and the community. 

Undermining the commercial service by not complying with contractual FAA assurances, pursuing discrimination of aircraft in violation of FAA contractual requirements, rejecting funding, and maintaining an adversarial relationship with the FAA ultimately results in setbacks for everyone who depends on the airport’s operations. Reducing reliable airline service would harm the local economy and degrade our efficient access to destinations we need for professional and personal commitments.

A wider runway is an indisputable, critical safety enhancement. It provides greater margins for error that reduce the risk of runway excursions in challenging conditions such as high crosswinds or when the runway is contaminated with water, snow, or ice. Additionally, modern aircraft like the Embraer E175 and Airbus A220 equipped with satellite-based navigation and advanced Required Navigation Performance (RNP) capabilities will enable more direct routes; safe, stabilized approaches with the new RNAV M GPS procedure; fewer weather-related diversions when ceilings and visibility are low; and fewer equipment-related diversions when the antiquated ground-based navigation transmitters on Aspen Mountain or Red Table Mountain are out of service. 

By partnering with the FAA, complying with modern standards, accepting federal funding, and moving forward, we can ensure that Aspen’s airport is prepared to meet the requirements of current and future aircraft, creating a safer, more efficient, and more reliable airport for everyone.

We urge the community to support 1C, empowering the BOCC to take the actions needed to move the airport forward and ensure the safe, efficient connectivity we value in Aspen.

This column was submitted on behalf of commercial pilots Tyson Weihs, Joshua Alexander, Ron Eisenberg, Scott Thompson, Frank Cohen, and Jeff Posey; instrument pilots Kelly Nimmo-Gunther, Jim Bruno, Rich Wells, Jamie Richard, Michael Gottdenker, Alex Borchert, Eric Johnson, Travis Price, Stephane De Baets, Miles Rich, and Jerome Rich; airline transport pilots Paul Hoffman, Jack Cohen, Matt Stege, Jeffrey Kaney, Spencer Rich, Ronald Morgan, Jerry Hosier, Jared Kaplan, and Michael Goldberg; pilots Ryan Walterscheid, Charles Cunniffe, Paul Sohn, and Herman Anderson; airline transport pilots and flight instructors Andrew Doremus and Alex Haberich; commercial pilot and flight instructor Daniel Baker; and student pilot Randy Brodsky.