January 2019 DotM

Airport-LFLJ

Courchevel Altiport

Division: Pilots Choice

January is often thought of as a great month for skiing- at least, in the northern hemisphere. What's a better place to go skiing than the French Alps? One of the most prestigeous resorts in the world is Courchevel, France. Originally planned in the 1940's, the Courchevel Commune of France was created in 2017 by merging the communes of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise and La Perrière. Courchevel 1850 (the highest and most famous of the resort complex) is often reffered to as "the St. Tropez of winter sports", as it is frequented by VIPs including Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Beckhams, Christina Aguillera, Geri Halliwell, Lonel Richie, the Saudi royal family, and others.

The airport at Courchevel is equally famous (or infamous, rather). It features a 1700 foot runway built into the side of a mountain, at a gradient of approximately 18.6%. Additionally, a lack of instrument approaches or light aids make landing in fog or other low-visability situations unsafe. Due to this, along with the mountainous terrain and the nearby ski slopes, the airport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.

Thanks to Pete S. for the airport!