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St. Tropez in the snow: Ski World Cup location Courchevel has one of the most dangerous airports in the world

2023-02-13T11:05:01.642Z


The World Ski Championships site of Courchevel in France is known as the St. Tropez in the snow. The posh ski resort in the French Alps is home to one of the most dangerous airstrips in the world.


The World Ski Championships site of Courchevel in France is known as the St. Tropez in the snow.

The posh ski resort in the French Alps is home to one of the most dangerous airstrips in the world.

Courchevel – At the Alpine Ski World Championships 2023 in Courchevel/ Méribel in France, it is all about medals.

Until February 19th, the focus is of course on what's happening on the slopes in the French Alps.

The place is also known for a completely different kind of thrill.

Courchevel airfield is one of the most dangerous in the world.

Only the best pilots with a special qualification are allowed to land at the high-altitude airport – known as Alitport.

Airfield in Courchevele (site of the World Ski Championships) is one of the most dangerous runways in the world

The Courchevele Altiport has the highest paved airstrip in Europe.

The runway is the shortest in the world.

Originally, the runway was 375 meters.

It was extended to 537 meters for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.

However, with a gradient of 18.5 percent, the airport is only suitable for small aircraft or helicopters.

The runway has a kink for this.

The difference in altitude on the route is 65 meters.

What does this mean for pilots?

You land uphill, take off downhill – directly over the abyss.

A go-around is impossible for pilots.

Incidentally, this also applies to the Altiport Méribel airfield in the ski resort of the same name.

However, this airfield in the mountains is only at an altitude of 1,700 meters.

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Courchevele aerodrome is located in the heart of the French Alps at an altitude of 2,700 meters.

© Screenshot Google Maps

Skir World Cup location Courchevele: The airport with the steepest runway

A so-called Qualification Montagne, an approach permit for altiports, is required for the approach to the airport in the middle of the French Alps.

  • Altiport Courchevel is at an altitude of 2,007 meters.

  • The runway is 537 meters long and 40 meters wide.

  • The asphalt runway has a gradient of 18.5 percent.

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Courchevel Alitport airfield is located in the French Alps and is one of the most dangerous runways in the world (archive photo).

© imago

The steepest airport in the world: setting for James Bond films

Courchevele Alitiport Airport has been the setting for Hollywood movies, including James Bond films.

The spectacular landing site can be seen

in "James Bond 007 - Tomorrow Never Dies" (original title 

Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997) with Pierce Brosnan.

Filming for the James Bond classic “Golden Eye” took place at the airport in the French Alps as early as 1995.

The panorama is simply gigantic.

If you browse a bit on YouTube, you can "fly along" in a pilot's cockpit and complete different landings in summer or winter.

(ml)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-02-13

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