Platinum Airways plans Conquest of the Snowy Mountains
Platinum Airways, the very Open Skies virtual airline, is planning a very special month of January for its pilots. For a full month, the airline’s Destination of the Week will be dedicated to the most difficult mountain airport approaches in the Northern hemisphere.
Platinum Airways’ Conquest of the Snowy Mountains promises to become a great challenge for new and experienced pilots. Ever since its launch in July this year, Platinum Airways (www.platinumairways.org) has always paid special attention to its Destination of the Week: the Oktoberfest in Munich, the airport closest to the Equator, the floods in Pakistan, the Pirates in Paradise event in Key West, etc. As snow is getting a firm grip on the Northern hemisphere, Platinum Airways’ management decided to dedicate the entire month of January to the most difficult and dangerous approaches in the snow, dubbed the Conquest of the Snowy Mountains.
The series will kick off in the week leading up to 2 January 2011 with Eagle County Regional Airport (KEGE). Due to its rapid descent, high altitude and frequent turbulence, KEGE was rated as the ninth most extreme airports by the History Channel. The Conquest of the Snowy Mountains DOTW list further includes Innsbruck (LOWI), Hailey / Friedman Memorial (KSUN), Sion (LSGS) and Aspen (KASE).
The first DOTW for February will be equally challenging, with Isafjordur (BIIS). Pilots will receive ample information to land safely at their DOTW’s. A trial run into the notorious Toncontin Airport (MHTG), with embedded YouTube videos, approach charts and links to scenery, proved a very popular DOTW and the information supply will be repeated for the upcoming Conquest.
Earlier this month, Platinum Airways liberated the airways by implementing an Open Skies policy, allowing its pilots to fly any mission of their choice with the aircraft of their choice at the time of their choice. This decision led to a sharp increase in its membership, although some Platinum Airways pilots prefer to stick with the hub network.
Early next year, the very virtual airline intends to expand its current hub network by adding Newark International Airport (KEWR).