At ‘captain-only’ airports, experience is a necessity
Question: In a recent answer to a question, you mentioned landing at a “captain-only” airport. What is that? – Robert, Long Island, New York Answer: Some airports are very challenging in terms of terrain, runway length or airspace, and an operator may require that only the captain make the takeoff and landing. This ensures that the most experienced pilot flies into and out of such an airport. An example would be Aspen, Colorado, where the terrain and runway length make for a challenging approach. The designation of a captain-only airport varies from operator to operator. Some operators have Washington’s Reagan National Airport as captain-only (because of its complex approach); others do not.
Other examples are: Key West, Florida (because of runway length); Eagle, Colorado (terrain and runway length); Tegucigalpa, Honduras (terrain and runway length).
Q: Airports such as Eagle/Vail and St. Thomas are served regularly by 757s. Why don’t airlines fly the comparable A321s to these destinations, and will this be something they do once the 757 is retired? Also, American Airlines seems to fly only the post-merger A319s (with sharklets) to Eagle/Vail. Is there a reason they don’t fly the older A319s there? – Jonah, Birmingham, Michigan
A: Eagle is a special airport. It is at a high elevation and has mountains nearby. This requires high performance from aircraft operating in and out of the airport. The B757 was one of the highestperforming airliners ever flown; it excelled in these conditions. Airplanes such as the A321 or the B737-900 do not have this level of performance.
Using airplanes with winglets or sharklets increases performance.
Q: What is the purpose of winglets? – Ruben Treko, Providence, Rhode Island
A: They improve the fuel efficiency of the airplane by reducing the drag produced by the vortex created at the wing tip.