Black
Rock City Airport
Black Rock City Airport In 2001, the Black
Rock City Airport successfully concluded operations with a 3-year
perfect safety record since the Federal Aviation Administration approved
its construction in 1999.
Most airports are constructed only once. Like the rest of the city,
the Black Rock City Airport repeatedly resolves these issues as it is
constructed and deconstructed every year. Facilities in 2001 consisted
of a mile-long runway marked with a blue agricultural colorant, a windsock
to provide a visual indication of wind speed and direction, and a Unicom
radio station that allowed pilots on the ground to give advisories to
pilots in the air.
Photo: Eric
Bong |
Photo: Lissa
Shoun |
Despite extreme challenges due to unusually severe wind-borne dust, over
sixty registered aircraft tied down next to the trash fence. Ultralights
and hot-air balloons also took advantage of the airport, as did skydivers.
Medevac helicopters operated out of Gerlach rather than the Black Rock City
Airport to avoid the dust, but our runway was used twice for medical emergencies,
once by a Lifeflight airplane, and once by a private pilot who rushed a
friend to Reno.
