Is the present airport unsafe?
This is a complex question. Certainly the airport is unsafe for other than light aircraft. Certainly it is unsafe for night operations because once a plane starts a descent to land, the pilot cannot safely abort the landing. The existing airport is in a box canyon, although it doesn’t appear that way to the casual observer. Light aircraft that descend for a touchdown and then attempt a go-around have a high probability to crash. The aircraft cannot out-climb the topography to the north, nor can most planes turn tight enough to the left or right to avoid the bracketing ridges. Many local pilots operated at night for years, but the FAA closed Weaverville Airport to night operations, except for emergencies. The FAA must ensure that pilots of average skill and with general training can operate from permitted fields. The Weaverville Airport is only safe if all posted and noticed procedures are followed 1) take off to the south, 2) land to the north, 3) no night operations, 4) no operations
