Silver West Airport
Custer County, Colorado

Silver West Airport is just a few miles south of Westcliffe in the heart of the Wet Mountain Valley. This airport sees frequent use by gliders and by the elk and deer in the area. Tiedowns are limited but there seem to be lots of pad leases available if you should wish to build your own hangar. There is also a land developer selling residential lots with direct access to the taxiways if you want to go that route.

Just south of here (over the line in Huerfano County), is Wolf Springs Ranch, owned by the Aussie Shampoo magnate. I'm told he uses this airport for his Grumman when he's in town. The story is that he donated $1.5 million to build the runway long enough for him and to pave it. The county had that done but they left mounds of earth on both sides of the runway. Then the Aussie guy bought a bigger plane (the Grumman, I guess) but it couldn't land here with all that dirt in the way. So he donated another $1 million to get the dirt moved and to widen the strip (I may have the money numbers reversed but you get the gist of the story). Whatever the story, he helped Custer County get a nice little airport in place and there's a lot of good in that.

• RWY 13/31 7,000' x 54' asphalt
• RWY 13/31 has varying terrain heights from -5' to +12' along the full length of runway inside of primary surface.
• OBSTRUCTIONS: Antelope, deer & elk in vicinity; mountainous terrain surrounds airport.
• TRAFFIC PATTERN: Rwy13 - R, Rwy31 - L
• Sectional Chart: DENVER
• ARTCC: DENVER
• FSS: DENVER (1-866-751-7021)
• Hours: UNATTENDED
• Radio: CTAF 122.9
• Pattern Altitude: 9,000' MSL
• Fuel: YES/100LL available
• Lat: N38°00.67' Long: W105°22.37'
• Elev: 8290 Feet
• Lights: None.