June 2010

Elk River Airport NC06

There's a little gem of a private airport on the road between Cranberry and Banner Elk. If you've never driven up the road beside Time Square Diner up to Banner Elk you would never know this airstrip (NC06) was here. It's tucked in between a couple of mountains and is for the use of the exclusive community of Elk River. There's some nice homes hugging the mountainside there, and the south side of the runway adjoins a golf course. They say Don Shula, the football player and coach, has a place there. The strip is big enough for small jets. If you drive by, check out the east end of the runway, it's got a very evident rise at the end. With a little imagination it almost looks like a ski jump. There's always seems to be a nice plane sitting out here, that's a Beech King Air in the photo.