Scary Airport Approaches and Landings

[Mike Cleaver]

My ex-RCAF pilot father often tells the story of how he had to take some brass to Banff for a conference aboard a DC-3 and having to land on the very short grass strip near the old traffic circle on Highway One.
When the conference was over and the brass was headed back to Ottawa, he had to use two JATO (Jet Assisted Take Off) bottles to get the thing out of there without smearing it all over a mountain.
He thinks he was the only pilot ever to successfully land and take off a '3 from that "airport."

[pave]

I recall passing the Banff "landing strip" on many occasions - years ago - and seeing a number of private planes parked off to the side closest to one of the mountains. If such a thing is possible, they all seemed to look terrified!

(I don't know if the authorities will even allow the low & slow ultralights in there anymore, although it would be an ideal location for a meet.)