Los Alamos Airport

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Los Alamos Airport, also known as Los Alamos County Airport, is a county owned, public use airport in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States. It is located one nautical mile (2 km) east of the central business district of Los Alamos, New Mexico. This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.HistoryThe airport was built in 1947 by the Atomic Energy Commission as part of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, but the federal government transferred the facility to county ownership in 2008.FacilitiesLos Alamos Airport covers an area of 89 acres (36 ha) at an elevation of 7,171 feet (2,186 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 9/27 with an asphalt surface measuring 6,000 by 120 feet (1,829 x 37 m).Because of the restricted airspace immediately to the south of the runway, and the noise-sensitive residential area just west of the runway, Los Alamos Airport employs a non-standard traffic pattern. All takeoffs, regardless of wind conditions, are to the east on runway 9. All landings, regardless of wind, are to the west on runway 27. Unlike many airports, the orientation of the runway at Los Alamos was chosen due to geographic necessity rather than preferential wind alignment. Pilots will frequently encounter a gusty crosswind at this airfield, particularly in spring. This fact, combined with the rugged terrain off the east end of the runway, has given LAM a reputation for being a challenging airport at which to land.