Airport of the Month: Truckee

Ski season is in full swing, and what better way to get to the snow than by air? The Truckee Airport is a 90-minute flight from the Bay Area and offers numerous connections to the surrounding Tahoe attractions.

Truckee is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains and is known for its scenic approaches over Donner Pass and Lake Tahoe. The airport has ATC services, and also has fuel and a large passenger waiting area. It gets busy, especially on weekends, so pay attention to Ground Control and the aircraft marshallers, who may direct you to a specific parking area. (The UNICOM frequency may help with this). The airport also has a variety of noise abatement procedures and VFR arrival/departure routes, so please read up on these on their website before flying.

After landing, you can rent a car, or utilize public transportation to get around. The Truckee Area Regional Transit bus system offers a one-bus ride from the airport to Northstar Ski Resort, which has lodging, ski slopes, hiking, and many more winter activities. The bus also goes to North Shore and downtown Truckee, as well.

Truckee is a mountain airport, so please ensure that you have a mountain checkout before planning a trip. Don’t have one, or want a refresher? The Flight Center offers mountain flying training for pilots and is a great way to build your pilot skill set, no matter if you’re a student or airline pilot. Visit this page to learn more.