America's Most Dangerous Airport Is Right Here In Colorado

Airline pilots have a very stressful job. I have friends that are pilots, one with United and the other with Southwest. They both absolutely love their job. Looking at it from the outside, while it would be cool to fly a big jet all around the country and even the world, it would seem to me that it could also be a very stressful job.

Not only considering that you are hauling hundreds of people in your plane and are responsible for their safety but throw in weather and other stressful situations that add to things is something that I think makes pilots a very special breed.

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According to Outthere Colorado, the most dangerous airport in the nation is right here in Colorado, in Telluride. While there aren't really any jumbo jets landing at the airport in Telluride, this airport has the distinction of being the most dangerous airport in the country, and from the looks of this thing, while surrounded by an incredible amount of beauty, it's a dangerous runway is something that could make the steadiest of pilots cringe a bit.

The airport sits at 9,078 feet above sea level and is surrounded by the beautiful San Juan Mountains and very steep cliffs that don't leave much for error, at all.

The Telluride Regional Airport is considered by many to be one of the most dangerous airports in the country.

To help prevent overruns – when a plane is unable to take off prior to reaching the end of the runway, the airport uses something that is called the 'EMAS Safety Bed' technology.

This is a special section of track put that the end of a runway that's designed to stop a moving aircraft by adding major resistance to the rolling of the landing gear of an aircraft. As a plane moves onto the safety bed, it collapses into the ground, swallowing the lower portion of a wheel and slowing the roll to a stop.

It's kind of like a runaway truck ramp that you see driving through the mountains when descending a sharp decline which slows the roll of an out-of-control truck as the tires sink into gravel.

Here's a better look and understanding of what makes this airport in Colorado one of the most dangerous in the world... SHEESH.