Member Focus: Lake County Airport Leadville, Colorado, USA VAI Member — Manufacturers and Suppliers Photo and text by Mark Bennett At 9,934 ft. (3,028 m) above sea level, Colorado’s Lake County Airport (KLXV) is the highest airport in North America. The facility, located in Leadville, isn’t a usual stop for helicopters just passing through, though it’s almost a must when testing rotorcraft for high-altitude performance and certification. Here, Airport Director Josh Adamson, left, and Airport Operations Specialist Jim Pustizzi are framed by not just any mountain, but the second-tallest in the contiguous United States—Mount Elbert, rising to 14,433 ft. (4,399 m).
