Airport type Public Elevation AMSL 4,722 ft / 1,439 m 7,400 2,256 Code MEV Phone +1 775-782-9871 | Serves Minden, Nevada 16/34 7,400 2,256 Asphalt Elevation 1,439 m Owner Douglas County, Nevada | |
Address 1146 Airport Rd, Minden, NV 89423, USA Profiles | ||
Minden–Tahoe Airport (IATA: MEV, ICAO: KMEV, FAA LID: MEV) is a general aviation airport serving the Carson Valley in Douglas County, including the towns of Minden, Gardnerville and Genoa, Nevada. The airport is five miles north of Minden. It is home to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center and regional firefighting air tanker base.
The airport is a mecca for soaring, and many North American and world records have been flown out of Minden in the many gliders that it hosts.
Gliders are usually towed to altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 ft (300 to 610 m) over the airport, and they are often able to make out and return flights to the White Mountains, Owens Valley, and Eastern Nevada, often covering distances of over 500 mi (800 km).
During winter months the famous Sierra mountain wave can carry gliders well over 25,000 ft (7,600 m), with the Minden record well over 40,000 ft (12,000 m).
A non-fatal mid-air collision near the Pine Nuts range between a glider and a small jet at 16,000 ft (4,900 m) has heightened the awareness for all airplanes flying in the area that both types of aircraft need to watch for each other.
The airport is undergoing an expansion plan where glider operations will be moved to the East Side of the airport.
Minden–Tahoe Airport is the base for the "Introduction to Soaring" tutorial mission supplied with Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
Facilities
Minden–Tahoe Airport covers 990 acres (400 ha) at an elevation of 4,722 ft (1,439 m). It has two asphalt runways: 16/34 is 7,400 by 100 ft (2,256 by 30 m) and 12/30 is 5,300 by 75 ft (1,615 by 23 m). A glider runway (12G/30G) has 2,200 by 60 ft (671 by 18 m) of dirt.
In the year ending February 28, 2009 the airport had 79,800 aircraft operations, average 218 per day: 97% general aviation, 3% air taxi, and less than 1% military. 255 aircraft were then based at the airport: 56% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 2% jet, 1% helicopter, 31% glider and less than 1% ultralight.