Originally Posted by jlemon
Several old friends who retired as captains with American flew 757-200 service into EGE back in the day and have commented that it could be a very interesting airfield operate into at times due to certain weather conditions.
Having grown up in Vail from 1963 through 1974 (Our family business was a ski shop and the money was in importing and selling European ski and apres ski wear), I had occasion to visit Eagle County Airport on two occasions to pick up friends who had flown in. On both occasions they flew in on Twin Otters and as a visitor, the tiny terminal building had an RMA counter at one end and otherwise served to keep you out of the elements while you awaited your flight.
I never did fly RMA's Otters into EGE, but I can certainly appreciate the benefits of flying vs. driving for many visitors in the 1960s and early 1970s. The Eisenhower Tunnel - through which I-70 passes under the Continental Divide - did not open its first bore until 1974. Prior to that, the only route was US 6 over 11,988' Loveland Pass. During the winter months, it could be quite treacherous, and we always loaded up our trusty 1967 Chrysler station wagon with plenty of blankets and food and a full tank of gas for the trip. It was not uncommon for trucks to jack knife up on either Loveland or Vail Pass, the latter of which had its own set of challenges as a 2-lane blacktop until it was re-engineered into a four lane with kinder curves in the late 1970s. We kids went to school down in Denver during the week and drove up to Vail and back for ski team every weekend during the winter. On a good day, we'd make the trip in 2 hours. On a bad day, as many as 4-6 hours.
Meanwhile, RMA's DHC-6 Twin Otters typically made the trip from Denver Stapleton up to EGE in about 45 minutes.
Flash forward to 1997, and I flew into Vail aboard a Delta 757-200 from Atlanta. Also on the ramp were 757s from AA, UA and I think NW. That was a great trip! I hitchhiked from EGE down to Zion National Park in southwest Utah, then bussed back to Gunnison where another Delta 757 took me to Atlanta, followed by my last ever L1011 flight to SLC. The next day I scored an op-upgrade on the 757 up to Anchorage.
Here's a shot of a busy day on the ramp at EGE in the late 1990s
https://share.google/images/Qm60J6QhFIeOrzbpH
And here's a video of an American A319 taking off out of EGE
And finally, here's a view of the new terminal - a far cry from the humble little building of the 1960s
https://share.google/qHYXxMFv5myDq0YH0
Last edited by Seat 2A; Feb 2, 2026 at 1:19 pm