Frequent readers of our long-running Challenging Airports series might have noticed that we have spent a fair bit of time exploring Europe from the eastern portions of France, through Switzerland and into the northern regions of Italy. The lure of stunning topography and close proximity to dense population centres makes escaping to these year-round vacation destinations accessible to millions of travellers. Once again, we dip into the southeast of France, this time to Chambéry and the subalpine mountain ranges that precede entry into the higher French Alps farther to the east.
Some departures to the south require climb gradients of over 11% along with careful adherence to airspeed restrictions.
Geography and climate
