Although it seems that there are not many alternatives to big-city airports in Europe, small underutilized airports such as Sion, east of Geneva offer a warm and welcome reception for business aircraft that can’t find room at other airports or for pilots who enjoy flying off the beaten path. While Aéroport de Sion is 97 road miles (157 km) from Geneva, the drive is quick, all on an attractive freeway skirting the north (Swiss) side of gigantic Lac Leman and transiting the region where St. Bernards are raised.
The airport’s single runway is 6,562 feet long, and the elevation is 1,581 feet. For pilots arriving during inclement weather, there is one obstacle, and that is a requirement to fly a steep six-degree glideslope for the ILS Runway 25 approach, which begins 25.6 nm from the runway. The glide path lessens to 3.5 degrees 5.3 nm from the descent point. Pilots must receive training on the approach, too, which makes a pop-up trip to Sion difficult when the weather is below VFR minimums.
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