Perry Stokes Airport (TAD)

Perry Stokes Airport operates from a historic terminal facility that previously hosted Continental Airlines service and served as a NOAA weather forecasting station, featuring a newly renovated lobby with cockpit-friendly food options and courtesy car service to Trinidad's downtown area. Located at 5,762 feet elevation in southeastern Colorado where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountain foothills, the airport challenges pilots with high-altitude operations requiring careful density altitude calculations and performance adjustments for reduced air density conditions.

At 5,762 feet elevation, the airport operates a single 5,500-foot asphalt runway (03/21) with elevation differences between thresholds, under CTAF frequency 122.8 with AWOS weather reporting on 119.02 providing essential information for the challenging high plains weather conditions that include rapid changes, frequent winds, severe thunderstorms during spring and summer, and winter snow accumulation requiring specialized ground operations. Pinnacle Jet Centers provides Full Service Jet-A and Self Service AVGAS fuel options alongside basic FBO services in the historic terminal complex.

The airport serves Trinidad's agricultural and ranching communities with general aviation operations, seasonal traffic increases during harvest periods, and emergency medical evacuation services through regional helicopter operators, while its strategic location 11 miles northeast of Trinidad provides access to southeastern Colorado's outdoor recreation opportunities and serves as a gateway to the region's natural beauty where summers offer relief from extreme heat due to higher elevation and winters transform the landscape into pristine snow-covered expanses.