High to Low
In June, pilot and lawyer Kent Holsinger (Psych’93) of Denver set a world flightspeed record for the 528-mile route between North America’s highest- and lowest-situated airports — Lake County in Leadville, Colo., and Furnace Creek in Death Valley, Calif. He did it in 3 hours, 13 minutes (beating the previous record by 29 minutes) in his Lancair Super ES airplane, powered by a 310-horsepower piston engine.
Why did you start flying?
I had three business trips where I had to be back and forth between Grand Junction or Montrose and Denver in a single day — up to 10 hours in the car. A client told me about charter flights, and one thing led to another.
Favorite route?
My route to my parents’ home in North Park: You cross the continental divide twice. Grand Lake and Longs Peak are off the right wingtip. You see the headwaters of the babyÖ±²¥app River and the North Platte River from virtually one spot.
What led to the record flight?
We have the highest airport in our backyard. I was intrigued about the lowest. I considered the incredible landscape and the natural resources between them. When I learned there was an existing record, I thought I could beat it.
Any harrowing moments?
Snowstorms over the central mountains were moving quickly. Air traffic control lost me on radar.
Other records in the works?
It’s a process to sanction a world record attempt. I’m not eager to repeat it, but I won’t rule out another fun one!
Photo courtesy Kent Holsinger