Safe Landing Akron — ((exclusive))

I spent a Saturday morning at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport (CAK) and the quieter, storied Akron Fulton International Airport (AKR), talking to the men and women who grease the wheels against gravity. I wanted to understand what it takes to bring a machine down safely in a region where the weather changes on a dime and the terrain is rarely forgiving.

"CAK is a mix of heavy iron and light sport," says Sarah Jenkins, an air traffic controller who has worked the scopes for fifteen years. "We have Allegiant Airbuses coming in from Florida, and right behind them, a student pilot on a solo cross-country. The challenge is spacing. Safe landing isn't just the pilot's job; it's a dance we do in the tower." safe landing akron