It's a bad area. My brother used to pilot a small plane and he tells harrowing stories about the occasional difficulty in getting over the Blue Ridge from nearby Roanoke. I also know a pilot who had to set a 747 down in Roanoke because he was in trouble. Not something he'd ever want to do again. Gorgeous area (all my ancestors are from there) but hard for planes.
Elevation is right around 3000. Why such a tough place for flying?